subject: Scheduling A Shipment With Multiple Stops [print this page] If your business is using a courier service Illinois, you may have a shipping route that needs many deliveries to several different customers or retailers that have requested your goods. If your business requires a shipping company who will meet this demand, it is critical that your company finds a courier service that can perform multiple stops efficiently at a reasonable cost.
One way of effectively organizing distribution is to arrange for deliveries to take place at approximately the same time during the work week. This is how you begin to arrange for a multi-stop shipment. The rest is general math. Scheduling several pickups throughout the week will require additional man hours and more gas than just a single pickup, and the subsequent drop-offs being defined in a logical and cohesive route that is most gas and time efficient.
Keep in mind that if your shipments are considered FTL (full truck load), that this arrangement will not be applicable. However, if you deliver smaller quantities then it may be prudent to consolidate them. They will then be placed and couriered in a single truck that makes many stops along its route. Not all companies require or are capable of consolidating shipments in this way. Those that are can greatly benefit from reduced costs associated with multiple stop shipments. By reducing the cost and overhead of the courier service Illinois, the money they save should help you negotiate a lower rate.
You should call your courier office and speak to a representative or someone at dispatch; they can counsel you on whether or not you qualify for this shipment method, and if so, what you can do to decrease their costs and thereby lowering your own shipping rates. If you do not qualify, they may be capable of offering other solutions that increase efficiency and reduce your costs. Do not be afraid to ask detailed questions of your courier regarding distribution logistics and routing.
They should be forthcoming with information that will help your business become more efficient at shipping. There is another reason for this; it is beneficial for their business as well, and not just from a cost standpoint. Less fuel burned means that the company is "greener"; something that politically has become an issue in recent years. Most companies are now trying to become more energy efficient for the sake of the environment, as well as their company's own reputation.
