Why Should you consider Parcel Shipping ?
Recently Many companies have adopted parcel shipping as a method of delivery of their products rather than using freight shipping via LTL.
Quantity
Can your company combine a group of similar packages and ship them to distribution centers where they can be broken down and delivered as individual parcel shipments? Or do you have a limited amount of shipments that leave your facility on a weekly or daily basis?
Accessibility
Another item that needs to be taken into consideration is accessibility. Parcel carriers will offer direct door-to-door delivery that LTL carriers frequently cannot. Is your recipient located on the 13th floor of an office building with no service elevator? If so, you may see an extra fee on your carrier invoice to accommodate your physical and operational needs. Parcel carriers, however, generally have a more flexible schedule and can offer services such as Saturday express and overnight delivery. Parcel carriers are also more likely to deliver to residential addresses, whereas LTL carriers generally prefer to ship to loading docks.
Reliability
In most cases, parcel carriers have the capability of guaranteeing delivery by a certain time and day. Many companies and individuals find this useful for time sensitive documents such as bid proposals and contracts. When you want items on site at a specific time and location, parcel carriers have the direct advantage to meet your needs. Their reliability, over time, has proven to be more consistent compared to the LTL industry.
Tracking
Parcel carriers instituted online shipment tracking, many LTL carriers adopting it later. Both types of carriers offer services that enable users to track shipments online, including an estimated time of arrival and live updates throughout the delivery process. Many shippers provide instant proof of delivery and signature confirmation.
More and more consumers want to know where their package(s) or shipment(s) are and what time they will arrive. In fact, according to a research done by UPS, in conjunction with Comscore, 75% of shoppers believe every retailer should offer tracking information. Finding the best solution that fits your needs, as well as the customers, will keep you competitive in your industry.
Cost
Ultimately, your shipping strategy should be the one that best meets the needs of your company and customers. Even the best product in the world will lose favor with your customers if it is not delivered safely and on time. For overall customer service, parcel carriers typically have the flexibility that meets customers’ needs, but LTL carriers are not far behind. Regardless of your selected service type, be sure to consider the advantages and disadvantages of each option, and their suitability to your current and future business objectives.
What makes a Small package?
Shipments under 70 lbs per carton and shipped in cartons, rather than on a pallet, are often moved via small parcel shipping with express carriers such as UPS, FedEx or regional courier services or DHL for international exports.
Cartons exceeding the following criteria are best shipped via freight services rather than small package services:
— Individual packages can be up to 150 lbs (70 kg).
— Each package can be up to 165 inches (419 cm) in length and girth (2x width+height) combined.
— Packages can be up to 108 inches (270 cm) in length.
— Packages with a large size-to-weight ratio require dimensional weight calculations (Multiply length x width x height/166=dimensional weight in pounds for US shipments.)
Online Parcel Shipping Companies are on the rise due to the need of fast reliable delivery of important packages, International 3PL has several facilities specializing in Parcel and small package shipping services across the globe.
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