Congratulations to our FedEx 2015 Pro Bowl Package Sweepstakes Winners!

03/31/2015 — Leah Palnik

PartnerShip customers recently had the chance to participate in the FedEx 2015 Pro Bowl Package sweepstakes, sponsored by FedEx. By enrolling and shipping through a PartnerShip-managed shipping program, association members had the opportunity to win a number of great prizes. PartnerShip would like to thank the customers that participated in this promotion and congratulate our winners.

Congratulations to the following PartnerShip customers who won one of the fabulous prizes:

• Art from National Shrinkwrap 
• Kevin from Prestige Mold Inc
• Nelson from Helmuth Repair Inc
• Troy from Gardners Books Service Inc
• Richard from House of Shoes

Throughout the sweepstakes, PartnerShip customers who participated also received significant discounts on select FedEx^® services. Even though the sweepstakes is over, our customers are still saving money, and association members who qualify for a PartnerShip-managed shipping program can also take advantage of these savings. 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.

Meet Your PartnerShip Team – Nicole

03/27/2015 — Leah Palnik

Nicole is a valuable member of our truckload team, the newest department at PartnerShip. With her help, our truckload business has been steadily growing and expanding. She’s been working here for a year and a half and is one of the friendliest people you will ever meet. We asked Nicole a few questions to help you get to know her. Check them out below!

What do you do for PartnerShip?
I am a carrier procurement representative for our truckload team. I find carriers who can move full and partial truckload shipments and negotiate the best price possible for our customers. I track the truckload freight to help ensure a smooth shipment and also help establish new truckload carriers on a daily basis.

What is the most interesting thing you’ve helped a customer ship?
I have helped a customer ship customized cardboard caskets. They are true works of art and definitely a very unique product.

What do you like to do in your free time?
I’m very much an outdoors girl. I love camping, hiking, and biking. Every summer we go on as many camping trips as we can. I love to watch the sun set while sitting around a campfire with family and friends.

If you could have dinner with anyone alive or dead, who would it be?
I would have dinner with my Grandfather. He passed away before I was born. He came to the United States when he was 17 years old from Yugoslavia. He had spent 4 years in a refugee camp and could barely speak English when he arrived in the US. He worked hard and went on to become a doctor and build a life for himself here. I would love to learn more about his story and our family culture.

Do you have any nicknames?
Nic. Everyone in my family calls me Nic and always has.

NSYNC or Backstreet Boys?
Backstreet Boys. No contest.

What do you like the most about working at PartnerShip?
My coworkers make me laugh every single day. There is a definite sense of teamwork here at PartnerShip and we are always there for each other, no matter what. My colleagues have become a second family to me.

If your life was made into a movie, what would the title be?
Happiness Is Being With The Ones You Love.

Tell us about your family.
I am married to my best friend Brian, who also works here at PartnerShip. We have a beautiful, silly, happy 2 year old daughter named Callie. We also have two cats, Buster Brown and Gypsy. I feel very grateful to have the wonderful family that I do.

eCommerce Benchmarks for Your Business

03/25/2015 — Leah Palnik

Small Business Trends recently posted an interesting article about benchmarks you should be using to evaluate your ecommerce strategy. Shipping is a significant component of the online retail process, and many of these benchmarks touch on this. Here are a few questions you should be asking yourself about your ecommerce shipping strategy. These benchmarks are based on data from the E-Tailing Group’s 17th Annual Mystery Shopping Study, which surveyed 100 top retail websites for their best practices. To get some insight from the customer side we also took a look at the UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper Global Study, conducted by comScore. 

How easy is your shopping cart to use and edit? Is make-or-break information such as shipping costs presented before the end of the process? Can the customer save key information securely?

It’s a good idea to be transparent about your shipping costs upfront. 63% of consumers say it’s important to provide estimated delivery date and shipping costs early in the shopping process. Not doing so could lead to cart abandonment. In fact, 50% of consumers abandoned a cart due to lengthy delivery times or when no delivery date was provided.

98% of retailers surveyed offer the ability to pre-populate information from a customer’s profile, including shipping address, credit card info, and billing address, which allows shoppers to check out faster. Additionally, 51% of shoppers say it’s important for retailers to “remember me” by not only saving order information, but also saving unpurchased items in their cart from a previous session as well.

How long does it take to receive orders? What types of shipping options do you offer and for what prices?

The average delivery time is 3.42 days for the top retailers in this survey. Shoppers are surprisingly willing to wait for most deliveries but also want the option for expedited service. 85% of online shoppers will wait 5 days or more for delivery, while 7 days is the average time shoppers are willing to wait for delivery.

How easy are returns? Is there a charge for returns or are shipping costs covered?

64% of retailers provide prepaid return shipping labels to make it more convenient for customers to make returns. 68% of shoppers say free returns shipping is key to a positive returns experience. On top of that, 52% of consumers want to see a return label right in the box. Taking these extra steps can influence a customer to pull the trigger on a purchase and also positively impact their overall satisfaction.

These benchmarks are a good starting point to assess where your ecommerce site ranks among some of the top retailers in the industry. If you’re looking to improve your online store, evaluating your shipping processes can be very beneficial. PartnerShip is here to help you determine the best way to manage your shipping and be more efficient. Click here for a free shipping analysis.

New White Paper: Truck and Trailer Equipment Guide

03/23/2015 — Matt Nagel

There is a wide range of equipment available for your shipment to ensure proper transportation and delivery. Keeping the trucks and trailers straight that are carrying your freight can be a tough task for even the most experienced shipper - which is why we created a brand new Truck and Trailer Equipment Guide for our customers. This white paper contains measurements and visuals for dry vans, refrigerated units, flatbeds, and the tractors that pull the trailers.

Click the link below to download the white paper and learn more about what carries your freight from point A to point B.

Download the Truck and Trailer Equipment Guide Today!

As always, the shipping experts at PartnerShip are here to lend a helping hand and answer any questions you have about freight shipping. Give us a call at 800-599-2902 or email sales@PartnerShip.com.

DIY Projects Using Shipping Materials

03/20/2015 — Leah Palnik

If you do any shipping, you’re probably familiar with the standard packaging materials – bubble wrap, pallets, boxes, etc. But you may not be familiar with some of the not-so-standard uses for these items. Here are a few of our favorite repurposing projects.

1. Bubble Wrap Artwork 
Everyone loves popping bubble wrap, but have you ever considered using it for another form of stress relief? Creating art can be therapeutic and throwing bubble wrap into the mix can result in some pretty cool pieces like this cover art by Wired magazine. They made this unique piece by injecting colored liquid into plastic bubble wrap.

2. Shipping Tube Rain Stick 
If you have kids, this is the project for you. Rain sticks create a musical raindrop sound and are pretty easy to make with a shipping tube. You can fill the tube with dried beans, let your child decorate the outside, and then let the fun begin. Check out the step-by-step instructions here.

3. Gardening with Packing Peanuts 
Filling the bottom of pots with foam peanuts is a great way to make plants easier to move and improve drainage. They are cheaper and lighter than soil, making them quite handy when tackling your household gardening. Check out this picture for an example.

4. Pallet Furniture 
It’s nearly impossible to escape all of the DIY pallet projects floating around the internet, and it's hard to pick just one favorite. Creating furniture like tables, chairs, and shelves definitely seems to be the most popular. So why not create an outdoor oasis with this multifunctional material? Here are a few ideas to get started.

5. Cardboard Cat Condo 
As any cat lover can tell you, boxes are irresistible to cats. Instead of buying an expensive cat tree that they might not even use, use cardboard boxes to build a customized one, like this two-story cat condo. You can let your creativity run wild to build a palace that your feline friend will love.

A True Association Harmony

03/17/2015 — Leah Palnik

At PartnerShip, we love our association partners. They are dedicated to providing their members with valuable programs and services, and they work hard to support their industries. That’s why we’re passionate about supporting them. We were born from an association (NACS) and we know how important it is to help members be successful.

We’ve been hitting all the right notes with one of our most committed association partners, NAMM, for 17 years and its shipping program continues to be one of our strongest. NAMM is the non-profit association for the global music products industry and they actively promote the pleasures and benefits of making music.

Controlling shipping costs has become a very important factor in maintaining profitability in the music products industry, making the relationship between PartnerShip and NAMM very valuable to members. PartnerShip provides NAMM members with significant discounts on their shipping while also providing the association with marketing support to help promote the program. By taking advantage of our marketing services NAMM sees growth in its program and an increase in its royalties – it’s a win-win. This kind of harmony between NAMM and PartnerShip is the key to a successful member program.

For a more in-depth look at how we fine-tuned the NAMM Shipping Program, you can download the full case study here. If you’re an association leader and would like to learn more about our programs, click here.

You Can Do Anything. We Want You to Do It Here.

03/12/2015 — Leah Palnik

At PartnerShip, we believe in working hard and having fun while doing it. Our employees enjoy a rewarding career, robust benefits package, bonus opportunities, and other perks. If you’re a positive, creative individual ready to put your exceptional problem solving skills to use we want you to join our team.

Be part of a team
Your success is important to us and we know that when you work well together as a team, great things can happen. That’s why we’re always striving to support each other in any way we can.

Grow your skills
We’re a growing company and we want you to grow with us. There are always opportunities to develop your talents and continuously learn new things. Whether it’s through training or mentoring, we’ll help you reach your potential.

Have fun
We know that a good work-life balance leads to happy and productive employees and our company culture reflects that. When you need a quick break, jump on one of the games in our rec room. Have something to celebrate? You can bet that a potluck will be in your future. It’s little things like that add up to a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere – making PartnerShip a fun place to work.

If this sounds like a good fit, we’d love to talk to you! Click here to view a listing of open positions and apply.

The Work Truck Show 2015 breaks records and drives innovation

03/10/2015 — Matt Nagel

The Work Truck Show, presented by the National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA), is the must-attend event for the work truck industry. As in years past, the 2015 show in Indianapolis was buzzing with new products, innovative exhibitors, and of course, trucks. The Indianapolis Convention Center was flooded with a record number of attendees that were looking for the latest products and industry trends to keep their businesses hitting on all cylinders.

Among other highlights, attendees of the Work Truck Show 2015 enjoyed industry focused training courses, access to technical engineering representatives, and NTEA’s President’s Breakfast where Tony Dungy was the keynote speaker. The show also has growing green initiatives to address the demand for advanced vehicle technologies and fuels. The Green Truck Summit, held in conjunction with the Work Truck Show, was a day-and-a-half event for attendees and offered strategies and solutions for practical deployment and application of green technologies for the industry.

As the endorsed shipping provider of NTEA, we were exhibiting in the NTEA booth and sharing information about the shipping savings available to all NTEA members. We’re always excited for the NTEA Work Truck Show as it provides great opportunities to stay up to date on the industry happenings and produces valuable interaction with our customers. We had a chance to snap some pictures while at the show and invite you to scroll through the album below!

Top 5 Highlights from CAMEX 2015

03/03/2015 — Leah Palnik

As you may have read in our previous post, CAMEX is a very special show for PartnerShip. We are the endorsed shipping partner of the National Association of College Stores (NACS) and the college retail industry is an important customer segment for us. With the show in Atlanta this year, we knew it was going to be a good time. Here are a few of our favorite memories from exhibiting at CAMEX 2015:

1. Opening Reception at the College Football Hall of Fame
   This reception celebrated the opening of the 92nd CAMEX. There was a nice selection of food and drinks and it was a great opportunity to network with members of the industry. We also got to explore the venue through interactive exhibits highlighting the history of college football.
2. The PartnerShip Coffee Bar
   Our barista skills were put to the test at CAMEX while we served coffee and cookies to show attendees who stopped by our booth. It gave us a great chance to say thank you to our customers and let them relax and recharge.
3. Dine Around Atlanta
   Our sister company, NACS Foundation, set up a great fundraising initiative called Dine Around Atlanta. When you went to participating restaurants and presented your CAMEX badge, a portion of your check was donated to the NACS Foundation. We dined at several of the participating restaurants, which were not only delicious but also directly benefited the industry and our college stores and vendors.
4. Closing Reception
   The closing networking reception was an opportunity to connect with members of the NACS community at the end of the show. Good company, conversation, and hors d’oeuvres were had!
5. YOU!
   Last but certainly not least, one of our biggest highlights was getting to talk to all of you – attendees, exhibitors, and everyone in-between. Whether you stopped by our booth or we got a chance to talk to you at one of the receptions, we appreciate you taking the time to chat with us. We hope you enjoyed your time in Atlanta and had a great show!

Overall, CAMEX 2015 was non-stop entertainment and a wonderful experience. If you stopped by our booth or were at the show, we hope you enjoyed yourself and we look forward to seeing you next year! Check out our pictures from the show below.