How to Choose a Shipping Company: What to Take into Account

What To Consider When Choosing a Shipping Company

In case you don’t know, the shipping company you choose to work with will have a positive or negative impact on the daily operations of your business. Hence, when searching for a shipping company for parcel forwarding from the US to Canada, you must take your time to evaluate your options and choose a company that can best satisfy your needs. Doing this will save you a lot of headaches and give you a competitive advantage in your industry. 

If you need assistance choosing the perfect shipping company that best suits your needs, then you are in luck. Here we’ve listed some key factors to consider when selecting a shipping company to work with. 

Delivery Speed 

Most customers now consider how swift a company’s delivery process is before making an online purchase. A good number of consumers prefer same-day delivery after making a purchase. Some consumers also don’t mind paying an extra cost for a product from an online store if it means they will get it delivered to them quickly. So even if you are not able to offer immediate delivery to your consumers, you can use shipping companies that offer premium shipping services to deliver products. This way, you can always satisfy your customers.

Delivery Range 

Small-scale businesses that sell goods within a localized area should always consider using shipping companies that offer local courier services. They are usually familiar with the local area’s environment. Hence, more efficient for small-scale businesses. They also offer cheaper delivery options for small-scale businesses. On the other hand, if you own a large-scale business and you deliver goods over long distances, then you’ll need a shipping company with vast international networks. 

Tracking Services

One important aspect of online shipping and delivery is maintaining contact with the shipping company transporting your goods. The majority of consumers complain about not having sufficient information about the progress of their online orders. In contrast, only a few consumers report having excellent communication with their retailers concerning the status of their online orders. 

Tracking makes the delivery process transparent and helps your customers to know the progress of their parcel delivery. So, when choosing a shipping company, you should also consider if they offer tracking services for the consumer. If they do, also find out the level of detail they provide concerning the package. 

Delivery Costs

A majority of online shoppers report free shipping as a key incentive for frequent shopping. If you run a small-scale business, this may not be feasible for you as offering free delivery for all your sales may be too expensive for you to handle. Hence, you may need to consider a shipping company with fewer delivery costs. However, you must also bear in mind that the cheapest shipping companies are not always the best, so never base your decision on the delivery costs alone. 

Go for a shipping company that is favorable both for you and your customers. An ideal one would have a price that is high enough to cover your expenses but low enough for your customers. One way to keep your delivery costs down is to cut down on the product packaging to avoid extra weight. You can also be strategic by incorporating the delivery costs into the price of the product itself or by offering free delivery to specific regions, products, or above a minimum order quantity. 

Specialization

If you deal with goods that require special shipping services, it’s important to work with shipping companies that offer those special services. For instance, perishable or fragile products require special packaging and shipping services, as even the slightest error when shipping can incur some losses. In this instance, you’ll need a shipping company that has a reputation for transforming perishable or fragile products. Some aspects to consider for special shipping services are: 

  • Shipping time 

This is how long the product will be in transit without any damage occurring before they get to your customer. 

  • Packaging

Do they offer different packaging options for different products, or do they use only one packaging option? Some goods may require insulated packaging or airtight packaging. So check if the shipping company offers such. 

  • Temperature

Does your product need certain temperatures to be preserved? If they do, work with shipping companies that can offer such services. 

  • Pricing

Fragile or perishable goods may incur extra costs. So it would help if you also considered this. 

Services Offered

If your business offers multiple services, you’ll need a shipping company that can be able to handle all your needs. Working with different shipping companies to move different types of goods may cost you more. It will be very beneficial to work with a shipping company that offers multiple services as well. 

Type of Carrier

Another important thing to consider is if the shipping company you choose to work with is an asset-based carrier or a non-asset-based carrier. The former owns all the facilities that are necessary for transporting your products, while the latter outsource their transportation services to the former. The type of carrier you work with has several implications for your business; for a non-asset-based carrier, there are more possibilities for errors due to more hands handling your goods. Asset-based carriers will provide better transportation services with lesser chances for error. 

Finally, also consider the state of the shipping company itself. A good shipping company will always look the part. They will ensure that their vehicles look good and are well-maintained. They will also offer good customer service and have staff willing to attend to customers’ complaints and needs. This will also rub off on your business as your customers may judge their buying experience with you based on their experience with the shipping company delivering the product. 

Suppose you need help shipping your products from the US to Canada right away; you don’t need to stress much. Just visit https://myusaddress.ca/ to get started. 


  

Name, Address, and Phone

MyUSAddress,

850 Sophia St., 

Prescott, Ontario K0E1T0, 

18003203014