In this modern landscape, customers expect their orders or products delivered faster and on-time. That is the reason brands are focusing more on making their shipping operations better than ever before. But unexpected shipping costs are one of the major challenges for startups and new entrepreneurs. It not only includes the product delivery charges but also the cost of materials or products shipped to you by vendors or suppliers. If your customers don’t receive their orders in a timely manner, they will never your business again for more purchases.
Thankfully, you can deliver products to customers in a timely manner without spending so much on shipping overheads. This blog post contains confirmed ways you can take on to incredibly reduce enterprise shipping costs.
Evaluate Your Shipping Operations Requirements
It is the first and foremost step to take on when it comes to cut the shipment costs down for your business. Look at your primary and existing shipping patterns to find out what exactly you need from a shipping services company. Identify the areas, territories, and shipping routes you use the most to ship customer orders. Dig deeper into the evaluation process and know your sales projections and shipping requirements for the coming years so you can negotiate with the company for best rates for shipping routes with higher delivery volume. Analyzing your shipping requirements can help you find the best shipping service that delivers faster and at lower rates.
Choose the Shipping Company Wisely
Choosing a shipping company wisely as per your shipping requirements is one of the best ways to reduce the shipping costs of your business. For instance, if you deliver most within the particular area of the country, domestic and regional shipping would be a great option for you. And if you have customers around the globe including the home country, you should choose a company that delivers goods all over the world. It can help you save a big deal of money in terms of reduced enterprise shipping expenses.
Negotiate Rates
Negotiating for lower shipping rates is another best way to decrease enterprise shipping costs. As a business owner, you may have negotiated prices with a supplier or vendor before. However, negotiating with a shipping service provider could be a little bit difficult. You must have a good idea about the pricing shipping providers are offering to the companies similar to yours. If you will have comparable data at the place, the negotiation process will be easier and effective. If a company is denying to reduce shipping costs, move for another option, and ask them to provide the best rates.
Consider a Company with Multiple Shipping Methods
Considering the right shipping method for your orders is another great idea to save business bucks in terms of reduced shipping costs. If you are a giant enterprise that delivers in bulk, choose a shipping company with multiple shipping methods as they can ship your orders by using different modes of transportation even without charging too much. For instance, a shipping company with a large number of trucks will definitely deliver your domestic orders in a timely manner with the best rates, but when you need Air or Ocean shipping to ship overseas, you will need to look for another service provider. Having better insights into your ground shipping operations helps you choose the best company for effective and faster product delivery with a variety of transportation methods.
Practice Annual RFP Process
When you constantly ship the same product from one place to another, you should be enjoying discounted shipping rates from your company based on the shipping volume. And if the shipping volume is high enough, a shipping company can lock you in the category of consistent freight to provide you with the best rates. That is the reason, you should conduct a RFP (request for proposal) process each year to find out the best shipping services provide which is perfect for your business needs.
Check for Special Handlings
During the business processes, you may need to deliver something ‘fragile’ that needs to be handled with extra care and may cost some extra bucks usually known as special handling charges. That is the reason, you should check your shipping company for special handling process and associated charges. Ask them for pick-up charges if any and freight insurance. No matter how steadfast the shipping company is, things might go wrong sometimes. So, check whether the company purchase insurance for special handlings or not. It will help you claim for lost orders and refunds, etc for your products.
Be Cautious about Dimensions of the Packages
Being cautious about the dimensions of the packages is another best way to reduce shipping costs. Always follow the dimensions of the package provided by the shipping company or use their own packages to prevent any additional shipping costs. Hefty packages are more likely to increase overall shipping costs, so be careful when packing your products, you need to deliver.
