Choosing a carrier to ship your parcels is one thing, making sure you consistently get access to the best rates and performance is another. However, when prices are more or less the same, what else matters? If you are using more than one carrier to ship your parcel’s read on.
FedEX, UPS & DHL – Global Giants
With a combined 100+ years in the sector: FedEx, UPS, and DHL take the lion share of the addressable carrier market.
FedEx was the early pioneers of overnight shipping, tracking systems, and real-time location data. With the strongest air fleet in the sector, they offer extensive coverage to over 200 countries.
Whereas UPS is noted for its ground fleet and is renowned for championing alternative-powered vehicles. They also service over 200 countries but are notably strongest on the ground.
However, if you are passionate about the environment and wish to work with a carrier who mirrors your values, then DHL stands apart from its peers as one of the most progressive carriers in terms of carbon footprint management.
Yodel, Hermes, Royal Mail – UK Giants
Some of the largest UK couriers are Yodel, Hermes, and Royal Mail they deliver to every postcode across the UK.
Yodel has over 50 sites nationwide, they offer an award-winning customer feedback programme the first of its kind in the sector, and continue to grow (its portfolio also includes CollectPlus a leading click and collect courier).
For depth of experience, the most mature of the three; Royal Mail has been delivering parcels for more than 500 years and has 37 mail centres nationwide.
With 10,000 couriers, over 4,000 ParcelShops, plus hubs and depots nationwide: Hermes is the UK’s largest dedicated parcel delivery brand. The courier works with 80% of the nation’s largest brands and like its peers, Hermes has been at the forefront of the eCommerce revolution.
Choice Matters
But size is not everything, depending on your requirements there are plenty more carriers and courier services available to businesses of every size.
SmartConsign is a leading multi-carrier management system, supporting all carriers and couriers in the UK for local, national, and international delivery. These carriers are not charged a fee to be integrated on the SmartConsign platform, which means that all the performance and rates information delivered are unbiased.
Parcel carriers and couriers on the SmartConsign platform
APC Overnight, Ascendia, CitySprint, Collect+, DHL, DPD, DX, FedEx Express, Hermes, Nightline, Parcel Force, Rico, Royal Mail, TNT, Tuffnells, UKMail, UPS, Whistl, WNDirect, XDP, Yodel and more.
With this cloud-based multi-carrier management system, you get all the critical shipping information in one place. What’s more, with features such as fast consignment production, accurate address lookup, and real-time tracking: you can easily automate manual processes saving time to focus on growing your business. This is what one client had to say about the system.
“Labels are looking good. I followed along as they were being generated and I have to say the speed is very impressive”
If you are sending over 100 parcels per week, find out how SmartConsign can help improve your parcel delivery service.