This page is intended to provide some helpful guidelines and information pertaining to Fire Island Ferries, Inc. freight boat service. Through our experience, we have found it necessary to formulate these policies.
We strive to provide consistent and superior service given the constraints of time, the variations in weather, the unforgiving marine environment and the finite limits of shipping/warehouse space. So, while some of these policies may seem arbitrary, they have evolved through time for the overall benefit of our customers, the vendors, and the Fire Island Ferries.
We would like to make your freight shipping experience as painless and expeditious as possible. Your cooperation will help immensely. If you have any questions, please call and ask to speak to the freight department.
Building supplies include: kitchen cabinets, plumbing supplies/fixtures, windows, doors, tile, flooring, paneling, bulk landscape supplies, fireplaces, stairs, hot tubs, etc.
Lumber/building supplies are only accepted for same day delivery at the end of Maple Avenue.
All freight boats are scheduled to leave Bay Shore (end of Maple Ave.) at 10:00am. Weather permitting, we run Monday through Friday year round. During the height of the season, we also run on Saturdays.This is generally from mid-April to the end of September, call for actual dates.
For same day deliveries we will accept shipments from 7:00am to 9:30am at the foot of Maple Avenue. Please inform shippers that the earlier the better. Please give us the courtesy of a phone call for any large shipments so we can make the proper space accommodations.
We will accept commercial deliveries:
Liquor will only be accepted for same day shipment. This means deliveries will only be accepted Monday thru Friday between 7:00am and 9:30am and the same time on Saturdays mid-April thru the end of September.
Deliveries attempted during other times will be refused and trucks will be turned away.
If you are sending items back to Bay Shore, please call for an estimated time as to when the freight boat will be in your community.
For freight house hours:
Click HerePresently, Fire Island Ferries only accepts groceries from Shop Rite, King Kullen, Sherry's Market, Rustic Roots, Uncle Giuseppe's Marketplace and Pat’s Market. They have accounts set up with us, and will cover the freight charge. Therefore, we can leave your cartons of groceries on the town dock that you have designated when placing your grocery order. It is recommended that you continue to order your groceries to be delivered to the freight boat before 10:00 am Monday – Friday. Any further questions with regard to ordering groceries or estimated times that the freight boat will be in your town, please call the freight department at 631.647.3055.
We do not accept deliveries from Instacart, Shipt, Pea Pod or Whole Foods. If attempted the order will be refused at the customers expense. None of these vendors protect, label or leave an invoice with us. Shop Rite in Bay Shore, King Kullen in Bay Shore, Pat's Market in East Islip and Sherry's Market in Babylon are the only stores that we accept delivery from. You can try ordering directly from Costco or BJ's websites to have those non-perishable items sent via UPS or FedEx.
All freight going to or from Fire Island must be labeled with Name and Destination; please have each item labeled; improperly labeled items will be refused. Fire Island Ferries employees will not label freight, so if someone else or a vendor is making the delivery to us please inform them it is their responsibility to label each item.
When shipping via UPS, Fed Ex, Airborne or any of the other shipping services please label your freight as follows:
Please remember that without a name and destination on the address label we will not accept any deliveries.
In order to ensure our receipt of your order please make sure that it is shipped via UPS or FedEx to the Fire Island Ferries address (99 Maple Ave., Bay Shore, NY 11706) and not to your P.O. Box. When filling out the shipping address use the format laid out above.
If you call the freight department, to locate a shipment, we ask that you please have the tracking number accessible. This will allow us to locate your delivery in a more timely and accurate manner.
For personal freight, please have all boxes, cartons, crates, etc. closed, sealed and labeled properly. We will not be responsible for any items in unsealed containers and reserve the right to refuse such containers. If you are dropping off your own freight at the Bay Shore main terminal, you can do so as long as the terminal is open. If the garage door is closed, ask a parking attendant if they could please open it for you.
Please remember we are operating in a marine environment that is beyond our control. Your freight is being shipped on boats, on the water. Therefore, it is subject to wind, salt spray and fog as well as the normal rain, sleet, snow and sun variables. If you are worried about it, protect it. We strive to make sure all freight we ship is protected from the elements, but you are ultimately responsible for the proper safeguarding of your property.
Please inform any of your vendors, who ship via truck, of these basic policies. All freight that requires a signature will be accounted for by the number of pieces received. However, if your freight is pre-palletized we will sign for one pallet in AS IS condition. The Fire Island Ferries reserves the right to refuse a shipment if, upon inspection, there is obvious damage. We will only sign a shipping invoice if we are provided with a copy for our records. The condition we receive your freight is generally the condition you receive your freight. No claims can be made for freight once it leaves our care and custody. We are not responsible for hidden damages. Those claims must be made to the original shipper.
Please bring any problems to our attention immediately.
Due to limited inside, shore side storage, many items will be restricted to outside storage. We are not responsible for any items left outside overnight. Aside from the obvious gas containers, gas powered equipment, propane tanks and barbeques, other items requiring outside storage include (but not restricted to): kayaks, canoes, windsurfers, sailboats, jet skis, dinghies, soiled laundry, nursery stock, lumber, building supplies (see above), golf carts and bicycles.
These specifications are to be combined with all previously mentioned information regarding our freight service.
Each of these communities have a freight house. However, due to their small size and the vast quantities of freight transported, these freight houses will only be used as temporary waypoints for your smaller items, i.e. UPS, FedEx, Amazon and beverage. Arrangements MUST be made for same day pick-up of larger and bulk items, including but not limited to; bedding, furniture, appliances, bicycles, etc. We ask that you please continue to give the freight department notice when one of these shipments is expected. In addition, any perishable items, landscaping, building material, or the like, will not be brought into the freight house.
During the off-season the freight house is only open when the freight boat is in your community. If you call Bay Shore (631.647.3055) after 10:30 AM we will be able to give you a rough estimate as to when the boat will be in your town. Please plan on getting to the freight house before that time and waiting for the boat. During the peak season we will have posted hours of operation that can be referenced.
We are not responsible for any freight held for 7 days or more. Storage charges will begin to accrue after 14 days (equal to freight charge for each 7-day period) and we reserve the right to dispose of any items left longer than 30 days, at the customer’s expense. Once again, bulk items will need to be picked up on the day of delivery. Please arrange your shipments accordingly.
The Village of Saltaire has a cartage concessionaire (Mr. Jason Waters (631)629-8181) who is responsible for moving all freight off the dock, in Saltaire. Fire Island Ferries is relieved of further liability once Saltaire freight is left on the dock. Please contact Mr. Waters ahead of time to make arrangements to have your freight delivered to your residence. Fire Island Ferries freight charges are from Bay Shore to the Saltaire dock (or vice versa). Because of this unique arrangement, homeowners will be held responsible for any freight charges that renters or house guests incur and fail to pay. Please inform your guests/renters that they must open up a freight credit card account through our website. There is a separate and unrelated charge for cartage from the dock – please contact Mr. Waters for further information.
These communities do NOT have freight houses. As a result, all freight must have a shipping date. For those of you who are dropping off freight yourselves please put a shipping date on each item. Without a date of shipment on the tag, we cannot assume that you will be available to pick up your freight the following day. Therefore, that freight would remain in Bay Shore until we receive a phone call from you notifying us of what day you will be present to gather and pay for your freight. For those who are having freight shipped to them via UPS or common carrier, please email us at freight@fireislandferries.com or call (631)647-3055 at least a day ahead of time (Mon. – Fri. 7:00am through 3:30pm) to let us know of your intended shipping date. When you call, make sure to ask for someone in the freight department to facilitate the proper communication.
Bay Shore has a freight house for returns off of Fire Island. Due to the relatively small size of the freight house and the vast quantity of freight returned to the mainland, the freight house can only be considered as a temporary waypoint for your items. If you are shipping freight back to Bay Shore to be picked up by another carrier, we would appreciate it if you would arrange a pick up date with that company before shipping the item. With this cooperation on your end the return will not sit on our side for weeks. As a reminder, we are not responsible for any freight held for 7 days or more; storage charges will begin to accrue after 14 days (equal to freight charge for each 7 day period); we reserve the right to dispose of anything left more than 30 days at customer’s expense.
All freight charges are due upon receipt unless you have a commercial shipping account (including a $1000.00 deposit) or have set up a credit card account with us. We ask that customers, who have set up a credit card account with us, have a written list of the items they are personally delivering to the freight boat. Once these items are unloaded out of your vehicle, you can hand a crew member your list. This will lower the amount of time that you may have to wait when delivering freight. We accept cash, credit cards (AMEX, Visa, Mastercard and Discover) and personal checks from Fire Island homeowners. If you plan on using your credit card for a one-time payment, there will be a $20 minimum. For now, we can only accept your card information at the main terminal (Monday-Friday 10:00-3:30pm) or the end of Maple Avenue when dropping freight off for same day delivery (Monday-Friday 7:00am-10:00am). In the height of the season, we can also accept your credit card information on Saturdays, during the same times. We cannot accept credit card information on the Fire Island side. Fire Island Ferries also asks that you be present, during freight business hours, in order to record your credit card information with us. For that reason we do not accept your information over the phone.
Due to the vast variability of items we ship, prices are usually set upon visual inspection (size and weight) of the item in question, and can vary.
Fire Island Freight website to open a credit card account: Freight Customer Portal Fire Island Freight has developed a website for the convenience of our customers. Many Fire Islanders have asked us to put a system in place that eliminates the need to carry cash to drop off or pick up freight. Our website allows new residential customers to create an account with us, eliminating the need to pay for a shipment at the dock. Your credit card will be billed automatically during the season. Our website also allows residential and commercial customers to view their shipments at any time of day, and for any shipping period from the current day to the current season.
We ask that you set up a residential account with us, using your credit card. The website is listed below. The process to open your account is very user friendly. You will be asked for your email address (required), home and Fire Island contact information, and your credit card information. The website and our servers utilize current best-of-breed security standards to safeguard your information, and all of your sensitive information is encrypted. If you do not want to utilize this website to register, kindly call us at 631-647-3055 and we can do this over the phone. You can also come to the freight house to do so in person. To create your account, go to the website listed at the top or bottom of this letter. Please utilize the Print ID function after logging in. With this feature you can print out label ID’s for freight that you are dropping off yourselves. It will list your name, beach, and account number.
If you have been shipping with us in the past, you probably already have your name and address on file in our system. If you have already created a credit card account with us, thank you! You do not need to do anything at this time. If you have not yet taken advantage of our credit card billing, please call the office at 631.647.3055 or email us at Freight@FirelslandFerries.com. We will check that you have an email address in your customer record, and we will assign an initial password for your account. You may then log in to the website as an existing user, change your password, and complete the forms for your account.
Commercial account holders are free to utilize this website to track their shipments, but cannot create a new commercial account. You are invoiced customers and billing is done separately. COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS DO NOT ENTER ANY CREDIT CARD INFO