There’s no getting around the fact that shipping is getting expensive. Prices go up every year and the chances of the major shipping companies reversing course and cutting prices someday are pretty much zilch.
Here are several small steps you can take that will lead to big savings down the road.
1) Sign up at SYR/SYA and receive custom rates. The discount listed on our websites is just the starting point. We love getting to know our customers as individuals and working with you personally to set up the rates that will best fit your shipping volume and business needs.
2) Smaller boxes. Shipping costs are calculated based on the size/weight of your box as well as the distance that it must travel. While we can’t control the distance a customer lives from us, we can control the size of the box we use. Select the smallest box that is still safe to ship your animal in. Just a few inches in dimensions can have a big impact on the cost of shipping. (And be sure to measure the box and accurately enter its dimensions during the label ordering process to avoid any future adjustment charges!)
3) Hold for pick-up. Every shipment sent to a residential address incurs an additional fee from FedEx. Any shipment sent to an address that is more than a few miles from the FedEx Ship Center can incur yet more fees. You may opt to have your shipment held for pick-up at your customer’s closest FedEx Ship Center (aka “hub”) and save on all those fees. Check out our “Hold for Pick-Up” Newsletter for instructions on the simplest way to set that up.
4) On-Time Arrival Insurance. For just $2.50 per label, you can insure that your package will be delivered within the FedEx Guaranteed Time of Arrival. (Typically 10:30AM, but sometimes Noon or 4:30PM for outlying areas. Guaranteed Time is noted in the bottom right of your Overnight label.) If the package is delivered late for any reason at all, we will reimburse you for the full shipping cost of that label. FedEx waives all guarantees whenever a live animal shipment is involved, so we’ve created this insurance program to fill in that void.
If you’re only shipping a single package, the chances are very high that it will be delivered on time, as the vast majority of Priority Overnight packages are. But if you ship regularly, chances are also high that a shipment will be delivered a little bit late once in a while. The more frequently you ship, the more often you might see a late delivery. If those packages are insured and you make your claims for those late deliveries, the savings can really add up.
5) Bulk shipping supplies. Part of the cost of shipping goes into the materials you are using. We have convenient kits that include everything you need to make a single shipment, but this is not the most cost effective method for anyone wanting to make multiple shipments. Buy your boxes, bags, and deli cups in bulk to reduce your overall costs per item. Save your local newspapers for free, effective packing material.
We’re always here to help! If you need help finding ways to fit the cost of shipping into your business model, we are here for you. Your success is our success!