When you have a short amount of time to deliver freight, you’ll need a service that can beat your deadline. Expedited freight shipping is a service many businesses utilize to overcome this challenge. While it has many benefits, there are notable downsides. Here’s the basics on what you should know.
Key takeaways:
Businesses should understand the ins and outs of expedited freight shipping before they can decide whether it’s worth using.
Expedited shipping is a service that speeds up the delivery of freight. In most cases, expedited freight shipments will arrive at the final destination within 1 to 3 business days.
Depending on the distance a load must travel, other special circumstances, same-day delivery is a possibility. Expedited shipping isn’t the most common solution for transporting freight. Businesses only use it when they have a time-sensitive shipment they need to deliver.
Features of expedited shipping include:
Cargo traveling on an 18-wheeler can’t stop too often once on the road if it wants to meet a deadline. To avoid excessive rest breaks, carriers assign two drivers to transport the load. At certain points during the journey, the truckers will take turns driving the vehicle.
Expedited shipments travel along the most direct routes. This helps to reduce transit times for freight shipments. It should be noted that expedited shipping always comes at a higher cost. Therefore, you should only use it when necessary.
There are a variety of benefits that come with expedited shipping you’ll be able to enjoy.
These include:
Shippers should have a thorough understanding of these benefits to fully appreciate how expedited transportation will help their operations.
As we’ve already covered, expedited shipping will deliver your freight quickly. There are a variety of circumstances where this is useful.
For perishable goods or other items with a limited shelf life, fast transportation ensures products arrive in optimal condition. Expedited freight services can transport your goods to a retailer or grocery store before the expiration date.
Last-minute orders may necessitate the use of this service. When a customer places an order requiring an immediate shipment, expedited transport can meet those tight deadlines.
Fast freight shipping can also help with inventory management. If a business practices Just-In-Time (JIT) product strategies, expedited services can help them maintain low stock levels and reduce storage costs.
Industries that rely on machinery or equipment cannot afford lengthy downtimes. Expedited shipping of replacement parts can prevent prolonged operational disruptions for buyers.
Another benefit about expedited shipping services are the guaranteed delivery windows. Standard transport options offer a more flexible time-frame. With expedited services, shippers can expect their goods to be delivered within 2 or 3 days, or even within a specific hours long window.
Benefits of this perk include:
Knowing exactly when a shipment will arrive aids in planning logistics. This helps customers prepare before cargo arrives to ensure smooth and timely unloading. When using standard transportation methods, shippers can be met with vague timeframes. Expedited shipping services removes this problem by providing the exact day of delivery.
Guaranteed delivery windows result in increased customer satisfaction. Buyers appreciate knowing when to expect their orders, leading to positive reviews and repeat business. Even if an expedited load does arrive late, trucking companies will give shippers a refund.
Rapid deliveries can shorten the amount of time goods reside in a warehouse. This efficiency can translate to substantial savings, especially when storage costs accrue with time.
Expedited services can limit these expenses in the following ways:
When shippers use expedited logistics, goods won’t be kept in a warehouse for very long. Less time in storage translates to fewer expenses tied to utilities, security, and space utilization.
Expedited shipping supports Just-In-Time inventory models, which keep stock levels optimal. This makes storage costs lower for businesses. Expedited freight services also help with frequent and faster shipping. Therefore, goods don’t stay in the warehouse very long before being sent to the next location.
Enhanced cargo safety is another benefit of expedited freight services. Some businesses might worry that fast transport will result in rushed and careless handling of cargo. Fortunately, freight will be handled very safely when a shipper chooses expedited services.
Some ways cargo will be protected include:
Dedicated routes help guarantee safe handling of freight. These paths are often direct and non-stop, which reduces opportunities for cargo mishandling or loss. Reduced touchpoints results in less freight touches. This lowers the chance of freight being damaged while in transit.
Many carriers use safe packaging for freight, regardless of the transport option. Therefore, you can rest easy knowing your freight is well protected.
Related: Blanket Wrap Shipping
Despite the benefits of expedited freight services, there are some downsides you should know about before using it.
These include:
Understanding the downsides will help you decide if expedited freight services will help your operations.
Capacity for expedited freight services is limited compared to other services. This makes scheduling the service very difficult.
Reasons for limited capacity include:
Many shippers throughout the U.S. use expedited delivery. This creates high demand for the service, which can make it difficult for you to book a load. Expedited services often operate with a limited fleet tailored for speed and efficiency, potentially resulting in fewer available slots.
Peak seasons can make it even more difficult for shippers to transport their freight using this method. Many companies use this expedited deliveries during this time of the year to get in last minute orders. Therefore, capacity and availability is even more limited.
Another problem is route restrictions. Not all locations are serviced by expedited routes, leading to limited destinations. Therefore, shippers might not be able to use this transportation method to send freight to customers in hard to reach areas.
Despite the efficiency that comes with expedited shipping, there is much less room for customization and flexibility. This can create concerns for businesses that need to make changes after a load has already been sent.
Expedited services limit flexibility for the following reasons:
Using expedited shipping can create a variety of concerns due to strict timelines. Therefore, businesses won’t have the opportunity to make alterations after the freight has been dispatched. Alterations could also come with additional expenses. Many shippers will shy away from modifying their loads to avoid change fees.
Once cargo is en route, redirecting it to a different address can be difficult or impossible. This is due to how quickly freight will need to be sent to the final destination. Because of this, after freight has been sealed and sent, making alterations to the contents or packaging also becomes unfeasible.
Using expedited shipping services is good for smaller loads, but isn’t the greatest for bulk loads. This transportation method doesn't provide the same amount of benefits to larger loads for a few reasons.
These include:
Even if a carrier offers expedited transport for bulk shipments, businesses may choose not to use the service. Moving large quantities quickly can significantly drive up the price, making it cost-prohibitive for some companies.
Limited space is another problem that makes expedited delivery more difficult for bulk shipments. This type of service uses specific vehicles optimized for speed, which might not accommodate large or bulky items easily.
Finally, loading and unloading bulk shipments is more difficult and time-consuming than smaller volumes of freight. This may prevent carriers from delivering within two to three days if you’re shipping multiple truckloads. Transportation companies may not provide expedited services for bulk shipments of freight for this reason.
Expedited shipping services can be fairly expensive compared to standard transport methods. Moving freight quickly through the supply chain can be difficult for carriers. Therefore, they will charge a higher rate.
Other factors that can raise expedited freight shipping costs include:
Expedited shipments might include surcharges due to fluctuating fuel prices, especially if urgent delivery is required over long distances. Freight that needs special handling can result in additional fees. These expenses can be charged for cargo that’s transported in unique containers or temperature sensitive goods.
Delivery to far away locations will drive up costs. Moving freight within two to three days is much more difficult when the final destination is in a hard-to-reach area. The time of booking has an impact on expedited shipping expenses as well. For example, costs will rise if freight is booked during peak seasons.
As with other transportation options, the cost of expedited freight shipping can vary. Carriers charge differently and the characteristics of the cargo can change the final amount. That said, we’ve provided some data on the average amount shippers can expect to spend when they use this service in an FTL capacity.
These costs represent the average amount, which means shippers should expect to pay more or less depending on their carrier and unique load. It should be noted that expedited shipping costs for LTL is harder to discern. This is largely due to how LTL loads are calculated.
That said, they’re likely to be less expensive than FTL loads. Before you ship, check fuel costs to give yourself a better idea on how much you’re likely to spend.
Related: 10 Ways to Reduce Freight Costs
USA Truckload Shipping is ready to be your provider of expedited freight services. We offer this shipping option to all of our customers that need to move freight quickly. Our network of professionals will be able to transport your cargo to the final destination in a reliable time-frame.
At USA Truckload, we also provide a variety of other services:
If you’re ready to get started with one or more of our services, then fill out your RFP today. You can also call our team at (866) 353-7178 or reach out to us on our contact page if you have more questions or concerns regarding our operations.
R+L Global Logistics
315 NE 14th St., Ocala, FL 34470
