Let’s face it: when it comes to your marketing project and budget, your dollars and cents cannot go to waste on inflated shipping costs. No matter the project, quantity, or logistics, it is always important to optimize cost-saving opportunities where you can. But a lot of major shipping operations won’t try to help you cut costs, and you may be scratching your head wondering how your order total jumped 15% at checkout.
In our latest article, we'll dive into the reasons behind these soaring costs and provide you with a comprehensive guide on how to save money on shipping without compromising the quality of service.
Understanding the Factors That Increase Shipping Costs
Dimensional Weight: Many shipping companies charge based on dimensional weight rather than actual weight. This means that the size of your package can significantly impact the cost. To mitigate this, optimize your packaging to minimize empty space and reduce dimensional weight charges.
Carrier Selection: Not all shipping carriers are created equal. They each have their strengths and weaknesses, as well as varying pricing structures. It's crucial to compare carrier rates to find the most cost-effective option for your organization’s specific needs.
Shipping Speed: Rush shipping comes at a premium cost. If your shipment isn't time-sensitive, consider choosing slower shipping options to save money. Check the shipping location as your package may arrive at the same time if you ship it ground vs. expedited. This can save you a substantial amount of money, and headache!
Negotiating Shipping Rates: For businesses, negotiating shipping rates with carriers is a valuable cost-saving strategy. Many carriers are open to discussing discounts, particularly for high shipping volumes.
Hidden Fees: Be aware of additional charges that can inflate the final shipping cost. These may include fuel surcharges, delivery fees, and extended area surcharges.
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Saving on Shipping for Print Marketing Materials
Stretching your marketing dollars starts with smart shipping. For busy marketing teams managing print collateral, promotional products, new-hire business cards, and more- optimizing logistics is essential. Follow these tips to keep shipping budgets in check without compromising on quality, or timeliness of your project.
Leverage Scalable Partnerships
Work with a marketing product provider that has the infrastructure to offer bulk postal discounts and preferred shipping rates. This gives you access to major carrier savings you can't get on your own. Let your partner put their size and existing volume discounts to work for you!
Right-Size Packaging
Oversized boxes or excessive packaging can negatively impact dimensional weight pricing. Make sure your partner uses packaging that fits your order's dimensions as precisely as possible.
Consolidate Orders
If your company’s needs call for a regular order cadence, look for opportunities to combine shipments, or explore web-to-print storefront solutions. Coordinate with your printer to group components like brochures, envelopes, and business cards, into larger consolidated shipments. Fewer packages means lower total costs.
Ask About Warehousing & Fulfillment Services
Tracking the whereabouts of multiple orders can be overwhelming for marketers across all industries. Leverage print companies that also provide warehousing and fulfillment. When you store your collateral at their facility, they may handle the rest for recipients to optimize logistics costs. This will reduce the number of individual shipments you have to manage yourself.
Don't Ship Air Unless Absolutely Necessary
Air freight is usually exponentially more expensive than ground. If you have flexibility on your project delivery deadline, order your marketing materials with enough lead time to utilize lower-cost ground shipping. Air freight should only be used selectively for rush orders with inflexible deadlines.
Ironmark Delivers on Shipping Logistics
Reach out to our expert team today for a smooth, hassle-free experience that can provide you with excellent cost-savings depending on your needs.
