Would still recommend for a North American transaction? Feels like you’d end up paying an extra middleman 

We use craters and freighters. Also Great!

The post in the link below may give you some ideas, including things to be aware of, or wary of:

urbanartassociation.com/post/2206848/thread



If I were looking to arrange the shipping of art — as opposed to leaving my contractual counterparty to deal with it, along with the potential liability if anything goes wrong during transit — my initial step would be to identify a handful of art professionals (museums, high-end galleries, and auction houses dealing in fine art and antiques) located in the same city as the source address for the art.

Next, I would reach out to those institutions by telephone and ask them whose services they themselves recommend for long-haul shipments. And perhaps also whose services they specifically avoid.

As a simple rule of thumb, make the most of local knowledge and experience, by using it to your advantage.