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5 Tips For Reducing Costs On Air Freight

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Shipping is often one of the largest costs for many businesses today, which is why it's good to consider how to reduce those costs as much as possible. If you ship only the occasional package then you may not be worried about how to get discounts on your air freight, but for companies who ship out of their location every day, every discount, no matter how small, will add up to a tremendous savings over time. Consider some important but often overlooked tips for containing the cost of your air freight.

1. Pack tightly

The cost of shipping is not just based on weight but also on the dimensions of your packages, so pack tightly. Invest in a pallet wrapping machine so you can ship items wrapped in shrink-wrap rather than in crates. Use shipping bags rather than boxes and vacuum seal these so they're packed as tightly as possible. Even small changes like these can mean big savings on your air freight costs.

2. Separate rush shipments

Many companies make the mistake of sending an entire order via a rush shipment when only a certain few pieces need to arrive that quickly. Separate your rush shipments from those that don't need to be sent overnight or express and you can save money on that expedited cost.

3. Join a trade organization

Many trade organizations can get shipping discounts for their members because they are getting a group discount from the shipper itself. As an example, a bookseller's association may offer a discount on shipping to all its members if they use a particular shipper, since that association may have hundreds of members and they're directing all that business to one shipper. Consider the discounts you would get on air freight versus the fees to join such an association, and you may see you could easily save on your overall freight costs.

4. Process your packages electronically

Many freight companies allow you to process your packages before they're picked up by the shipper or brought to the port. You might print labels with a bar code that is easily scanned as your package is loaded, or you may have your packages weighed and processed online. When you process your packages electronically you are saving the shipper these extra steps, and you may be eligible for a discount on your air freight. Compare this savings to the cost of having to buy extra equipment, such as a heavy-duty scale or label printer, to ensure you're actually saving money overall. To learn more, contact your local air freight company such as Alaska Air Forwarding.


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