Freight shipping is an expensive affair. However, there are many ways by which you can save money while sending goods from one point to another. It all depends on whom you rely on for shipping. Of course, technology has helped the shipping industry contain the ever-increasing costs. With sophisticated technology such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, many freight forwarders can offer optimal rates.

Even so, it’s not all about the adoption of technology. Often, high shipping prices may arise due to poor handling of the risk factors in shipping. Reducing the supply cost and preventing shipping delays helps cut down unnecessary expenses. It is always better to check the supply chain expenditure and keep shipping charges to the lowest at every shipping phase. 

But fret not; we are here to help you lower the unnecessary expense of international freight shipping. Read on these tips to keep your freight expenses at a minimum. 

1. Prior Planning Helps 

Always consider your production schedule, shipping choices and also transit times. If you want to move freight at reduced shipping prices, it helps plan your international logistics effortlessly without affecting your cash flow. Such planning would help as it saves you from last-minute embarrassments. Further, such changes would only pave for delays and higher costs.

During planning, consider the holiday deadlines that directly impact the shipping schedules. Keep a comprehensive list of all local holidays and special days to check if your shipping gets affected. Similarly, you can check the socio-political scenario in the regions to which you ship to avoid the chances of delays and increased expenditure. 

2. Make use of Full Truckload Service 

Sometimes, full truckload (FTL) service is more affordable when compared to shipping less than truckload (LTL/groupage). In FTL, you can get your freight moved from one place to another without sharing space with other cargoes. Apart from low shipping prices, there are lower handling issues when one opts for FTL services. Unlike LTL, the risks of damages during transit and the chances of goods getting held up in the truck due to customs clearance delays arising from other cargoes are low.

FTL service would bring many benefits, particularly when you have heavy freight. LTL would help you manage cost escalations during the movement of comparatively small shipments. Therefore, depending upon the type of shipments, you can decide on the service type to save on freight costs. When your shipment occupies the entire space of the truck, always avail of FTL service for better savings on the freight shipping cost. 

3. Get the Right Packaging 

While transporting goods, you have to ensure their protection and, hence, packaging plays a role in safeguarding your freight. You need extra durable padding material to keep the goods in a safe condition during their transit. Check if you have optimised packaging to increase efficiency and lower shipping prices. Shipping lightweight boxes keeping in mind the volumetric weight would help reduce shipping prices to a great extent.

Consider the space of a box, as it attracts more shipping costs as you need to pay for the space it occupies in the truck. Therefore, getting the ideal packaging would considerably reduce freight costs. Make sure that you minimise the gap between the packaged products. Use the smallest box if possible or, use a dimensional weight calculator online to know the extra charges you may incur while using big boxes and cartons. 

4. Increase the Delivery Lead Time 

Increasing the delivery lead time reduces shipping prices, helps access the best delivery time, ensures more capacity, carrier availability of your choice, better service and on-time performance. It also facilitates you to rein in the expenditure and operate with enhanced efficiency when costs are in control. When there is sufficient lead time, it helps carriers ensure capacity at reasonable rates. Even though rates change weekly depending on the conditions prevailing in the market and the customer locations, the service level and carrier capacity become highly predictable.

But in the case of same day or next day delivery, this kind of predictability is hardly possible. It is because often, the carrier of your choice gets availed by other shippers as you ask to ship on short notice. Of course, the freight gets moved, but at higher costs. But if you can provide a sufficient time gap in advance, there is an increased possibility of availing the service of preferred carriers at the lowest transportation costs. It ensures a certain level of cost consistency while facilitating moving goods with reliable freight forwarders. 

5. Freight Consolidation 

In case you aim at reducing the costs of moving freight, freight shipping consolidation help. While consolidating freight, logistics companies and freight forwarders split the costs among several clients and thus help take the extra cost away. It enables you to move the loads without paying for the unused space inside the truck. Shippers pay for the space they use during freight consolidation. Meanwhile, consolidating shipments to the same destinations reduce the shipping prices. 

Freight consolidation is an easy means of ensuring better revenue as they can ship smaller order deliveries. Rather than waiting for orders to fill the truck, cargo consolidation helps deliver as per the demand and transit freight to customers ASAP. Besides, shippers can make the most of sharing container space with several other companies. The advantage is that you, as a shipper, can develop a strong relationship with such companies for hassle-free scheduling. While your customer enjoys reasonable rates, you get the credit for reliable service. 

Move Your Goods Through Ianis Cargo 

If high shipping prices thwart the progress of your business, then Ianis Cargo Express is your shipping solution! Move your goods through express transport, full truckload (FTL), less than truckload (LTL) air shipping, pallet shipping at the lowest rates. Since Ianis Cargo has partnered with several reputed couriers, you get instant lowest price quotes after reliable price comparisons. With the live shipping calculator for arriving at the lowest shipping quote, Ianis Cargo helps its shipper customers to access the lowest price rates. 

There are no hidden charges and, shippers do not incur any additional expense for moving goods. Also, track the transit progress in real-time when the freight gets picked up until it reaches the delivery destination. To meet the shipping needs of both B2B and B2C ecommerce businesses, Ianis Cargo also offers eCommerce delivery solutions. Get electronic proof of delivery upon goods receipt and monitor every aspect of goods delivery through the most advanced AI optimised platform for shipping! Besides, a separate courier service named Ianis Courier operates for couriers, parcels and envelopes delivery to help you reduce shipping prices.