How to Choose a Courier Based on the Type of Your Shipment?
Choosing the right delivery service based on the type of your package is crucial to the success of your business: it can save your money and reputation or turn out to be a total disaster. So, how to choose wisely?
Here are some guidelines to help you through this process: First of all, to choose a courier based on the type of your shipment, analyze it (there are professionals who can help you with that). You need to determine the main characteristics of your item or items and, if you're a business owner, the type of products you would ship most frequently (to save time doing research in the future). The major points you need to consider are:
Weight
Volume
Fragility
Shelf life (i.e. items that need to be refrigerated)
Number of items in one shipment
Is your shipment national or international?
Then, think about the differences between the large national and international carriers. Spend some time on their websites and compare their prices, delivery times, possible extra fees and hidden costs, consult with freight auditors. Also, don't forget to check out your local courier services: chances are, those guys are small businesses owners just like you, which means they could be less pricey as they don't spend billions on advertising, and their approach can turn out be more personal, comparing to big international carriers. In short:
The large delivery companies like the USPS, FedEx and DHL handle general envelope and small package service and offer general delivery times, from one day to two weeks.
Freight deliveries are for extra large and extra heavy shipments: anything from concrete building blocks to lumber. So, if it sounds familiar - this is the way for you to go.
Specialty deliveries deal with things like flowers and medical supplies that require specific temperatures, hazardous materials, legal documents, etc. So, if your items are fragile, sensitive and require special treatment, it's a good idea to use a specialty delivery.
Local delivery services generally operate within city limits and specialize in fast deliveries, so this can be the best choice if a package has to reach your customers the same day. Local couriers have advantages such as security (they usually require signature), speed and individual approach.
And the last thing: if you're still feeling a bit confused after reading this, or just looking for a way to save more money, don't hesitate to use professional auditing services like Betachon.
Here are some guidelines to help you through this process: First of all, to choose a courier based on the type of your shipment, analyze it (there are professionals who can help you with that). You need to determine the main characteristics of your item or items and, if you're a business owner, the type of products you would ship most frequently (to save time doing research in the future). The major points you need to consider are:
Weight
Volume
Fragility
Shelf life (i.e. items that need to be refrigerated)
Number of items in one shipment
Is your shipment national or international?
Then, think about the differences between the large national and international carriers. Spend some time on their websites and compare their prices, delivery times, possible extra fees and hidden costs, consult with freight auditors. Also, don't forget to check out your local courier services: chances are, those guys are small businesses owners just like you, which means they could be less pricey as they don't spend billions on advertising, and their approach can turn out be more personal, comparing to big international carriers. In short:
The large delivery companies like the USPS, FedEx and DHL handle general envelope and small package service and offer general delivery times, from one day to two weeks.
Freight deliveries are for extra large and extra heavy shipments: anything from concrete building blocks to lumber. So, if it sounds familiar - this is the way for you to go.
Specialty deliveries deal with things like flowers and medical supplies that require specific temperatures, hazardous materials, legal documents, etc. So, if your items are fragile, sensitive and require special treatment, it's a good idea to use a specialty delivery.
Local delivery services generally operate within city limits and specialize in fast deliveries, so this can be the best choice if a package has to reach your customers the same day. Local couriers have advantages such as security (they usually require signature), speed and individual approach.
And the last thing: if you're still feeling a bit confused after reading this, or just looking for a way to save more money, don't hesitate to use professional auditing services like Betachon.
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