Unlocking Efficiency with Multi-Carrier Shipping Software

Selling online is all about speed, efficiency, and flexibility, especially when it comes to getting orders into the hands of customers. For business owners, the shipping process is where customer loyalty is won or lost. That’s where multi-carrier shipping software can help save the day. But what is it, exactly, and how can it turbocharge your shipping operations?
SendTech Staff Pitney Bowes
07/04/2024 Office

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What is Multi-Carrier Shipping Software?

With multi-carrier shipping software, you get the convenience of managing shipments across various carriers from a single platform, no matter the volume. The days of switching between carrier websites to compare rates manually and track each package are a thing of the past. Multi-carrier shipping software automates decision-making, so you can select the best shipping option for you and your customer without second-guessing. It will also help you to better track your outbound packages from one platform and analyze all the delivery metrics.

Using multi-carrier shipping software, you can compare rates across major carriers such as FedEx®, UPS®, and USPS®, and find the best shipping option for each order. It takes the guesswork out of deciding which carrier best aligns with the shipping preferences your customer has specified. If your customer prefers free shipping, you can find a carrier with the best price. If your customer is in another country, you can compare international shipping rates. Your customer needs their order quickly? Compare rush delivery rates for their area quickly and accurately.

Multi-carrier shipping software also lets you create and print shipping labels right from your computer from a single platform. It helps you automate redundant tasks, which frees up your time while reducing shipping costs.

What Are the Benefits of Multi-Carrier Shipping Software for Small Businesses?

Cost-Effective Carrier Comparisons

Choosing the right carrier for each shipment can drastically reduce shipping costs. With multi-carrier software, you get real-time rate comparisons, so you can make the most economical choice for each shipment without sacrificing delivery speed. It also gives you access to discounted rates from UPS and USPS – a benefit that’s not always available to businesses that rely on individual carriers.

Time-Saving Automation

Many multi-carrier platforms offer automation tools, letting you automate tasks such as printing shipping labels, scheduling pickups, and sending out tracking information to customers. For smaller companies that may not have the personnel to handle increasing order volumes, these time-saving features are critical for scaling orders. Multi-carrier shipping software also automates decision-making when choosing shipping options, recognizing both the customer's needs and shipping costs.

Scalability for Business Growth

As sales volumes grow, you’ll need more robust shipping solutions. Multi-carrier shipping software allows you to scale with your business, accommodating an increase in order volumes without skipping a beat. Get more orders out the door while using the right shipping method every time.

In-depth Shipping Analytics and Reporting

Data insights are vital for making the best strategic decisions. Multi-carrier shipping platforms offer detailed analytics on shipping costs, delivery times, and carrier performance. This allows you to continuously optimize your business’s shipping strategies and improve customer experiences.

An Integrated Tax and Duties Calculator

Investing in software that can calculate all duties and taxes will allow for smoother, stress-free global shipping. For example, the right software can help you avoid surprise costs for customers by accurately predetermining all expenses for international shipping. This helps to avoid holdups at customs and any potential customer dissatisfaction.

The Pros and Cons of Multi-Carrier Shipping Software

When it comes to shipping, everybody wants the easiest and most convenient option. But before committing to one method, it's important to weigh the pros and cons of multi-carrier shipping and single-carrier shipping.

The Pros of Single-Carrier Shipping

  • A single point of contact: If shipping issues occur, you only have to deal with one carrier, making it easier to resolve problems quickly.
  • Simplified operations: Using a single carrier can streamline your shipping process and reduce the amount of related paperwork.
  • Potential for discounts: Some carriers offer discounts to customers who ship high volumes of packages. If you're a large shipper, you could save money.

The Cons of Single-Carrier Shipping

  • Limited flexibility: If your chosen carrier experiences a service disruption, it could impact your entire shipping operation.
  • Increased costs: Single-carrier shipping becomes more expensive than using multiple carriers because you can’t negotiate rates as effectively.
  • A lack of control: With single-carrier shipping, you have less control over the shipping process. You may have to accept a carrier’s terms and conditions, even if they're not ideal for your situation.

The decision to use single-carrier shipping is a complex one. There are several factors that need to be considered, such as your shipping volume, your budget, and risk tolerance. If you're not sure which option is right for you, why not compare rates and see what works best with a 30-day free trial for PitneyShip® shipping software?

The Benefits of Multi-Carrier Shipping

  • Enhanced rate comparison capabilities: Multi-carrier shipping allows you to compare rates from different carriers, which guarantees that you get the best deals for each of your shipments.
  • Better shipping delay mitigation: By working with multiple carriers, you reduce the risk of shipping delays caused by issues with a single carrier.
  • Increased shipping capacity: Multi-carrier shipping provides access to a broader network of carriers, increasing your shipping capacity and ensuring your packages reach their destinations on time.
  • Fewer shipping disruptions: Working with multiple carriers reduces the impact of disruptions from any single carrier. Consequently, you’re working with a more reliable and stable network for your shipping operations. Should a specific carrier experience an issue, you can quickly switch to another carrier and keep orders moving.

Although multi-carrier shipping might seem daunting at first, it offers increased flexibility and potential cost savings to businesses.

The Cons of Multi-Carrier Shipping

  • More complex relationship management: Managing multiple carrier relationships can be complex, and requires careful coordination and communication. A good multi-carrier shipping software can help simplify shipping operations by consolidating the process within a single suite.
  • Constant shipping rate changes: Different carriers may have different rate structures and policies, which can lead to frequent changes in shipping costs. With the right tools, automation can help keep track of these changes and help you save money.

Rate changes are a reality for shippers. Maintaining separate accounts with multiple carriers – but without the use of multi-carrier software – can leave you with the cumbersome task of tracking the changes as they occur in each account. A multi-carrier software that aggregates your accounts will automatically apply rate changes. Also, you’re getting discounted rates through a negotiated relationship that you may not get on your own.

For business owners, your approach to shipping can make all the difference. To help ensure that your operation runs smoothly, you need to invest in the right multi-carrier shipping software equipped with tools to cut through logistics clutter, streamline operations, and elevate customer satisfaction.

Multi-Carrier Shipping Makes Life Easier for Customers Too

Misplaced orders and shipping delays are bound to happen. It’s how you respond to these events that will shape the reputation of your brand. A good multi-carrier shipping software will allow you to offer next-level customer support that is scalable and that leaves customers feeling reassured.

Whether it’s automating messages to let customers know when their order has been shipped or making it easier to track missing orders quickly, multi-carrier software will provide you with answers quickly. Such transparency can ease customer stress over the delivery process, which can strengthen your customer relationships.

See What Multi-Carrier Shipping Software Can Do for Your Business

Discover a smarter way to ship with PitneyShip®, the multi-carrier shipping software from Pitney Bowes. Not only can you save on shipping, but you can build trust among your customers. Just select, ship, and save.