Shipping has become an integral part of most businesses in the United States. Much of the way our world works is due in part to the network of transportation that gets things where they need to go, when they need to get there. Most of these things get delivered using one of the major carriers, like FedEx, UPS, or the U.S. Postal Service. The hard part, for a business, is choosing which of these carriers to trust with their parcels and to do business with. Here are a few essential tips for choosing the right carrier.

1. Look for a reputable company.
The first thing you should do is look for a company committed to finding qualified drivers and warehouse employees. The first priority is finding a company that has a good reputation and that works hard finding qualified drivers and delivery people, since they are the people who will be handling your parcels.

2. Check into processes.
After you’ve looked into the reputability of different carriers, the next thing you should look into is the processes they use for things like getting refunds for parcel delivery failures or filing transportation claims. You’re going to want to find on that has relatively simple processes that you can understand, because an issue with a carrier is almost eventually inevitable. Being able to file claims quickly and properly is important.

3. Shop around for prices and service levels.
A whopping 80% of shippers overpay for services because they don’t bother shopping for the best freight rates and service levels. This can easily be done using integrated transportation management software, so there’s really no excuse not to. Finding the best rates with the most strategic routes is going to add to your bottom line in the long run.

Do you have any tips for choosing the right shipping carrier? Feel free to share your ideas with us in the comments section below.