International shipping costs are one of the biggest expenses for businesses involved in export import trade. But some companies always find a way to save some, re-invest a little and gain profits. When times become tight, it seems, these trade experts come up with even more ways to lower their cost to improve their business.
How do they do it?
They implement a few basic strategies that you need to be aware of so that you can have a smooth, yet cost-saving shipping experience. Here are some of the ways that will help you achieve savings:
1) Use carrier packaging
If you are using your own packaging for goods to be shipped, you may end up facing extra dimensional fees if your package exceeds the regulations set by FedEx and other similar companies.
You can avoid these charges by utilizing packaging provided by the carrier, which isn’t associated with dimensional fees. In fact, using the carrier shipping can cut transportation costs by 15% to 20%. Check if this option is available with local carriers too.
2) Embrace technology
You can significantly reduce international transportation costs by investing in technology that streamlines the whole process. Precision Software points out that it is possible automate manual workforce with transportation management software and integrate carrier rule sets.
Such tools and applications are also helping in saving your logistics team valuable time by avoiding mistakes for manual processes if your business relies on multiple carriers.
3) Take advantage of hybrid services
Hybrid services such as FedEx SmarPost can cost 50% as much as standard options offered by these companies. These services will ship your goods with the same carriers to the post office nearest to the destination. The final delivery is then made by the local mail delivery service. It may result in slower delivery times, but is ideal for normal delivery schedules.