Top 5 Freight Shipping Options for Small Businesses

What is Freight Shipping?

The world has become a small place with the internet connecting us to almost every part of this planet. As a large or even small business owner, you are no longer restricted to sell your products or merchandise to the local consumer; you can offer your product to anyone in the world. There are millions of e-commerce businesses that don’t have a need for a physical store and sell all their products from an online platform. Whether you have a store, an online store, or a combination of both, as a small business owner it is a good idea to make use of a freight shipping company. So, what is freight shipping and how can you get on-demand freight shipping?

In short, a freight shipping company takes care of your products getting from you or your supplier directly to your client or to your stores. These companies can assist you with products like mattresses or artwork that cannot be handled by common freight companies such as USPS, UPS and FedEx.

Types of Freight Shipping

Depending on your specific requirements in getting your goods to the user, there are a few different modes of shipment available:

• Intermodal freight: makes use of either rail or truck to transport goods. It usually starts with a container that gets moved by a truck to a rail, then back to a truck to complete the process.
• Air freight: when consignments of goods are transported by an airplane to another city or even country. This is often a faster way of delivering shipments but also a much more expensive method.
• Ocean freight: a more cost-effective way of shipping your goods to another continent. Cargo is put on a ship, but this is also a much slower way of getting goods to your client. If a longer lead time is not an issue, then this is a good option.
• Expedited freight services: if you have to get your shipment to your store or to a customer in the fastest way possible, then this is your best choice. This method fast tracks the process and the trucks generally don’t make any stops along the way; they get the shipment directly from collection to the delivery point.
• Full truckload freight: this is good for larger shipments where the entire shipment is for one specific consignment compared to less than truckload freight where your shipment is smaller and may be shared on a truck with goods from other businesses.

Why Should Small Businesses Use Freight Shipping?

Time. They say time is money and often you simply don’t have the time to do everything. A freight shipping company can help you take some of the load off of being a small business owner because you are unlikely to have a special freight shipping department to take care of sending out customer orders. It’s common for small business owners to be doing pretty much everything in the business themselves, like production, marketing, sales, accounting and business development. Partnering with a freight shipping company will ensure a smooth and hassle-free process of getting your product to the end user or to your stores.

What Are the Benefits of On-Demand Freight Shipping?

For some small businesses, on-demand freight shipping is often a better option, as you have the option to use their services as and when you need them, instead of having a pre-negotiated contract with the shipping company. This allows for flexibility for each shipment and can also be easier on your budget. Depending on the nature of your business, you need to decide if freight shipping or on-demand shipping is a better fit for your business.

Top 5 Freight Shipping Companies

1. UPS

These first top three shipping companies are practically household names in the shipping industry and each of them deliver good service. UPS is a cost-effective option for larger and bulky goods — over 20 pounds — but have been known for lagging in delivery at times. They do offer different pricing options, which vary between same-day delivery and worldwide express freight.

2. USPS

The U.S. Postal Service will deliver shipments locally as well as internationally and is known as one of the best freight options for your small business. You may find that USPS has reasonable pricing for local shipments and smaller packages, but they are expensive if you need to ship internationally.

3. FedEx

FedEx on the other hand comes in even cheaper than UPS and offers seamless automated shipping services globally. However, for smaller shipments they can be a bit more expensive, so this is a good option if you have large shipments.

4. Sendle

Sendle is a perfect freight shipping company if you only need to deliver smaller packages – under 20 pounds – and if you are a growing small business. They don’t require contracts or subscription fees, which allows for a flexible service. The only negative aspect of Sendle is that they don’t offer international freight services.

5. ShipBob

This freight shipping company stands out from some of the others because it has a partnership with four of the largest shipment carriers and offers the full package for your local or international shipment needs. ShipBob takes care of everything, from warehousing to inventory management, so you will be ensured that your products are collected and delivered with professionalism and guaranteed, easy-to-understand pricing.