The State of the Supply Chain

Thanks to the pandemic, international trade is in disarray. This begins with the manufacturers, who often cannot get the parts and materials they need. Many, especially in developing countries like China, are low on electric power and low on cash as well.

Moreover, with the cost of transportation roughly four times what it was in 2020, shipping containers can sit on the dock for two weeks or more. Ports and harbor facilities have trouble attracting workers, and many workers have had to be furloughed due to COVID.

Finally, though the lockdowns have mercifully for the most part passed, there has been a seismic shift away from brick and mortar retailers (who had been suffering anyway) and toward ecommerce and direct delivery, transmitting all this strain to the “final mile.”

Deliveries

Couriers are the runners on this last mile. They take the baton of world trade and hand it directly to the end consumer. The problem is, all of these problems are transmitted from the manufacturers to the retailers to the courier services.

It can take a long time for goods to be produced and given to couriers, and so there is a huge backlog. Even when the shipments in question are medical samples, specialized technologies, or legal documents – the complex kinds of delivery that only an expert team like RŰÎŰ´ŤĂ˝ can successfully handle – the companies that couriers work with often have their own supply chain problems.

To make matters worse, couriers themselves must deal with COVID-related regulations and staffing problems. The fact that courier services are so crucial to the economy makes it difficult to find the seasoned professionals needed for sensitive shipments.

Solutions for Clients

Courier clients must make sure they are dealing with experienced, certified professional courier services. The couriers must have the most advanced equipment and up-to-date software, enabling couriers to manage transactions easily and clients to track packages every step of the way.

By choosing and working with an experienced, professional team, clients can build close relationships with their courier services. Bonds of trust built on a foundation of clear communication will enable couriers to understand their clients’ needs and routine operations.

Clients can inform couriers of the logistical difficulties they have encountered, and couriers in turn can communicate with clients about supply chain conditions. Both parties can plan accordingly, adjusting their operations and schedules as need be.

Conclusion

Couriers have always, of course, played a crucial role in the supply chain. That role is now both more important than ever and more challenging than ever. The obstacles that services like RŰÎŰ´ŤĂ˝ face are formidable, but ours is an industry built on resilience. We literally go the last mile!

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Your package has traveled a great distance. But due to that great distance, it may have had to switch hands once or a few times. But making sure that the last leg of the trip goes smoothly can be the most important, ensuring that your packages reach their destination quickly for a timely arrival. With the right courier that knows the area of delivery, you can ensure that the final miles of the delivery go right and that the package reaches the receiver. This whole process is what one may call the Last Mile Delivery Service. But how to choose the right one?

Same Day Delivery Service Couriers VS Conventional Deliverers

For the final leg of the journey, a same day delivery service courier can be key to ensuring that your package reaches the destination on time. There may have been some delays on the way, time may be short, and your packages may time sensitive. But with a same day delivery service courier, you can ensure that what time you have left is made good and your package gets delivered within your remaining time frame. This can be especially important when your packages are coming in from a flight—they could be left waiting at the airport, burning valuable minutes and hours while waiting for a city mail or a delivery service to arrive. Typical delivery services such as Fedex and USPS can also become overwhelmed, resulting in hassles and delays that can complicate time sensitive matters.

Benefits of Same Day Delivery and Courier Services

Along with not being as burdened as large conventional deliveries such as Fedex and the USPS, a courier service with same day delivery often provides their customers with peace of mind. This normally comes in the form of delivery guarantees, the use of professional bonded drivers, and having nothing else aboard their vehicles to ensure a focused driver and a safe ride for your packages.

Time is of the essence, more for some packages than others, and courier services can help ensure that your packages make it to their destination on time no matter what the nature of the package is. But for packages that need to make it on time, every time, such as medical specimens or legal documents, the assurances of a same day delivery courier service can prove a great benefit to customers.

Did you know that conventional delivery services like the USPS don’t have delivery guarantees? Courier services can offer just that—a job guarantee that your package will be delivered to its destination, so that both you and your recipient can rest easy knowing that your packages will reach them.

The safety of your packages is often taken into consideration with the use of courier services versus conventional delivery services. With a courier service, you often will have a bonded driver who will transport your package without the mess of other packages riding along. This ensures absolutely organization as well as the physical integrity of your packages.

Last mile delivery service is especially important for when your packages are arriving from the air. When at an airport, your packages could potentially be kept in customs for as long as 5 hours—that could leave little time for those packages to then make the last leg of their trip. But with a courier service, the bonded driver will be able to focus on the acquisition of your packages and minimize its time being stuck in unclaimed storage.

Same Day Delivery Courier Service with ReliableCouriers

A poor last mile delivery can result in both late packages and even damaged contents. With our bonded drivers, you can count on your packages being kept safe while also being delivered as quickly as possible. When you entrust us with a delivery, your packages become the focus of an assigned driver. From GPS guidance to carrying no other cargo, your package will make it to its destination worry-free. Keep your deliveries running smooth with ReliableCouriers. Call us or check out our website for more information on how ReliableCouriers can streamline your delivery demands!

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Packaging does more than keep the items safe. The quality of a delivery’s packaging can make or break a customer’s experience when they first receive their item. It can determine whether a customer will use the same delivery service, or if they will look to another courier for the same kinds of products.

Here’s some of the factors that you should consider, ensuring that you provide both an excellent delivery and packaging experience for the customer:

Outer Packaging

First thing’s first, what kind of product are you shipping? Depending on the item’s size, shape, their weight, and general fragility, these can all factor into what kind of packaging you should use. Your customer will expect the outer packaging to reflect these various qualities of the item.

• Using a Bag: Is your item light and not fragile, like clothing or a soft toy? A bag would be perfect for these items.
• Single-layered cardboard boxes: Great for small items that are not as flexible and not as light as fabric-made products.
• Double-layered or triple-layered cardboard: For the heavier products and for those that are really fragile, this kind of cardboard box will make for protection.

You probably notice that for items as light as clothing or soft toys, all you really need is a bag to ensure that it remains clean and safe while in-transit. But if you’d like to be safe, double bagging the item wouldn’t hurt as it helps take care of the risk of possible tearing. Your customer might even appreciate the consideration. But for anything more fragile than clothing—it’s highly recommended to include inner cushioning to ensure that the products don’t get bumped around too much and possibly break.

Inner Packaging

While in-transit, anything can happen. Things get moved, boxes and packages bump into one another, and so the products within also get jarred around. The best way to be prepared for anything is to also make sure your products have adequate inner packaging. With that internal cushioning, the products will have something to absorb the shock of any movement before the product even bumps into the walls of its outer packaging. This is especially important for fragile objects, such as vases or glassware.

• For objects like clothing and soft toys, some packaging tissue paper will suffice in giving the products some cushioning and extra protection against abrasion and tearing in the case of a rough transit.
• Packing peanuts are great in providing fragile objects shock absorption via increased surface area.
• For products with defined geometric shape, cardboard inserts can help hold those products in place, reducing the amount of space for the product to move in its outer packaging.
• For glass and ceramics, you might want to consider bubble wrap so that the product does not physically collide with anything as it might move in-transit.
• Styrofoam inserts are a great way to provide shock absorption for items such as TVs and other electronics, all while providing a means to restrict product movement within their outer packaging.
• Crumpled paper always works as a backup means to fill out the space of an item’s outer packaging.

While most of these measures work well on their own, depending on the item, a combination of inner packaging may provide better protection. For example, packing peanuts provide great shock absorption, but they don’t always properly restrict a product’s movement within a box. Coupling packing peanuts with a lining of Styrofoam inserts can ensure that if a product moves towards the outer wall of its packaging, you’ll have a final protective buffer. Also, make sure you don’t overstuff the box with your inner packaging. If your outer packaging bursts at the seams, your product can still get damaged.

To ensure all your packaging stays together, the final ingredient will be your sealing material.

Choosing Your Sealing Material

It’s easy to think that all tape is equal. They all help you stick things together, right? While they all perform the same task, different types of sealing tapes provide varying levels of efficacy because they may be made for different purposes.
For delivering packages, the most recommended tape would be within the 40-50mm wide range. But that’s not all. Next, you’ll want to make sure you’re using the right sealing method for the most effective package sealing. The best sealing method is called H-taping. By sealing both outer edges and corners, as well as the center, you’ll make sure that nothing can possibly escape the outer packaging.

Packaging and Unboxing: Creating an Experience

Just as we had discussed earlier about how your choice of packaging can affect the customer experience, there are ways to go further with packaging that in turn affects the customer on a deeper level. Every step further can leave an impression that leads to positive reviews, recurring customers, and of course, the attraction of new customers. Some might say to “never judge a book by its cover”, but that’s not the case with delivering products—inside and outside counts. Both the packaging and unboxing of a product is key to perfecting the customer experience.

• Consider going the extra mile with custom, branded box packaging. It removes the need for stickers, and it leaves a longer-lasting impression on your customers. Also, a recurring customer that sees your branded box will more likely open your package before anything else!
• Is your product fragile or does it require maintenance? Give your customers the product information that the manufacturer has provided—your customer will not only be able to take care of their product, but they’ll know that you care about their enjoyment of the product.
• Leave a personal note or a small gift—the personal touches tend to leave the longest-lasting impressions on the customers. When they see your note or your gift, like a pen with your brand name on it, they’ll think of your products and services!

Make Your Last-Mile Delivery Memorable with RŰÎŰ´ŤĂ˝

When you need a timely and professional delivery made for a customer’s product, no one handles last-mile delivery like the bonded drivers of RŰÎŰ´ŤĂ˝. With GPS guidance and experienced drivers, your packages will always reach their destinations on time. Not only that, we strive to ensure that every package reaches their destination in their original condition. Unlike some of our competitors, we always offer a delivery guarantee for that extra peace of mind. Give us a call or check out our website for more information on how ReliableCouriers can play a part in creating the perfect delivery experience for your customers!

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