When demand for goods is at a record high just around the festive season, your business can’t disappoint clients with delayed delivery. That’s because your customers won’t care if your foreign supplier failed to meet your expectations or the shipping line rolled your consignment at the ocean-freight transshipment region. Customer demand soars during the holiday season. According to an article published in Huffington Post, with the festive season approaching, it’s projected that online sales during November and December touch the $107.4 billion mark.
So, if you are looking for successful and seamless global shipping around the holiday season, here are some tips to help you:
- Be aware of the transit time
When you’re familiar with the transit time of your shipment as well as the route, compute precisely the point until which you can transport your goods. It helps in increasing the possibility that your consignment will reach on time meeting completion schedules.
When it comes to pre-Christmas shipping, it is better to allow a couple of days more for transportation time. That’s because the volume of goods sent and demand both are quite high. There could be congestion at ports increasing the chances of delayed delivery.
It is more applicable when you ship using longer routes requiring your cargo to be on the waterways, especially in October or earlier to assure timely arrival before Christmas. As October is the busiest time for ocean freight and subsequently port overcrowding as well as fewer vessels, you need to stay aware of the transit time.
- Alleviate risks related to rolled cargo
Are you aware of the words rolled cargo? If not, it means your freight drops from the side of the commercial vessel. Such things do occur sometimes. To be more precise, rolled cargo is an industry term associated with freight that fails to make it on a particular ship that was originally meant to transport your goods to an international destination.
You will not like something like this to happen before Christmas when it comes to your shipment. Fret not. You can take some steps to reduce the chances of it occurring. First of all, you need to ensure that the logistics company has many of experience in avoiding rolled cargo incidents and leverages the best-in-class shipping online solution.
You also need to:
- Book your consignment using an easy and direct route.
- Ensure all global shipping paperwork is accurate and in place. Customs interruptions often lead to rolled cargo incidents.
- Don’t ship your goods in 40-foot-high containers as these are rolled when a commercial vessel is overloaded.
- Book your consignment in advance
If you want your Christmas shipment to reach before the festival, book well in advance before the actual shipping date. It implies receiving freight quotes and booking your consignment. If you are opting for ocean freight, book one month in advance so that your cargo is ready and reaches the destination on time.
Conclusion
Keep these tips in mind to help your pre-festive shipment reach on time and your B2B customers are delighted.