Shipping is the bane to any company’s existence. As more shoppers complete their transactions online, a greater amount of shipping will be required, and this can cost a lot of businesses a ton of cash. A series of tricks and measures need to be employed to ensure businesses can ship packages, particularly of the larger variety, on a budget.
Indeed, shipping large parcels can be an expensive undertaking when one is unprepared and has no idea whom to contact. While many people do go to the post office, government mail agencies generally have some of the highest rates for large parcels, and routine use of their services can be expensive.
What can you do exactly? Here are eight cheapest ways to ship large packages:
1. Plan for the Future
The best way to ship large packages economically is to plan ahead of time so that you don’t have to ship the parcels urgently. Make sure you don’t get into a situation where you have to ship the parcels urgently as urgent shipping can really cost you a lot of money. The faster you want a heavy parcel sent, the higher the cost. That is why it is always a better idea to send large parcels on an elective or non-urgent basis to avoid high costs.
2. Buy Your Own Supplies
It’s as simple as this: Buy your own packaging supplies. Most shipping companies will charge you for boxes, tape and bubble wrap. It is a lot cheaper to get these items on your own rather than purchase them from the shipping company.
3. Browse, Compare, Research – Oh My!
Browse through different shipping companies to check their rates and delivery times. Almost every shipping company today has a website and offers customer service. If you know the size, the weight of your parcel and destination, you can get a quote online or over the phone. This way you are able to compare prices of different providers. Some of the questions you may want to ask them include 1) is door to door shipment available? 2) when will the parcel get there? and 3) do I need to buy extra insurance?
4. Getting the Best Deal
If you run a business that requires regular shipping to customers, you can obtain package deals from shipping companies as they often offer discounted rates to customers who ship in bulk and who need to ship packages on a frequent basis. Once again, it is best to compare rates before you select the shipping company.
5. Understanding the Basics
You should know some basic information about different shipping companies and shipping options in the United States. For example, the United States Postal Service keeps on increasing its rates every four to six months. The perception that USPS is cheaper then UPS or FedEx is actually incorrect. It is this elementary information that can make a world of difference to your wallet.
6. USPS – Yea or Nay?
The U.S. post office is an independent agency of the U.S. federal service and provides postal service all over the nation. However, the problem with the U.S. post office is that unlike other shippers, it doesn’t work during holidays and weekends. Plus, its prices for delivery are also higher than other companies. The key benefit of the U.S. post office is that its branches can be found even in small U.S. towns but if you want good shipping rates and someone who works during the weekends, this should not be your choice.
7. It’s All About the Dimensions
Keep in mind that both UPS and FedEx charge on the basis of dimensional weight. This means that even if your package weight 10 pounds, you will be charged the same rate as you would if it were 50 lbs. Therefore, size your packages smartly, and then find out the optimum rates for different sizes and pack accordingly.
Remember, it may be about the dollars, but it really is about the dimensions.
8. What About FedEx?
FedEx also offers heavy courier service that is specifically designed for large or heavy packages. If you have to ship anything that is more than 70 pounds, you can make use of these special rates. You could see that you
The primary trick in the quest to save money on shipping large packages is to do your research. By finding the right shipping company for your packages, you can get the best of both worlds: affordability and dependability. In the end, just make sure you know the rates for different sizes so that you package your goods accordingly without wasting unnecessary money because of wrong sized packages.
By the end of it all, once you have employed at least a few of these measures, you will find plenty of savings, a superb budget, and, most important of all, a bigger bottom line. And isn’t this the dream of any company?
