Delivery cost scenario

Picture this. You are choosing a printer for a book you have designed. You live on the East Coast. A printer to which you have been referred is based in the Midwest. Their prices are far below those of your local vendors. You are about ready to award them the job. Wait. Have you discussed packaging? Freight charges? Postage?
Most printers will include in their bid the cost of a local delivery of the finished publication as well as a local delivery and pick-up of proofs. A destination beyond the immediate vicinity may cost you more, and a split delivery may also cost extra.
Also, ask whether you can benefit from the discounts your printer receives for volume shipping. In addition, be specific about how your company will receive the delivery. Do you have a loading dock, or will the printer or carrier need to make an inside delivery (the tenth floor, for instance)? If your building has no loading dock, is there a freight elevator?
The more specific you can be in all these areas, the more closely your printer's estimate will match the final bill.