The Cost of Shipping: Which way is the cheapest for me?
One of the top 4 fulfillment factors to consider is costs and pricing.
Pricing is determined by storage, pick and pack, shipping, hourly rates, and more. While some options have a minimum monthly order limit others have unknown fees that are tacked on which can be a strain on your budget. Learn about the process here in this article and choose the best option that fits your business.
If you have outgrown your shipping method and are looking at 3PL options congratulations on reaching that tipping point of growth in your business!
“Did you know that 80% of the US population can get 2-day delivery by relying on only 3 distribution centers?”
Being a small merchant company can be challenging when competing with the “big guys”. You have to live up to the expectations of your consumers and that is why we are here to help. We understand that you struggle with the large market share of your recent growing pains of fulfillment (The process of order to delivery of the consumer.) and we are here to help with these articles our helpline is at (800) 821–6389.
Your business has grown to the point where you are considering using LTL shipping options because shipping through the post office does not cut it anymore. As a small business owner, you wear more hats than you should and are always looking to automate processes to make things go more smoothly. Unfortunately, upgrading your shipping can be confusing at first so this article will help you with that.
The customer experience with your business defines you and with the internet where it is so easy to comment, like, dislike, and rate you it is very important to keep your good reputation intact and that is why it is so important to make sure your fulfillment process goes smoothly.
Instead of losing sleep over how you are going to get your products to your customers in a timely, secure fashion read this string of articles on how to make your fulfillment process go more smoothly.
Does your business find itself in these situations?
- Running out of space for inventory and supplies.
- You may want to consider using warehouse services offered by 3PLs.
- Not having the time to process the overabundance of orders.
- Having the right software in place can help with this.
- Receiving special needs that never came up before from your customers.
- Special Delivery, Guaranteed Delivery, Lift Gates needed, etc can be handled by your 3PL.
Passing along the headache of making your fulfillment procedure go smoothly to a 3PL can free up your time to run other important areas of your business such as finance, marketing, sales, product development, and more.
How much would you pay for these added services to take the pressure off of your plate? The traditional method of shipping that you always have used cannot always do all of the services you need so that is why you are looking at 3PLs as a solution but how much does it cost and how much is it worth to you?
Which way is the cheapest but also makes sure my product is delivered correctly?
You can save money by comparing costs. One way you can do this and save money is to periodically see how much it would cost to ship a product. You can visit this page to get a quote on how much US Special Delivery would charge for your shipment and compare it to other carriers. You will discover that US Special Delivery when compared to the service you receive will be hard to beat.
Another way is to stay on top of the pricing changes of shipping carriers. Whenever this happens you can compare the prices of all of the major shipping carriers. Be sure to remember which carriers you had a problem with on the service side. You do not want to pick that carrier again even if the prices are cheaper. They can cost you much more in the end!
Here is another way to save money when shipping your products. Does the carrier offer discounted shipping rates? Shipping carriers like US Special Delivery can lower the prices to be more competitive by shipping products shared with other businesses on the same trailer, thus LTL (less-than-truckload) was born.
But some companies like US Special Delivery offer discounted shipping rates without sacrificing the quality; in fact, all US Special Delivery rates are discounted. Customers without a pricing program have a courtesy discount applied. To qualify for a higher discount, the customer would simply work with a salesperson, and depending on how much and where the freight is destined would dictate the level of discount and minimum charge.
Another way to save on shipping is to go prepaid.
Go Prepaid — all shipments are paid for prior to freight moving. If a customer does not have credit with US Special Delivery, they pay with a credit card prior to shipping.
Another way to save on shipping is to go with a shipping company that works in conjunction with other shipping companies. This is called hybrid services. US Special Delivery work with other carriers; agents in our direct area, and interline partners outside of our direct area.
Here are some things you can do on your end to save money on shipping costs.
- Encourage your customers to place orders early.
- This will save you from making expedited deliveries which can cost more in shipping and save you and your customer money.
- Sometimes emergencies happen, and we understand this that is why we have Expedited Delivery as a service.
How do I calculate shipping costs to find the best deal for me?
There are online shipping calculators that you can use. Here are a few of them below.
Compare Your Options
The most common shipping carriers are USPS and UPS but they can be limiting in their services so it is best to talk to a representative to see if your requirements can be met. Each shipping carrier has different programs and it is best to contact a shipping consultant to see if their services will need your needs. For US Special Delivery you would call (800) 821–6389 to talk to a consultant.
Calling a Consultant
Before making the call put together a list of needs that your business will have when shipping your products. Every business has special unique needs that other businesses do not have. For example:
- Expedited Solutions — to get delivered fast
- AM Guarantee — guarantee shipment to arrive in the morning
- PM Guarantee — guarantee shipment to arrive after hours
- National & International Delivery Service — delivery in and out of the country
- LTL Delivery — less than truckload
- Lift Gate — some businesses require one to receive product
- Freezable/Protective Service — some businesses have temp-controlled products
- Notification — some businesses need to be notified before the shipment arrives
- Inside Delivery — some businesses require delivery inside their business
- Special Requirement Delivery Sites — delivering to construction sites and more
- TL Delivery — entire truckloads for larger orders
Here are some features to compare when choosing a shipping carrier.
USPS (Geared toward home-based offices and small businesses)
- The ability to pay postage and print labels online.
- Schedule and ship parcels from your home.
- Receive a free Priority-Mail Starter Kit.
- Direct mail advertisements.
(Interesting note: USPS and UPS many times use FedEx to send out political advertisements and junk mail.)
UPS Small Business
- Offer related business discounts to businesses like accountants, marketing, and employee background checks.
- Free consultation for your business plan and shipping needs.
- Offer a financial service to take care of finance and payment services.
- Schedule pickups at a UPS site.
- Monitor inventory and manage logistics online.
FedEx (Geared toward small to medium-sized businesses)
- They offer a reward system called My FedEx Rewards for shipping
- FedEx offers help with calculating your shipment dimensions and learning about shipping terminology.
- Manage and schedule your pickups from your house.
- Offers postcard printing to include in your shipping parcels.
- Offers temp-controlled shipping.
3PL Third Party Logistics Solutions — Geared toward medium to large-sized businesses
- Offers everything non-3PL offers.
- Provides extra services that non-3PL may not provide such as Lift Gates, Freezable/Protective Services, Shipping Notifications, Inside Deliveries, Special Delivery to construction sites, convention centers, residential, grocery warehouses, school deliveries, and even two-man delivery teams.
If you have other questions that are not addressed in this article please feel free to contact us via this short form located at https://usspecial.com/contact-us/.
The article was written by Michael Rock of The Internet Presence, LLC, and US Special Delivery is the source.