Business

Before Choosing A Shipping Carrier For Your Business, Consider These Essentials

Getting your product to the customer on time is one of the most important aspects of running a business. Ergo, choosing the right shipping carrier is also crucial. Fortunately, you can find five of the most vital issues to consider while making this choice, below. Keep reading to discover what they are. 

Cost, speed, and level of service 

As one of the first things we consider, cost will always be a priority to those looking into shipping carriers for their business. After all, the less you pay for shipping the higher your profits

But, is it as simple as this? Many would say no because a cheap carrier that takes too long, or delivers your product crumpled, crunched, or smashed into a thousand tiny pieces is not going to do your reputation much good. 

With that in mind, it is essential that you balance cost with the speed of delivery, and the quality of service you can expect from a carrier. The good news is that you can easily check these things online by using third-party review sites. Remember, a low price is only ever good value if the service can fulfill these other two criteria as well. 

What ports do they cover? 

It is worth noting that when it comes to shipping your products overseas, not all ports are created equal. Indeed, there tend to be just a few main ports in each location, and as these are the ones that have the best transport links to surrounding locations it’s pretty vital that you choose a shipping company that can ship to and from them.

Do they offer digital tracking?

Knowing where your products are at all times can be of great benefit to your business. Indeed, it can help you to manage your supply lines, as well as meet and exceed customer expectations. For example, when a customer orders a product from you, and no tracking is available to them, they will contact you with their queries. However, if they can see where their package is by entering a tracking number into an app, they will be reassured that it’s on its way, and know when to expect it as well. Something that not only helps improve the service you offer for your customers but will save your time and money dealing with such queries as well. With that in mind opting for a carrier that offers the option to track packages can be a smart move. 

Are they set up to meet your needs?

This is a very valuable question to ask before choosing a carrier for two reasons. The first is that not all carriers offer worldwide coverage or ship items of over a certain weight. Of course, this can be very problematic if these are the services you require, and it can mean coordinating more than one shipping provider, something that can take up a lot of valuable time and resources. 

Additionally, the quality of the job a carrier will be able to perform for your business relies in great part on the assets and facilities they have available at each part of their supply chain. For example, shipping companies that have their own fleet of trucks that can get your products too and from the ports can provide a much more convenient end-to-end service. 

Also, checking whether the shipping company you use has access to the best shipping yard tractors is worth your time. You can even click here to find out more about shipping yard tractors like the 2021 TICO Pro-Spotter. After all, access to such equipment will make loading and unloading of shipping containers much faster, and easier, which will affect your end result. 

Are they a stable business? 

The next all-important question to ask when you are comparing shipping companies is whether they are a stable and well-established business? This is important because effective shipping requires access to a complex infrastructure of services. 

Unfortunately, those newer on the scene tend to have less secure working relationships with such service providers, which means you could run the risk of losing your shipment altogether if they fold. 

How much can you ship with them?

In part due to the massive rise in online shopping, the need for shipping is huge right now. What this means is there are more customers for shipping services than there are companies that can take on these jobs. 

Unfortunately, what this means is it is getting harder and harder to find shipping provisions for some businesses. Of course, if you have a regular shipment to send you may find it a little easier, as carriers value repeat business so be sure to mention this to them as you make your inquiries. 

Are they operating sustainably? 

Remember, that for many businesses, their reputation is a vital part of their success. This means that when it comes to choosing a shipping carrier you cannot afford to go for one that has been linked with poor environmental practices. 

Indeed, now more than ever customers are demanding that businesses and the providers that they work with, act in sustainable and environmentally conscious ways. To that end, it is vital that you check this aspect of any shipping company you chose to work with. 

Do they have a good safety record?

Last of all, when choosing a shipping carrier for your business it’s important that you examine their safety record. Working with shipping companies that ignore laws or have a lax attitude to worker safety can be damaging in more ways than one. 

Indeed, the first issue here is that by being linked to such a provider, the reputation of your own business can suffer. Additionally, what do you think happens when a shipping provider is caught out not adhering to laws or when an accident happens? Of course, your shipment will be delayed and in some cases lost altogether, which can cost your business a great deal of money. To that end, doing your homework and checking the safety record of any shipping company you decide to use is vital.

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