We understand that shipping goods can be troublesome and expensive, especially through these tough times.
This blog will clear up everything you need to know about the increase in shipping costs, and how using a pallet carrier or pallet delivery service like Pallet Online can save you some precious pennies.
What are shipping costs?
Put simply, shipping costs are how much money you need to spend to deliver an item from A to B.
If you’ve tried to ship any amount of goods in this day and age, you may know how high these costs can get and how quickly they can stack up.
Shipping costs can include anything from boxes, tape and other packing materials to customs costs if you’re shipping internationally. Many of these cannot be avoided. However, with careful planning, you can cut those costs down.
Why is the cost of shipping increasing?
There are many reasons why shipping costs are rising. Some include:
- Increased Consumer Demand – we can now buy practically anything we want to with just the click of a button, but the extensive work that goes on behind the scenes to get your goods out to you on time can take a toll on hubs and distribution centres alike.
- COVID-19 – the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has plagued the world and every possible industry you can think of. However, lengthy delays at major ports and hubs in China, the USA and Europe have caused a huge spike in costs. Not ideal for delivery services and pallet carriers.
- Brexit – there’s no escaping from the hot topic that was, and still is – Brexit. The UK’s exit from the EU has been a huge challenge for the logistics industry as additional paperwork and container shortages cause multiple delays and further costs.
When will these costs drop?
If you’ve been affected by the shipping cost spike, there’s no doubt you’re probably wondering when they will fall back to a relatively normal level.
Fortunately, it is estimated that most issues that are causing these problems will be somewhat resolved by the end of 2022, with shipping costs falling by about 30-40 percent. Sadly, it doesn’t look like they will fall back to their original, pre-pandemic levels any time soon.
How to ship economically and how pallets can maximise your profits.
Luckily, it’s not all bad news! There are some things that you can do to decrease shipping costs:
- Effective Planning – this is one of the most important things to improve your shipping costs. To plan effectively, it’s important to choose a reliable, trustworthy carrier as you will be using them frequently depending on your freight volumes. Make sure you get used to their booking process to avoid any potential delays.
- Keep up to date with your chosen pallet delivery service – it’s worth keeping updated with your courier on social media – they may have some discounts you can use! It is also common to get a few percent off during special periods such as Black Friday or Christmas. For instance, PalletOnline are offering 5% off to customers who set up a Direct Debit.
Use a pallet carrier – believe it or not, pallets can be a lot cheaper than parcels. If you regularly ship a high quantity of goods, using a pallet delivery service may be the cheapest option for you.
PalletOnline are one of the leading pallet couriers in the industry. Want to try out pallet shipping to lessen those costs? Get a free and instant quote in seconds!