How to Choose Your Shipping Carrier

During the last quarter of the year, shipping often becomes a critical issue because of holiday shipping. Consumers and retailers ship many more packages during the last month of the year than any other time. This can cause issues for anyone that ships regularly and it is important to choose the right Shipping Carrier for your packages. Weather and holiday scheduling can also impact shipping efficiency. Here are some tips to help you choose the right shipper for the job.

Small Packages

Unless your package is urgent, the United States Postal Service (USPS) is still the best shipper for small packages. They have improved their tracking system, and you can send you small packages in their flat rate boxes for a low fee. The best way to bypass their long lines is to buy your postage and packaging online and hand it to your mail carrier to take it to the Post Office and drop it off. When dropping off packages that are already paid for, you don’t have to wait in line. You can also buy postage at their in-office kiosk if you have a credit card. However, these sometimes are down or may have a line. You can track your packages online to make sure they get delivered.

For overnight deliveries, FedEx will get your package there the earliest, although you can also ship overnight with several other carriers including USPS. In-city packages can be couriered over if you need them there the same day.

Medium Sized Packages

With medium-sized packages, you need to know more about your shipper. For instance, is the shipper good with fragile packages? What is their typical handling system? How do they do with expensive packages? You can interview shippers beforehand to determine which shipper to try. Record your experiences to determine which shipper best aligns with your company. Some shippers are regional and work better within certain areas than national or international shippers.

Remember that once your package is higher than a specific weight, generally about 70 lbs., it can no longer be carried by this class of shippers. Some shippers limit by size as well.