Thanks for the suggestions everyone!

To Anne's point: I thought that FedEx and UPS had something like a 70lb 
weight limit with size limitations also.  Maybe that's just for the 
usual residential packages, so I will check into this more carefully -- 
good to know that they ship larger stuff (even pianos?!).

Unfortunately I don't know anyone with a van or large SUV, so I will 
have to compare the cost of four days of rental + mileage + gas with 
what FedEx or UPS would charge.  It would be fun to visit the maker, 
though, as Norm said.  Decades ago I thought nothing of doing a long 
drive in the morning then turning around and coming home the same day.  
Not so much now, so I might end up with a hotel bill too.

I do have some some woodworking skills (with access to a table saw), 
certainly enough to make a crate.  For some reason I hadn't thought of 
doing it myself, maybe because I hadn't ever tried to figure out how it 
would go together.  David's comment about putting the struts on the 
outside makes the structure clear (and I appreciate the other details 
too).  If I get clever I might even be able to figure out how to make it 
so it could be disassembled for storage.

Best wishes, David

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