Is your business expanding or looking to start shipping a large volume of products? If so, you might be looking into a partnership with a local freight shipping firm. High shipping charges can cut into your bottom line, but a veteran ITL freight shipping firm may be able to help you maximize your profits. It can be helpful though to follow some industry best practices when starting to use a freight shipping service for the first time. Here are some considerations to keep in mind if you want to keep your total shipping costs down.

Figure Out Who Your Core Customer Is and How Fast of a Shipment They Really Need

Generally speaking, there are three types of freight service out there, and that's by ground, by air, or by sea. The ground is obviously the least expensive, and air will typically cost you the most, but if you are working with a larger freight shipping firm, it may be possible for you to decide that some products should be shipped a certain way while other products use an alternative method. Think about the products you are selling and your core customer base. Just about everyone today wants whatever they ordered to arrive as quickly as possible, but there may be some situations where it's OK to take things a bit slower. For example, if you can get away with shipping items on another continent by sea instead of by air, you will save a significant amount of money but at the cost of speed. If your core customer is super focused on the final price, he or she might actually prefer the slower option that will save them money.

Discuss Shipping By Weight or By Dimensions

Freight shipping firms typically use a couple of different metrics to decide how much they will charge for any given shipment. The most obvious one is a charge based on the weight of your freight. In some cases though, you might be charged by the overall dimensions of the box you are shipping. For example, you might have a very lightweight item that is very large in size. If it's over certain dimensions, your freight shipper could choose to charge you by dimensions instead of by weight, and this could lead to a higher cost. Research the freight shipping firm you are interested in and find a solution that works best for your specific products.

Contact a local ITL freight shipping expert today to discuss the next steps with your domestic or international freight shipments.