Things to Consider for Parcel Shipping Companies
When it comes to selling online, finding the best parcel shipping company is one of shippers’ most important business decisions. You must ensure that you deliver a great delivery experience to your customers to maintain your online reputation and increase repeat sales.
Here are some crucial factors to consider when choosing a parcel shipping company for your delivery operations:
- Speed: While most deliveries experience interruptions, the service level (e.g., next-day or same-day delivery) you choose for your shipment should match the delivery time estimates you make with your costumers.
- Rates: Most business owners realize that delivery costs quickly add up, not to mention the unexpected fees in terms of surcharges, customs, and handling fees. For example, you can look for carriers that offer affordable, flat-rate shipping, so you’ll know the exact cost for delivery to a given address.
Packaging: Some shipping carriers offer free shipping supplies for small businesses, while others provide eco-friendly packaging materials. - Type of Shipments: The size and weight of your parcel affect the delivery service you choose because some carriers charge higher fees for large shipments or simply don’t ship packages that don’t meet their size and weight requirements.
- Tracking: Look for carrier services that offer parcel tracking or proof of delivery options to ensure that your shipment arrives in the recipient’s hands on time and in good condition.
- Potential cost of switching carriers: Online shippers looking for fast and efficient delivery times don’t need to worry about the potential costs of changing carrier services unless they are under contract with a carrier. Shippers can explore multi-carrier shipping options to choose the carrier that provides the best parcel rates and quality service.
In this article, we’ll go over a selection of parcel shipping companies that provide both domestic and international shipping services to help you find the one that best fits your needs.
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7 Parcel Shipping Companies to Consider in 2022
Here are 7 parcel shipping services you can explore to find the one best suited for your business needs:
1. UPS
UPS (United Parcel Service) is one of the best package delivery services in the U.S. It is the go-to option for shippers who want to send large, heavier packages such as dense wood furniture. UPS packages have a maximum weight limit of up to 150 lbs. Packages can be up to 108 inches in length, or up to 165 inches in combined length and girth.
When you ship high-value items and luxury products with UPS, you get insurance coverage up to $50,000 for damaged or lost packages.
They offer a wide range of services at affordable rates, including UPS Flat Rate, Ground, Overnight, Home, Priority, and Express Critical (an urgent shipping service that delivers lightweight and heavy packages around the world within 24 hours) services
UPS has a well-established and widespread international network covering remote locations worldwide, making it an excellent choice for shippers who need fast international shipping.
In addition, you can use the shipping calculator on the UPS website to get shipping rates for your package by entering the destination, origin, and weight of your shipment.
2. FedEx
FedEx is one of the largest carrier services in the world, with operations in more than 220 countries and territories. It is a great solution for shippers that need expedited shipping options, like FedEx Same-Day, Next-day delivery, and Two-day delivery services.
FedEx has a maximum weight limit of 150 lbs for its Ground and Home Delivery Services. Packages can measure up to 180 inches in length and 165 inches in combined length and girth.
With FedEx, you get limited insurance coverage, $100 per package for FedEx Express, Ground, and Home Delivery services, and $1,000 for fragile products or items with an unknown value.
It offers affordable pricing for lightweight, small packages. It charges a flat rate when you ship small parcels (weighing under 50 lbs). Alternatively, you can use its freight service to send packages over 150 lbs.
FedEx is also a wide-used shipping solution for specialty freight such as fragile housewares, sensitive electronic equipment, and temperature-controlled products.
What makes FedEx a go-to option for both retail and commercial shippers is its express delivery, along with shipping packages seven days a week.
3. USPS
USPS (United States Postal Service) is a world leader in parcel delivery, shipping 7.6 billion packages in 2021 alone. It is best for small-volume shippers that need affordable pricing. USPS is commonly used by small businesses and eCommerce retailers to ship domestic orders within the U.S.
With USPS, you get the best rates for small package shipping (weighing under 20 lbs). Its Priority Mail Cubic service allows shippers to get shipping rates based on a parcel’s outer dimensions, and not its weight. This is particularly useful when you’re shipping small but dense items.
Similarly, USPS 2-day shipping or Priority Mail Express offers 1-2 day delivery with a money-back guarantee.
The maximum weight limit for a mailpiece is 70 lbs, whereas a package’s combined length and girth should not exceed 108 inches (130 inches in combined length and girth for USPS Retail Ground).
Other useful USPS features include no fuel and residential surcharges, no Saturday delivery surcharges, and Free Priority Mail packaging.
4. DHL Express
DHL is the largest logistics company in the world, with headquarters in Germany and presence in more than 220 countries and territories. It has expertise in global small parcel and freight shipping services.
DHL Express offers domestic and international delivery services for business customers and consumers. It is the top choice of eCommerce retailers for overseas shipping, especially for small parcels.
Whether you’re sending a parcel to Canada or need to ship a large package to the Netherlands, DHL’s tracking service enables you to see your parcel’s journey from start to finish.
DHL Express fees are determined based on the weight of your package and the country you are shipping to.
In addition, DHL offers seamless integration with popular eCommerce platforms, including WooCommerce, Shopify, and Adobe Commerce, to help you better manage your eCommerce orders.
5. Sendle
Sendle is an Australian-based courier service that focuses on small businesses and eCommerce retailers across the US and Australia. It offers fully carbon-neutral services, making it a top choice for environmentally-conscious shippers.
Sendle provides three pricing plans, Standard, Premium, and Pro, with rates depending on the shipping volume. In addition, Sendle doesn’t charge hidden or membership fees and has no contract requirements.
With Sendle, you get affordable, flat-rate delivery rates, so you know exactly how much delivery will cost for a given address.
Sendle supports integration with top eCommerce platforms such as Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, and eBay.
6. EasyPost
EasyPost is an eCommerce solution built to simplify the shipping process. It is a multi-carrier shipping API that allows shippers to connect with more than 100 carriers, including DHL, USPS, FedEx, and UPS.
With EasyPost, users can verify addresses, check shipping rates, create postage labels, and track shipments in real-time.
EasyPost offers seamless integration with any TMS, WMS, and shipping software, facilitating the communication of accurate order and inventory information across multiple checkpoints.
7. OnTrac Shipping
OnTrac is a regional delivery company that offers fast, affordable ground shipping in the Western United States.
Ontrac packages have a maximum weight limit of up to 150 lbs. Packages can be up to 72 inches in any dimension or up to 130 inches in combined length and girth.
It specializes in next-day and two-day shipping and provides you with an approximate package arrival times, usually useful for time-sensitive deliveries.
Other Ontrac useful features include fewer size limitations compared to major carrier services and real-time parcel tracking.
Make Critical Shipping Decisions with Sifted Logistics Intelligence
Many companies offer package delivery services, but not all may be best suited for your business needs. By comparing and contrasting different carrier services, you’ll be better positioned to find the right solution that meets your business needs.
Sifted Logistics Intelligence tools use AI to compare your unique shipping profile with potential carriers based on carrier costs, services, and capabilities. This approach helps you find the right parcel shipping company to support the growth of your business.
Merchants and retailers use Sifted to reduce stress and find the best carrier rates. Get a free demo from Sifted today!
