How to Choose a Delivery Service Provider

Learn about the different delivery options

There are many different delivery options and learning about them, choosing the best one for your shipment will not only save you money but also save you delivery time. There is a good article that explains in detail on Clockwork Express: How To Choose The Best Delivery Services? We will mention the points below:

Types of delivery services

Carriers

Large delivery companies that have a wide delivery network (national and international) and a large fleet are called Carriers. Carriers offer courier delivery services as well as air and sea freight services such as palletized and container loads. FedEx, DHL, and UPS are examples of carriers. Unless you send frequently, and high volumes each time, using a carrier for your delivery needs may prove very costly.

Freight deliveries

Freight deliveries are for extra-large or extra heavy deliveries such as building supplies, tires, lumber, trees, etc. Most freight is delivered on pallets and delivered in TL (Truck Load or Trailer Load) or LTL (Less than Truck/Trailer Load). TL is for large shipments transported over long distances, LTL is for shipments that are greater than 150 pounds but not large enough to fill an entire truck.

Special deliveries

Flowers, medical supplies and equipment, legal documents and hazardous materials - For this you want to choose a specialized delivery service that can handle these specialty items.

Courier

Courier service is for fast, same day delivery for any size parcel or package. A lot of these services are open 24/7 365 days and will deliver the same day on weekends. Courier companies offer more options such as tracking, customization of the services, deliveries on time-sensitive matters.

What to consider?

Type of products

When considering different delivery companies, you must check the allowed sizes, shapes, and kinds of products so you’ll know which one will work for you. Some delivery companies do not handle sensitive or fragile deliveries. It is important to take into consideration these points when reviewing various shipping companies.

Speed

When considering your shipment, consider how quickly you need that shipment to arrive. If you need rush delivery, you may want to skip major carriers that collect your shipment to a central hub or distribution centers but choose a courier service that handles your package door to door with the least number of people. (Also, when a service requires more people to handle your package, the more expensive it becomes, especially for local same day delivery)

Price

Always compare the overall price and what service you are getting. Efficient delivery saves you time and money. It simplifies delivery operations, yet provides you with great service.

One last point to check:

Quality of service

Look for a delivery service provider with trained professional drivers, with certificates. (Especially when collecting a package from an airport) Another point is to check if the company that has state-of-the-art package tracking and offers good communication throughout your delivery. Read reviews and check their reputation is recommended.