When you are sending a package, you hope that the package arrives as fast as possible, so you don’t have to worry about that bundle’s well-being for too long. Sometimes the box can travel all around the world before it reaches its final destination, and you will most likely want to find a way to make that travel as short as possible.
You might think that your bundle’s destiny is out of your hands once you send it off, but there are things to do to ensure it is safe and will get there in time. This is important, especially if you are a small business, depending on your customers’ trust. Here are some ways to help speed up the shipping process.
Using Same-Day and Overnight Service
Many carriers offer overnight service, primarily for domestic shipping. If you were to ship a bundle today, it would be processed immediately and sent on the road. Your receiver would get the package tomorrow morning or evening, depending on what time you sent it and the distance of the shipment.
Same-day shipping is a more expensive option that some carriers offer, which provides you an opportunity to ship a package and have it delivered to your receiver on that same day. A carrier does this by picking up your package from your doorstep and taking it directly to the airplane or other transportation means.
Another way shipping companies achieve same-day delivery is by putting someone in charge of your bundle. That person collects the package in person and travels with it to the destination, being the one responsible for it until they deliver it. This option is, of course, very expensive, but it is the fastest way to ship your package.
Shipping Route Optimization
Working with a resourceful and reliable shipping and logistics company gives you the opportunity to sit back and let them do the legwork for you. You might need to hire a team that will work out shipping routes and optimizes them according to your needs. That is when you hire a company such as Unival Logistics, which primarily ships high-value bundles.
By choosing the optimized route, you are choosing where it will go and on which means of transport, subsequently controlling the timeframe of that shipment. Picking the road that your package will travel, along with tracking it, could shorten your sense of time, because you will not feel the anticipation of waiting.
International or Domestic Shipping
If you don’t want to pay thousands of dollars on shipping but still want a fast delivery – keep reading. First things first, you need to set realistic expectations and be aware that not every package is shipped the same. There are factors that decide the shipment speed, the main one being – are you shipping internationally or domestically?
International shipments go through customs, where a customs officer checks if the content is according to that country’s law and if all taxes are paid. Sometimes the customs will hold your package if there is any suspicion of the legality of the content. By tracking your package, you will know it is stored in customs. You can contact the shipping company to provide additional documentation or other information to get your package on the road.
Domestic shipments are much easier to handle since they don’t do through any legal checkpoints. Additionally, they are usually much cheaper because you don’t have to worry about fees and taxes. Domestic packages can easily be shipped using overnight delivery, even if they travel on-road.
However, there are other factors that affect the speed of the shipment – for example, the mileage that your bundle needs to travel to its destination. When sending a shipment from New York it is easier to send it to Toronto than to Hawaii, even though one is international and the other is considered a domestic shipment.
What is the Fastest Mean of Transport?
Land, air, or water? What is the fastest way to travel? Your package can travel by air, on an airplane, by water, on a ship, and by land, in a truck, or on a train, depending on where you want it to arrive. The fastest way to send a package is on an airplane, but it isn’t always possible to fly your package, especially if you are sending a bundle in your area.
On-land delivery can be efficient, as the package will be delivered in a matter of 3-4 days if you send it domestically, but even sooner if you send it near your area. On-land delivery is almost always the final stage of the shipping process, and even the international bundles need to be transferred from an airport to the doorstep of your receiver.
Airplane delivery takes approximately 2-3 days and it is the fastest way to send a bundle. This is the main means of transportation that needs supporting means of transportation, such as pickup and drop-up trucks.
Shipping boats are one of the oldest ways to send a package, and while it is still effective, it is not in any way fast. It takes 10 days to two weeks to deliver a bundle via a ship, but it is much safer to put very heavy packages on a ship, than on an airplane.
Optimized Packaging
If you are an eCommerce business wanting to achieve faster shipping of their products, one thing you can do is optimize your packaging. Automizing the process will speed it up, for example, robotic label applications or wrap machines will take some time out of the process.
Optimized packaging refers to the materials used in the process, as well. We advise against using bulky boxes and suggest trying lightweight materials which will be easier to handle during the shipment.
People Expect Fast Delivery
It doesn’t matter if you send the bundle as a private citizen or an eCommerce company, your receiver will expect it to arrive fast. That is why thinking about the ways to affect the speed of the delivery is important for anybody.
This is, of course, much more important to businesses, as their revenue depends on the satisfaction of their customers. Only websites that offer very low-priced goods can get away with slow delivery.
Offering a fast delivery service means that you value your customer’s time and money. Studies show that more than 60% of consumers will cancel the order if it takes more than 2-3 days for a package to arrive. It is safe to say that fast delivery is now expected and not preferred.
