How to lower your courier costs

We all like to save a bit of money, and here at Rock Solid Deliveries we like to help our customers save some money too.

Christmas is not far away, which is usually a busy time for sending parcels and same day courier items. Money can be in short supply with so many other things to spend it on. In this blog post we’ll look at some top tips on how you can save a bit of cash when sending your parcels. These tips aren’t seasonal either, so if you are reading this in May, the same still applies!

Plan ahead

With many things in life: hotel rooms, train fares, concert tickets, booking well in advance is key. This often means you get some of the best prices and the best pick and whatever the options are. To take advantage of this however you need to be organised, so plan when your parcels should be sent to arrive on time or before any due dates. Sending something in advance rather than leaving it to the last second and having to use a same day service is obviously going to be a lot cheaper. This is one key way you can save some money. If you do run out of time, then we have a same day courier service, so it is never too late!

Your parcel packaging – It’s size

Try to keep your box or parcel as small as possible. When sending items, most are charged based on size and weight. There is obviously some kind of trade-off here. You can’t place a large item into a small box. We also recommend that you leave enough space so the item can ‘breathe’ and is not forced into packaging risking getting damaged. Try to use common sense with this one and you will find that by getting it ‘just right,’ you will save you some cash.

Your parcel packaging – It’s weight

As mentioned above, the weight of your parcel is also an important factor. Most people like to put extra packaging in to protect the contents, but do not go too overboard with this as it adds weight. Being clever here can really help – using materials such as bubble wrap are light and will not add much weight to the overall total. Equally, avoid putting anything unnecessary in the box to keep the weight to the absolute minimum. When declaring your weight for courier purposes, being accurate will help you get the correct price so you know exactly what you are likely to pay. If you are sending items regularly, then purchasing some weighing scales could be a good long-term investment to keep overall costs down.

Buy materials in quantities at ‘trade’ prices

Buying single boxes, or individual rolls of bubble wrap can work out expensive and increase the overall price of the delivery pro rata to the individual item. If you know you are likely to be sending lots, then get these items in bulk and in advance. While it might seem like you pay more initially, it works out cheaper in the long run. This all also feeds into the planning ahead point – discussed above.

Claim expenses back

If you are a business and sending parcels, then remember to put these in your accounts to claim back reliefs. If you are doing this regularly and across the course of a year, you will find that this soon mounts up and you could be getting back a reasonable sum.

Ultimately following just some of these simple steps can ensure you save some money on your shipping and courier costs, allowing you to spend your cash on other pressing things.

Life is hectic and busy and not everyone will have time to meticulously plan things out. Even for busy lifestyles we offer a same day courier service, so help is always at hand.

Why not give us a try?