5 TIPS TO LOWER YOUR OVERALL SHIPPING COSTS
Shipping costs are one of the biggest expenses for many businesses. Whether you’re focused on getting product out to customers or getting supplies to your factory, keeping those costs in line can help your business stay competitive. Here are five simple ways to get the best value while shipping your goods from A to B:
1. Look at your freight transport needs as a whole
By leveraging your volume with a single freight carrier, you can typically shave costs. In the world of shipping, that means choosing a carrier that offers the option of sending a full truckload (TL) of goods, as well as Less Than Truckload (LTL). If your shipment is too small to fill a standard trailer, you can share costs with other shippers sending smaller loads. “We can move LTL all the way up to full TL,” says Jerry Aaron, Director, Global North America for ODFL. “That eliminates the possibility you’ll have to bring in a second carrier for just one truckload. And if you’ve got a full truckload with over-flow, then LTL is a good option.” Other services you might want your carrier to offer include customs brokerage and the ability to send expedited and timesensitive shipments.
2. Embrace technology
When your carrier uses state-of-the-art technology to manage shipments, it reduces the risk of human error and provides 100 per cent freight visibility throughout the process. The upshot: You get greater control over your supply chain. “Our award-winning technology offers many ways to get information and keep up with your LTL shipments, including tracing, rate estimators and pickup scheduling,” says Aaron. “And customers can get detailed reports, as well.”
3. Consolidate LTL orders to pay one customs brokerage entry fee
You can reap cost savings by consolidating paperwork for several LTL orders, allowing you to pay a single customs brokerage entry fee rather than a fee for each individual shipment. Old Dominion regularly helps customers consolidate orders. “Once they cross the border, we can do a distribution from there,” says Aaron.
4. Cut down on labour hours at the delivery point
There’s little worse than having a bunch of employees waiting around to unload a late shipment on your dime. A freight line’s on-time performance record can give you a good idea of whether that is likely to happen. ODFL delivers on time 99.3 per cent of the time, points out Aaron.
And for a small upcharge, it offers on-time guarantees and on-demand delivery service if you need additional assurances your load will arrive on time or to meet a time-specific delivery window.
5. Get the price upfront
“As a shipper, when we work out your pricing right from the beginning, that is your pricing all the way through,” says Valerie Speck, Canadian Sales Manager, ODFL. “It includes freight charges and fuel surcharge, as well as any accessorial charges.” The only exceptions occur if a customer under-estimated the size or weight of the shipment or if there’s a customs exam at the border.