Customer expectations are rising and shoppers are becoming more demanding. If you want to keep up with the competition, you’ll need to raise your game and deliver more. The question is, how can you do this without significantly increasing your operating costs?
The good news is that it’s possible to deliver more, faster and more efficiently – at the same or lower prices.
Here are some cost-cutting tips for delivering orders same-day and next-day:
1. Ship in bulk
The more you ship in bulk, the lower your shipping costs per package. The more you ship in bulk, the less you pay per package.
That’s why large retailers ship all of their orders in bulk via pallets. Orders are consolidated into fewer shipments, which makes it possible to ship large volumes of products in a single truck and from a single location.
According to UPS, the cost of shipping one large pallet (250 lbs.) is only $80.60. The cost of shipping 50 small boxes (25 lbs. each) is $69.50.
The more you ship in bulk, the lower your shipping rates.
2. Reserve a dedicated pickup truck
You can reduce your shipping costs even more by reserving a dedicated pickup truck to deliver your orders. By doing this, you can schedule a pickup at a time that’s convenient for you and avoid paying extra fees if you need to schedule an extra pickup.
Dedicated pickup trucks are more expensive than regular pickup trucks, but they’re well worth it if you’re looking to save money.
3. Ship on Monday and Tuesday
For same-day and next-day shipping, the best days to ship are Monday and Tuesday. This is because Monday and Tuesday are the days that most drivers are in the office, so they’ll be available to make pickups and deliveries.
If you ship on Wednesday or Thursday, your driver may have to make a special pickup or deliver your order on their day off.
4. Pick the right carrier
Another way to cut your shipping costs is to pick the right carrier. For example, if you’re shipping a large or heavy item, Reliable Couriers is your best bet! This courier service specializes in large and heavy shipments. We can help you ship anything from a pallet of bottles to large and heavy equipment.
Reliable has competitive pricing and has a 99.9% on-time delivery rate.
5. Tracking is a must
If you want to reduce your shipping costs, you’ll need to invest in a tracking system that allows your customers to track their packages. You’re able to track your packages and your customers are able to track their packages.
When you use a tracking system that allows you to track your packages and your customers to track their packages, you’ll be able to determine how far away each package is. For example, you’ll be able to tell which packages are in your courier’s truck, which packages have just been picked up from the warehouse, which packages are on the way to your customer and which packages are being delivered.
You’ll also be able to tell which packages have been delivered. This is a huge plus, as there’s nothing worse than having to chase down a package that your customers are expecting.
To Sum Up
The good news is that it’s possible to deliver more, faster and more efficiently – at the same or lower prices.
All you have to do is:
- Ship in bulk
- Reserve a dedicated pickup truck
- Ship on Monday and Tuesday
- Pick the right carrier
- Track your packages
If you need help with any of these things, just let us know. We also have the best tips for delivering parcels abroad here.