Question 1

How does freight get to the island?

Accepted Answer

Arnold Freight Company runs the freight boats from St. Ignace (303 Ferry Lane) to the island's Coal Dock — daily in season. It is a separate company from the passenger ferries, despite the similar name: Arnold Freight carries the supplies, building materials, mail and parcels; Arnold Transit carries people. For freight questions call (906) 643-8288.

Question 2

Who brings a package to my door?

Accepted Answer

Mackinac Island Service Company's horse-drawn dray. UPS and FedEx packages arrive through St. Ignace, cross on the freight boat, and are delivered to your doorstep by dray at no extra cost — that last carriage leg is simply how delivery works here. Amazon orders route the same way: to the dock at St. Ignace, across by boat, then by horse.

Question 3

How does the mail work?

Accepted Answer

The mail crosses from St. Ignace by freight boat — and by small plane when the boats can't run. In the deep winter months (roughly January to April), high wind, low visibility or ice can cancel the mail entirely for a day or more; it catches up when the weather does.

Question 4

What happens in winter?

Accepted Answer

When ice closes in on the Straits, ferry service thins and can pause altogether — in April 2026 the start of the ferry season itself was postponed because ice lingered around the docks. Freight and mail shift to small aircraft from St. Ignace, which carry groceries, restaurant supplies and hardware as well as people. Deliveries become weather-dependent: plan for delays, and order ahead of the freeze rather than into it.

Question 5

Why does delivery take longer (and cost more) than on the mainland?

Accepted Answer

Every item makes at least three trips: a truck to St. Ignace, a boat across the Straits, and a dray to the door. Each leg has its own schedule and its own weather. A package that would arrive next-day on the mainland routinely takes an extra day or two here — longer in shoulder seasons and winter. That isn't a delay in the system; it is the system.

Question 6

Can I ship big things — appliances, furniture, building materials?

Accepted Answer

Yes — that is exactly what the freight line is for. Arnold Freight carries lumber, appliances, furniture and construction materials, and each spring and fall it ferries the island's roughly 400 working horses across. For anything oversized, call the freight office first: (906) 643-8288 — they will tell you how to label it and which day it can cross.

How Things Get to the Island

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