There’s a reason why the trucking industry is a $700 billion industry. These days everyone from massive corporations to small eCommerce businesses relies on this type of shipping.
However, if you’re a small business, then you probably don’t have the same funds or resources to devote to ship. So, what’s your best option? To give you a better idea in this article we’ll go over the different shipping types for small businesses.
That way, you can decide for yourself which one is the best option for you.
Table of Contents
Flat-Rate Shipping
Flat-rate shipping is a popular option for most online retailers. With this method, you go with a carrier that offers a fixed rate on their delivery prices. The rates for the delivery are determined by the boxes.
As such, as long as it fits and can be transported in the box, then you can ship it. This option is great for people that don’t want to put a lot of thought into their ship. It’s also ideal if all of your items are roughly the same size and shape.
However, if you have a more diverse product line, then you’ll likely fund that this option doesn’t work great for you.
Real-Time Carrier Rates
If you want to go with multiple shipping integrations, then consider real-time carrier rates. This method generates live pricing structures for your customers.
As such, it allows them to choose the delivery type that they want and decide how much they’re going to pay for it.
Local or International Shipping
If you’re shipping a lot in a certain area (whether locally, or internationally), then you might want a carrier that’s dedicated to transporting your goods. This is ideal because you have a point of contact in the event of missing shipments.
If you go through other services, then it’s easy for packages to get lost in the sea of orders. The only problem is that this option can be a bit pricey. This is especially true if you don’t have enough goods to fill up an entire truck’s worth of shipments.
However, there is a solution: less than truckload (or LTL) shipping. With this method, you only pay for the space in a truck that you use up. If you’re interested, then you can go here to learn more about the cost of LTL shipping.
Enjoy Learning About the Different Shipping Types? Keep Reading
We hope this article helped you learn more about the different shipping types for small businesses. Ultimately, the right shipping for you depends on your specific type of business.
If you only ship things occasionally, then you’re probably best going with flat-rate for convenience. But, if a major portion of your business relies on shipping, then you should consider getting a dedicated shipper that you can rely on.
