Solutions for Time-Sensitive Shipments
Occasionally you may find yourself up against a delivery date that can't be missed. Your customer may need your product in a hurry to avoid production slowdowns. Or your customer is a just-in-time manufacturer who needs materials on an established schedule. Sometimes your customer will specify not only a date for delivery, but an exact time as well.
There are several choices for time-sensitive shipments, including air freight companies, shipment expediters, and specialized LTL services. It pays, however, to weigh your options carefully.
Air freight companies are generally a good bet, but you can expect to pay a high price. You should also be aware that a large percentage of an air freight company's freight doesn't travel by air at all, but moves by road and in trucks.
Most LTL companies also provide some form of expedited freight service. Before selecting a carrier, be sure you examine their service options carefully.
Check to see if after-hours or weekend customer service is available in case you need to get in touch with someone for pickup or for questions on your shipment's status. Investigate the overall flexibility of the service and ask if dedicated equipment is an option.
The kind of guarantee your carrier offers is very important. Some providers include the guarantee as part of the service while others offer a guarantee for an additional amount. Even though most expediting companies guarantee your shipment will arrive on time, some still count late deliveries as "successful" (depending on how late). With this kind of guarantee, you'll still have to pay a percentage of your charges, measured by how late your shipment arrived.
Reimer Express offers Time-Critical Services, with a guarantee that is straightforward: if your cross-border shipment doesn't arrive as specified, you won't be charged at all.
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