• Which Shipping Strategy is Right for Your Retail Business?

    10/26/2022 — Jen Deming

    Choosing the right shipping strategy can help increase profitability, conversion, and repeat business from your customers. But, how do you know which one is right for you? We take a look at the three most common small package shipping strategies for retailers, so you can decide what makes sense for your business.


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  • FedEx and UPS Holiday Shipping Deadlines for 2022

    10/21/2022 — Leah Palnik

    2021 Holiday Shipping Deadlines for FedEx and UPS

    As you prepare your store for the influx of orders that come with the holiday season, you’re going to want to keep an eye on the shipping deadlines. Both FedEx and UPS have announced the last dates you can ship your orders and make it in time for a Christmas delivery.

    It’s important to note these deadlines because demand surges this time of year. The carriers' networks are already strained, and it’s only going to get worse the closer we get to the holidays. To keep your customers happy and set the right expectations, we recommend clearly communicating the shipping cutoff dates and adding in extra days in case of delays.

    FedEx has published a complete visual list of the last days to ship. Here are some highlights for domestic shipments:

    • December 8 for FedEx Ground Economy
    • December 14 for FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery
    • December 20 for FedEx Express Saver
    • December 21 for FedEx 2Day and 2Day AM
    • December 22 for FO, PO, SO, and Extra Hours
    • December 23 for FedEx Same Day

    UPS has also created a list of the last days to ship for Christmas delivery. Unfortunately, one thing that is missing is a specific cutoff date for Ground shipments. You will need to get a quote on the UPS website instead. For domestic UPS air shipments, the dates are as follows:

    • December 20 for UPS 3 Day Select
    • December 21 for UPS 2nd Day Air
    • December 22 for UPS Next Day Air services

    It’s also important to note that service guarantees are currently suspended for both FedEx and UPS ground services. It's also suspended for select air/express services. The main takeaway? You’ll want to encourage your customers to order early and do what you can to add in extra days when setting delivery expectations.

    If you're looking for any additional guidance or need a way to lower your small package costs, PartnerShip can help. Contact our team today.


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  • What Manufacturers Want: We Talk Shipping Tips With an Industry Insider

    10/07/2022 — Jen Deming

    Manufacturing Shipping Tips

    Manufacturers are kind of a big deal. Take a look around, and you’ll notice that the products, supplies, equipment, and tools they produce are everywhere. Lately, conversations about manufacturing are shifting, as the industry itself is evolving to meet new expectations and demands. In order to gain some insider perspective, we reached out to our industry contacts and association partners. Holly at Jatco Machine &Tool Company, Inc., NTMA member and PartnerShip customer, was generous enough to provide some expert insight.

    • What specific shipping challenges do manufacturers face? What do they do to combat those issues?
      Holly: Some specific shipping challenges would be the balance between cost and delivery times, items arriving on time and undamaged, difficulty of creating/placing shipment. Some things we do to combat those issues are utilizing PartnerShip and packaging our items up ridiculously well. Partnership offers us savings by combining shipments, and they make it so easy to create a shipment. They literally do it all for you!

    • What is the most important factor related to shipping for manufacturers and why?
      Holly: It’s hard to choose one. Obviously, safety goes without saying and should just be a standard for everyone. Other than that, it would be delivery times. Sending an item to a subcontractor can become a process. Two days to ship freight, maybe two or three days for them to do the work, and then another two days back is a full 7 days eating into our deadline. We’d like to get freight to a subcontractor overnight and vice versa. And honestly, two days is not terrible!

    • How can PartnerShip make life easier for manufacturing businesses? 
      Holly: I think that they really do all that they can to be efficient and easy to work with. I enjoy calling and having someone fill everything out correctly, search for rates, and give me the best options.

    • What do we, and others in the industry, need to know about manufacturers and how to best address their shipping needs?
      Holly: We have one-two shipments with Partnership per month. I’m sure others have more or varying amounts. It’s nice to know that we can receive great rates based on merely being a partner verses number of times we ship. We are a small business doing big things all over the country. Shipping will always be a part of that. Partnership makes that aspect as easy as possible.

    Manufacturing Shipping TipsHolly brought up some important points about the distinct challenges that many manufacturers face, like damage concerns and on-time freight delivery. If these are some key concerns you share,  here are some resources that can help you strategize and ship your loads successfully.

    At PartnerShip, we celebrate manufacturers as an industrious, pivotal sector of our economy. Through constant growth and adaptation, manufacturing businesses continue to be inspiring, and we are excited to help your businesses play such a cutting-edge part of the future. If you’re interested in learning how PartnerShip can help you and your manufacturing business ship smarter, contact our team.



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  • Meet the People Who Help You Ship Smarter: Dillon

    10/05/2022 — Leah Palnik

    Above all else, at PartnerShip we value the relationships with our customers and partners. Keeping them happy and ensuring their freight is managed properly is the backbone of what we do. Our Association Program Manager, Dillon, is a prime example of that. He is the main point of contact for our college bookstore associations and is the go-to resource for many of our customers - a role that is as unique as he is.

    Meet Dillon

    About Dillon
    If you get the chance to speak with Dillon, be sure to congratulate him - he recently got engaged to his longtime girlfriend! They have lived together in their beachfront apartment in California for 6 years and enjoy everything the oceanside life offers. When he’s not working, you can find him enjoying a nice meal with his fiancé, playing beach volleyball, or biking down the beach path.

    Expert advice
    Dillon has earned his chops as a Certified Transportation Broker (CTB) and sits on the board for the California Association of College Stores (CACS). Between that and his 7 years of experience at PartnerShip, he’s in a solid position to help our customers ship smarter. We asked him to share some advice.

    • What industry trends are you seeing that you think shippers should be aware of?
      The most obvious industry trend that I can identify is transit times being affected by the demand on the system. You can easily avoid this issue by taking extra time to communicate with your broker, specifically on how early you should order your product and what your realistic expectation for delivery should be.

    • If you could give customers one piece of advice for smart shipping, what would it be?
      My major piece of advice for customers is to communicate with your logistics broker. Many problems can be avoided or instantly fixed when a customer and their broker communicate to understand any shipping issues that may arise.

    Dillon

    Taking it a step further
    Communication is key in Dillon’s eyes and for good reason. A quality freight broker can be your advocate when issues arise with carriers, you’re dealing with deadlines, or have unique needs. But that open dialogue is essential for your broker to do their job right. Curious about the benefits of working with a broker? We’ve got you covered:

    Dillon also hits the nail on the head when it comes to challenges with transit times. If you want to understand what’s happening in the freight industry and how to tackle the resulting issues, there are a couple resources you might find useful:

    Without question, having someone like Dillon on your side to manage your freight is essential these days. If you’re interested in finding out more how our team can help, contact us today


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