Your Guide to Using FedEx Express International Services

05/28/2014 — Leah Palnik

Sorting out all of the necessary steps for shipping internationally can be intimidating. Our small package alliance partner, FedEx, has the services and tools to simplify the international shipping process for small businesses.

FedEx Express International Services:
FedEx offers a variety of international service options to fit your delivery and budgetary needs:

• FedEx International Priority^® 
  Provides customs-cleared delivery typically in 1 to 3 business days to more than 220 countries and territories. You can import from more than 220 countries and territories too. 
• FedEx International Economy^®
  Provides cost-effective, customs-cleared delivery typically in 2 to 5 business days to more than 215 countries and territories. You get delivery in just 2 or 3 business days to Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico. You can import from more than 100 countries and territories too. 
• FedEx^® International Next Flight
  The fastest-possible delivery to and from more than 220 countries and territories. Reach major cities in just hours depending on flight availability. It's available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. 
• FedEx International First^®
  Reach many destinations in Belgium, England, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland as early as 9 a.m. in 2 business days. You can also take advantage of inbound delivery to select U.S. ZIP codes from more than 60 countries and Caribbean islands in just 1 or 2 business days by 8 or 8:30 a.m. 

FedEx Express International Shipping Tools:
Through the FedEx Global Trade Manager, you have several tools right at your fingertips to get everything ready for your international shipment:

• Find International Documents: Get help finding the necessary documents for your international shipment.  
• Estimate Duties and Taxes: Estimate the duties and taxes that will be levied against your international shipment. 
• Country Profiles: Get a snapshot of country information including demographics, business information and statistics. 
• Shipping Advisories: Get important regulatory information specific to your shipment. 
• Denied Party Screening: Identify individuals, companies, and other parties that have been denied international business transactions.
• Harmonized Code Search: Find the World Customs Organization (WCO) tariff classification for your product.

Through an association shipping program managed by PartnerShip, you can receive discounts on your international shipments with select FedEx services. PartnerShip works with over 120 major trade associations, across many industries, to provide their members with the money-saving tools to help them be successful. If you belong to an association we work with, take advantage of our free shipping benefits today and save on your international shipping. If you're not sure if you qualify for one of our FedEx small package shipping programs contact us and we'll find the solution that's right for you.

Related articles:
FedEx and UPS Peak Season Surcharges: The Important Differences
Your Guide to the 2020 FedEx and UPS Rate Increases
How to Manage Customer Returns with FedEx
How to Schedule a Pickup with FedEx
Take Advantage of Simple, Flat Rate Shipping with FedEx One Rate®

25 prizes in 25 weeks - results through week 10!

05/21/2014 — Matt Nagel

We have completed 10 weeks of our "25 prizes in 25 weeks" promotion to celebrate our silver anniversary of helping small businesses save on shipping! We already announced of our first 5 winners, and now have a whole new group:*

New Freight Carrier Partner - AAA Cooper Transportation

05/15/2014 — Matt Nagel

As your shipping connection, PartnerShip is always looking for ways to improve our service and offer you options for your shipping needs. We continue to bring on new and reputable carrier partners like AAA Cooper Transportation to accomplish that goal.

With its headquarters located in Dothan, Alabama, AAA Cooper Transportation has a rich history of providing quality shipping solutions to customers in the southeast United States. Today, AAA Cooper Transportation is a multi-regional transportation solutions provider offering less-than-truckload, truckload, and international services. With directly operated facilities in the Southeast, Southwest, Midwest, and Puerto Rico along with partner carriers with coverage into Canada, Mexico, and across the globe.

PartnerShip customers located in the southeast now have access to competitive rates with AAA Cooper Transportation. Along with these rates, AAA Cooper Transportation offers guaranteed freight services, specialized equipment, and port/cross-boarder International services through PartnerShip to fully support your shipping needs.

If you have any questions about shipping with AAA Cooper Transportation through PartnerShip, contact us today at 800-599-2902 or email sales@PartnerShip.com. Or simply click the button below for a FREE rate quote on an upcoming LTL, truckload, expedited, or tradeshow shipment.

PartnerShip Salutes Small Businesses Nationwide

05/12/2014 — Scott Frederick

PartnerShip is a leading shipping solutions provider to small business nationwide. So, this week we'd like to officially celebrate small businesses across the country. Small businesses are the backbone to the U.S. economy and they're a primary customer segment for PartnerShip.

Every year since 1963, the President of the United States has issued a proclamation announcing National Small Business Week, which recognizes the critical contributions of America's entrepreneurs and small business owners.

More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and they create about two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year.

As part of National Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration takes the opportunity to highlight the impact of outstanding entrepreneurs, small business owners, and others from all 50 states and U.S. territories.  Every day, they're working to grow small businesses, create 21^st century jobs, drive innovation, and increase America's global competitiveness.

If you're interested in learning more about National Small Business Week, you can visit the www.sba.gov/nsbw website. There you'll find a schedule of both live and online events and other helpful information.

Understanding the Changes to FedEx Ground Dimensional Weight Pricing

05/12/2014 — Leah Palnik

FedEx recently announced that dimensional weight pricing will apply to all FedEx Ground shipments, effective January 1, 2015. This is a significant change from the rating structure in place today. Currently only FedEx Ground packages measuring at least three cubic feet (5184 cubic inches) are subject to dimensional weight pricing. 

UPS is likely to make the same changes, as FedEx and UPS have a history of matching one another's pricing strategies. Both of their general rate increases (GRI) have matched over the years, including similar accessorial fees and special handling charges.

Even though this change is still several months away, it's important to determine what this will mean for you and your business for future planning. So what can you do?

Educate yourself
Dimensional weight pricing is a common industry practice that sets the transportation price based on package volume, in relation to its actual weight. Carriers use dimensional weight in order to account for the space packages take up on their trucks and planes. This allows for a more precise way to charge for their services.

According to the 2014 FedEx Service Guide, FedEx Express calculates dimensional weight for shipments within the U.S. by multiplying the package length by width by height (in inches) and dividing the total by a DIM Factor of 166 (the DIM Factor represents the volume of a package allowed per unit of weight). Dimensions that measure one-half inch or greater are rounded up to the next whole number, dimensions less than one-half inch are rounded down, and the final number is rounded up to the next whole pound. If the dimensional weight exceeds the actual weight, the former becomes the billable weight. It is likely that the new FedEx Ground dimensional weight pricing will follow the same guidelines.

Determine the impact
Start by looking at the FedEx Ground packages you typically ship and their box sizes. For example, if you tend to ship 24x12x12 boxes, the dimensional weight is 21 lbs. Here is how that is calculated:

length x width x height = volume
24 in x 12 in x 12 in = 3,456 cubic inches

volume/dimensional divider = dimensional weight
3,456/166 = 21 lbs.

You then compare the dimensional weight to the actual weight, and the higher of the two becomes the billable weight. In this example, if your actual package weight is 15 lbs., you will instead be billed at the dimensional weight (21 lbs.).

The change in dimensional weight pricing for small package ground shipments is only part of the impact you'll see on your budget for 2015, but it will be an important one. Keep an eye out around the New Year for the PartnerShip Small Package Rate Increase white paper that will come out after all of the general rate increases are announced by the carriers.

Find ways to offset the rate increase
Be mindful when you select the packaging for your small package ground shipments. Make sure you're not using unnecessarily large boxes for lighter shipments.  If you don't currently have one, investing in a scale can be helpful when determining how to ship out your small packages and selecting box size, so you know exactly what you're working with and how much you can expect to pay.   

Securing discounts for your small package shipments is one of the best ways to offset this rate increase. PartnerShip offers association members discounts on select FedEx services. If you're not sure if you qualify for one of our small package shipping programs Contact Us and we'll find the solution that's right for you. Also, if you click the button below, we can provide you with a free, no-obligation shipping analysis to determine how much we can help you save on your small package shipping.

PartnerShip Carrier Helps to Deliver Traveling War Memorial

05/07/2014 — Leah Palnik

Through the vision of artist Anita Miller, The Eyes of Freedom: Lima Company Memorial was created and is traveling the country with the help of PartnerShip carrier, R+L Carriers. This powerful and moving exhibit contains 23 portraits that depict the fallen Marines from Lima Company 3/25, one of the hardest hit units in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Back in 2005, the Marine Corps deployed Columbus-based Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Regiment. Within the first two months overseas, Lima Company faced its first wave of causalities, including eight Marines who were killed as a part of seizing Al Qaeda weapons and explosives. On August 3, 2005, the largest IED blast ever recorded happened, devastating the unit.

Miller was understandably moved by their story and spent two and half years to create this memorial in their honor. In 2008 it was unveiled at the Ohio Statehouse Rotunda and viewed by one of the Lima Company survivors, Mike Strahle. Strahle became involved with the project and vowed to make it available to all in need of remembrance and healing. Working with R+L Carriers, Miller and Strahle are now able to share this memorial and the story of Lima Company 3/25 with people all over the country.

R+L Carriers is an alliance partner with PartnerShip, providing a variety of domestic and global shipping solutions, including LTL freight, tradeshow, truckload, and freight forwarding services.

2014 Freight General Rate Increases

05/01/2014 — Matt Nagel

It's that time of year again. Freight carriers have been announcing their general rate increases (GRIs) this spring. As we did last year, PartnerShip has compiled some details for your benefit so you can make well-informed, money and time saving decisions about the best way to handle your freight shipping.

If you're a seasoned freight shipper, you probably know all too well the ins and outs of the GRIs. However for our more novice shippers, the GRIs are just what they sound like — increases in freight rates. There are many reasons why these increases are necessary, but the main reason is a sharp increase in costs that carriers face every year due to things like rising fuel, maintenance, insurance, and labor costs.

As straight forward as the reasoning for the increases sound, there are also some less obvious nuances to the GRIs that, as your shipping connection, we can help to clear up. One of the more important things to remember is that these rate increases are only averages across all origin and destination ZIP code combinations served by each individual carrier. The effect of the rate increase will vary for individual customers and shipments based on geography, product classification, lane, weight, and dimensions. Using geography as an example, if there's an "average" GRI of 6%; some areas may see a 3% increase and some may see a 9% increase in freight charges. The customer in the area with a 9% increase will obviously see a larger bump in cost, especially if distribution is regional.  

Listed to the right, we've compiled GRI for the five largest national LTL freight carriers, the percentage at which their rates will be increasing, and the dates these increases will go into effect.

Remember, PartnerShip is here to help you offset these increases. We've negotiated with carriers on your behalf to bring you the best rates in the industry with the most reliable national and regional carriers. In addition to great rates, PartnerShip brings a dedicated freight team, free money-saving services like invoice auditing and inbound management, and easy-to-use online freight tools ... all designed to save your company time and take the guesswork out of freight shipping (click here to create a PartnerShip.com account if you haven't already).

If you would like more information on this year's GRIs, please contact PartnerShip at 800-599-2902 or email select@PartnerShip.com. Click the button below and we'll be happy to provide you with a free, no-obligation shipping analysis to help you determine which carriers and which lanes will save you the most money on your freight shipping.