4 Ways Stores Can Cut Costs When Transporting Shipments
Monday, June 22, 2020, 6:00 AM | Leave Comment
Aside from personnel costs, it’s likely that your shipping costs take up an outsized portion of your budget.
Therefore, it’s important to limit your shipping costs whenever possible. At the same time, you don’t want to sacrifice speed and efficiency to ensure that your customers receive their products on time.
To help you balance speed and costs, here are four ways stores can cut costs when transporting shipments.
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Standardize Containers
When you send out a truck, you want to be sure to take advantage of every last inch of space on the trailer. After all, every bit of empty space represents money that you’re spending without gaining anything. The best way to maximize space on a trailer is to standardize the containers you send your products in. This means that all the containers should have a similar size and shape to allow for easy and space-efficient loading.
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Ramp-Up as Needed
If you experience surges in demand at certain times throughout the year, it’s important to have the right equipment to fulfill this demand on time. However, it can be expensive to buy the equipment you need for these surges, especially when that equipment will sit unused for most of the year. That’s why it’s a good idea to rent equipment so that you limit your costs and still have what you need when you need it. Forklift rental, conveyer rental, and lighting rental are just some of the resources you can find available for rent to help bring heavier equipment to the table when necessary.
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Re-Negotiate Contracts
When it comes to saving money on shipping, negotiation is an important tactic. This is especially true if your shipping volumes have changed dramatically since you last signed a contract. Different shipping volumes can make you eligible for different shipping rates or might make a new company more attractive for your shipping needs. With so many other variables at play, this element often gets overlooked, when it is, in fact, one of the best places to start.
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Use Independent Truckers
While established shipping companies certainly have their perks, there’s something to be said for using an independent truck driver to haul your goods. In some cases, an independent trucker may offer more flexibility than their nationally known counterparts. Plus, in almost all cases, an independent trucker can offer better rates, given their lower overhead costs and unique business structure. Just be sure that you fully understand all laws pertaining to the payment of any independent trucker that you contract with.
Sometimes, when working to save on shipping costs, the most creative solutions are also the most effective. This means that, in many cases, there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to saving on shipping costs. Take time, then, to consult with your employees, analyze your shipping practices, and even talk to other businesses to find solutions to your shipping needs. This will help ensure that you are always on the cutting edge of shipping innovation and efficiency.
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