OT: Shipping Services Advice Needed

[bulldogcountry1]

I've got a side business starting up, and I need some advice on shipping. I've shipped out a few things over the years, but I feel like I am paying a lot, compared to what I have to pay on shipping when I purchase things. I could be shipping out 5-10 packages a week, and I need a cost effective, convenient way to deal with it. Most of my stuff will be made from sheet goods that won't be heavy, but could be up to 36" wide in one direction.

Where is the best place to get shipping supplies?
What is the best service to use? UPS, FedEx, USPS?

Any tips, advice, or suggestions is greatly appreciated.

 

[dorndawg]

If you're in a location that has one, I'd recommend visiting a UPS store. I've always found them to be very helpful. Heck even if you are a ways from one, you might can visit one & get set up with the boxes/labels/etc and then schedule the truck to pick them up. Keep in mind, when you buy from big retailers (like Amazon or whatever), they've negotiated waaaay cheaper rates than you're going to be able to get.

I'm guessing 36" is going to be too big for USPS to help you much with those flat rate boxes they have, although I could be wrong.

 

[PBRME]

I'm getting better rates from Fed Ex than I am UPS. I'd prefer to use my local UPS because I use their location for my work po box. Plus he's a state grad. All I use are letter envelopes and small boxes. The saving for me is between $5-30 per shipment.

 

[The Peeper]

I've used them all over the years and the last year and a half I've used USPS Priority Mail almost exclusively. Free shipping boxes and tape, print labels online, free pick up that you schedule online as late as 2:00 a.m. day of pick up or you can just give it to mail man or leave on your porch, free tracking, free insurance included up to $50 , and so far they haven't screwed up. I've read horror stories but they've been good for me. I use them for business and almost daily for eBay items I sell

 

[Dawgbite]

Fed Ex probably will give you the best quote but UPS is the most reliable. I have tried both and like UPS the best because they are the most consistant. For international, including Canada, I use USPS but they are not very good. Their slogan should be " It will get there eventually". For shipping supplies, I use Uline for boxes and tape. Packing Peanuts from a manufacturer in Amory, Ms. I ship several hundred packages per week, if you have the volume, both UPS and Fed Ex will get right on the price.

 

[smellmyfinger]

I've had the best luck with Fedex. Always reliable, prices are good and their guarantee is great.
I had inconsistent service with UPS and they didn't seem to be concerned when I mentioned the inconsistencies.

Im not a large customer by any means, I send approx 75-100 packes a month.

ymmv

 

[bulldogcountry1]

When you talk about price, is it the same price you get quoted online or have you negotiated a discount due to your volume?

I did some comparisons on a few different sizes I expect to ship in the near future. For a 24x24x2" package:

USPS: $11.26
UPS: $15.59
FedEX: $17.07

Also, about half the stuff I have ordered with UPS service lately has wound up in the hands of USPS before it got to me.

 

[uptowndawg]

Last time I used usps to have something shipped to me, tracking showed that it finally got to Metairie, stayed the night, then stayed the next night in New Orelans, then stayed at a different usps location in New Orleans the next night, then hopped back over to the same usps location in Metairie that it was 3 days ago for another night, then arrived on my porch the next day.

 

[smellmyfinger]

I send about 40-60% between Fedex Express and FedEx ground. I get a little discount on ground but I pay standard shipping prices on Express.

Call and talk to them, I found them very easy to deal with, Fedex also has an agreement with the usps for "last mile" delivery.

 

[Dawgbite]

When you talk about price, is it the same price you get quoted online or have you negotiated a discount due to your volume?

I did some comparisons on a few different sizes I expect to ship in the near future. For a 24x24x2" package:

USPS: $11.26
UPS: $15.59
FedEX: $17.07

Also, about half the stuff I have ordered with UPS service lately has wound up in the hands of USPS before it got to me.

I'm dealing with a sales person with both Fed Ex and UPS and have used both. I am currently with
upS, they furnish a computer and label printer for "free" ' yea I know that I'm paying for it. I haven't researched it lately but my rates are about 50% - 60% of what you get quoted online.

 

[MrKotter]

When you say sheet goods I assume your items could be up to 36 x 36? If this is the case, FedEx ground will probably be your best bet. Smaller items I would look at USPS Priority first. If you're shipping 5-10 a week open an account. I've had USPS, FedEx and UPS and all saved me money buy using the account vs going in for them to print the label. Closed the UPS after they tried billing me $357 for something shipped to Mexico I didn't ship. Stay away from UPS Stores unless you want to pay a lot more than you need to. Buy your boxes in bulk from someone like Uline if you don't have a box manufacturer near you. I use Riverside Box Co in Memphis for all my shipping supplies.

 

[Dawg1979]

where are you going to be located? i am over the shipping dept for a major company just south of jackson. we use FedEx for our ground shipments and Estes for anything LTL. they are great by the way. what i'm getting at, if your close to jackson, i can get my rep to come talk to you. with FedEx we save 85% on all ground shipments inbound and outbound. and we don't ship all that much ground. but 5+ packages a week would get you in on some great deals. same with LTL, we save around 80% on outbound and inbound shipments. PM me if you need some help

 

[PBRME]

My advice whichever route you choose is to steer clear of USPS. I bought a large bundle of the prepaid forever 2 day priority envelopes. Every 2-3 I'd send would end up taking 5-6 days to arrive. The final straw was one I mailed from Southaven to Chicago. It was routed to Lubbock TX where it sat for 3 weeks until I called and raised hell. Took 3 more days from there.

 

[mstateglfr]

where are you going to be located? i am over the shipping dept for a major company just south of jackson. we use FedEx for our ground shipments and Estes for anything LTL. they are great by the way. what i'm getting at, if your close to jackson, i can get my rep to come talk to you. with FedEx we save 85% on all ground shipments inbound and outbound. and we don't ship all that much ground. but 5+ packages a week would get you in on some great deals. same with LTL, we save around 80% on outbound and inbound shipments. PM me if you need some help

The following isn't directed to you specifically, though your post obviously sparked the thought.
- saving a % off on LTL has very little meaning without context. For example, Company A could have a 40% discount on a tariff from '04 and that is better pricing than Company B who has a 70% discount on a tariff from '13. The discount is less, but the discount is also based on a lower rate, so the net result is a lower rate.
The numbers above are total hypotheticals, but this scenario plays out all the time in life. Company B's shipping manager is reluctant or even downright against changing their LTL setup because of the rates he has negotiated(and he is damn proud of the rates), even though the discounts are based on rates higher than what he could have. Pride is a helluva blinder.

 

[thatsbaseball]

ULine.com for your supplies. Check the postal service along with the other shippers you mentioned. My daughter has an online business and ships thousands of packages.....this is the combo she uses.

 

[Sponge]

The "best" service depends on a lot of variables. Urgency, weight, dimensions, destination, address type, etc. Your best bet would be to use a multi-carrier shipping software like ShipStation, ShipWorks, TrueShip, Ordoro, or ShipRush. You link the software to your USPS, FedEx, & UPS accounts and then you can compare different services and carriers for all your shipments instantly, print your shipping labels, and stop wondering what your cheapest and best option is. Some of those software companies will also grant you discounted USPS Priority rates (Commercial Base & Commercial Plus) through partnerships with Endicia and/or Stamps.com.

In general, USPS Priority Mail (Commercial rates, not Retail) is tough to beat unless you are shipping heavier parcels and/or you can get significantly discounted FedEx/UPS rates. Priority Mail will get to anywhere in the US in 2-3 days. FedEx/UPS will get your ground shipments to nearby zones in 2-3 days, 3-5 for farther destinations. And they will also charge you a residential delivery surcharge when shipping to residences with FedEx/UPS. Your cheapest FedEx/UPS rates will be SmartPost and SurePost (both comparable to DHL), which are slow (extra 1-3 days) since they are delivered to a USPS office for final delivery.

The USPS hate is overblown. I had a business that shipped over 2,000 parcels a day via USPS, FedEx, and DHL. Rarely had issues with any of the carriers. Also had/have some incredible FedEx discounts, but still did most of our volume through USPS as the average shipment weight was pretty low.

It's not this simple, but the cliff notes answer for parcels >1lb might be something like:
If Residential and less than 3-5lbs, then USPS. If more than 3-5 lbs, then check your FedEx/UPS service options.
If Commercial and less than 3 lbs, it's close. If more than 3 lbs, likely FedEx/UPS.

Urgency and destination zone add a whole extra layer of complexity. As does dimensional weight.
And USPS Flat Rate boxes are a joke. You will almost never put enough weight in a Flat Rate box to justify the expense. Flat Rate envelopes are awesome, however. You'd be shocked what you can fit in those and ship for $4.95. And the Regional Rate boxes are viable sometimes (depending on weight and zone, you can get a few free lbs if your items are small and heavy).

Use the free shipping supplies from the carriers. You can order them through your account and they will deliver them to you. If you need non-branded boxes, mailers, tape etc., check Amazon or Uline.

A multi-carrier shipping software will eliminate all of the guesswork. Otherwise, visit the carrier website and download all the pricing files for comparison. If you want some more details, feel free to PM me.