When you ship your products, you need to ensure they travel safely to their next destination. After all, shipping damages and costs can add up quickly, so you need to choose a reliable shipping carrier for your business. To help with this process, you can use these eight tips for choosing the right shipping carrier for your needs.
1. Reliability
When choosing a shipping carrier, you need to evaluate the reliability of the company. A great way to determine the reliability of a carrier is to look at the level of service rates, also known as the LOS rates. If the LOS rates are high, then usually, the carrier provides reliable service for its clients. To retain your customers, you will need reliable shipping services. In fact, it is better for your business to pay more for a shipping carrier with a high LOS than a business with low costs and a low LOS. While the low LOS carrier may save money in the short run, the loss of customers due to unreliable shipping times can cause significant, long-term financial damage.
2. Costs and Services
Another factor you need to consider when choosing a shipping carrier is cost. While it is tempting to choose the cheapest carrier, this usually isn’t the best option for your business. As previously mentioned, cheap carriers usually do not provide the best service. While a carrier’s low prices may save money initially, this choice is detrimental in the long run. To choose the best shipping carrier for your business, you need to consider the price and the service quality. If a carrier offers cheap rates but does not provide quality service, it’s best to find another option. Poor service can cause unnecessary stress for your business and employees, dissatisfied customers, damaged items, and more. So, when choosing a shipping carrier for your business, consider the price and service quality.
3. Shipping Destinations
If you need to ship your products internationally, you need to choose a carrier that offers this service. While you can use multiple carriers for your shipments, it is a lot easier for a business to use one instead of juggling multiple shipping companies. When you choose a shipping company, make sure they deliver to all your destinations. If you need to ship internationally, then you need to ensure that the carrier can do that as well.
4. Types of Products
Before you choose a carrier, you need to take the types of products you sell into consideration. If your products are hazardous or fragile, for example, then you want to ensure that the carrier will ship these types of items. In fact, some carriers refuse to ship items that are too fragile or expensive. Perishable goods, hazardous materials, and fragile, and expensive items are all difficult to ship, so you want to ensure that the carrier can easily transport them. A few examples of these types of products are jewelry, food supplements, perfumes, and other liquids.
5. Carrier’s Reputation
A carrier’s reputation is generally a great way to determine if the shipping company is right for your business. If a company has a bad reputation, it’s probably best to search for alternative options. A bad reputation indicates that the shipping company does not provide quality, reliable service for their clients. For instance, perhaps their delivery times are always late, or the cargo arrives in poor condition. In this situation, you need to search for a different carrier. However, if you find a carrier with a glowing reputation, you should consider contacting the company for more information about their services.
6. Tracking Services
Many customers enjoy tracking their packages, so businesses often choose shipping carriers that offer tracking services. These tracking services allow the customers to know their packages’ locations, estimated delivery times, and delays. Tracking benefits not only your customers but also your business. With tracking services, you can monitor cargo deliveries and shipments. You can help ensure your customers receive their products on time with tracking services. If you have delayed shipments, you can proactively reach out to your customers and inform them of the reasons for any delays.
7. Delivery Times
Today, customers expect fast shipping and reliable delivery times. In fact, fast shipping and delivery times can help your business retain old clients and acquire new leads. However, you need to ensure that your business can provide these fast and reliable shipping services for your customers. To choose an excellent shipping carrier, you need to make sure that they deliver on time. No business wants to spend time apologizing for late or delayed deliveries to their customers. Late deliveries are time-consuming and lower customer satisfaction, so you want to avoid them if possible. Before you choose a carrier, make sure they provide fast shipping and reliable delivery times.
8. Level of Service
Various shipping carriers offer different levels of service. If you want a hands-off approach to your shipping, then you need to find a company that will take care of all your shipping needs. However, you need to find a carrier that is willing to work with your business and your shipping preferences if you want a more hands-on approach. Some companies allow you to control your shipping from a computer or laptop, while others will ship the cargo for you. If you want to focus on other aspects of your business, then a hands-off approach is probably best for your needs. If you want to stay involved in the shipping process, then you must select a company that is easy to work with and communicates often.
Now, you know the eight tips for choosing the right shipping carrier for your needs. The eight tips are to consider the level of service, delivery times, tracking services, carrier’s reputation, types of products, shipping destinations, costs and services, and the carrier’s reliability. If you require freight transportation services for your business, contact Diversified Transportation Services. We are glad to help you ensure that your cargo arrives at its next destination.
