Shipping Services

Selecting the most appropriate shipping services company is vital to any business. Convenience and timeliness is key in the shipping process. Reliability is also important in shipping services so businesses can be confident that their shipments will meet their customers' needs and expectations.

Timeliness in Shipping Services

Most private companies in the shipping services sector provide options for overnight delivery, no-rush items, and international shipping. Businesses can usually even specify a preference for a morning or afternoon delivery, or even a Saturday delivery. For a morning or Saturday delivery you'll need to pay a premium rate.

Be aware that some of the lesser-known companies do not deliver to residences; they deliver to US Postal facilities, which then route the packages to residences. The USPS has become more competitive and now has shipping options for Priority Mail (2-3 days), Express Mail, and Global Priority Mail.

Save Money and Time in Shipping Services

There are several things you can do to save time and money when shipping packages. Some, but not all, pick-up services are free. For those where a pick-up charge is involved, you can take your packages to a facility near you rather than paying extra for them to pick up the package at your location.

Shipping Services and Online Capabilities

Thanks to the Internet, there are other time- and money-saving options. You can fill out the airbill online, view and pay your bills online, and even do real-time tracking of the delivery status of your packages online. The United States Postal Services also has many conveniences now online including:

• A postage rate calculator
• Rate charts
• A guide for businesses to save with discount mail services
• Supplies such as boxes and scales
• An international resource center with information about customs and shipping instructions.

Shipping Services Tips

• Get quotes for shipping services; this is very competitive business, and several companies will offer discounts for a certain volume of business.
• Go online to find out the rates for various package sizes. Sometimes, just packing your item in a box with different dimensions will save you money.
• Some of the well-known brand-name shipping services companies have a special focus on small businesses to help them save time and money.
• If your company uses QuickBooks accounting software, you may want to select a shipping service that interacts with this software.
• Most shipping services companies have weight and size restrictions. If you need to ship furniture or an automobile, for example, you'll need to find a company that specializes in those types of shipments.

By Kathleen Goolsby