Courier recommendations/pricing for single parcels?

[BusterBloodvessel]

Hi all, we’re looking at a new opportunity with work however we would need to dispatch single parcels to one address by overnight courier. We could be looking at potentially 200-250 parcels per day.

We are not geared up for this kind of delivery (we ship full pallets/full trucks) so are looking at partnering with one of our distributors to do this. The problem is their existing parcel rates seem to be coming in with the likes of TNT at quite reasonable but only with multiple parcels - the first/single parcel rate is £7-£8 and only subsequent parcels drop to perhaps half that. But as it stands ours would all be at the first rate of £7-£8 which doesn’t work in the model we’re trying to set up.

Does anyone have any experience with single parcel deliveries, is getting a sub £5 rate for each parcel achievable? Any recommendations or experience?

It’s a proposal we’re trying to put together for a customer at the moment but this could be the sticking point. We’ve got some of our potential partners putting feelers out but the first response from a couple has been “we can’t support that”.

Any thoughts welcome!

 

[MBE2017]

Can you clarify, is this 250 parcels to separate addresses (my assumption)or all going to the same single address? If separate addresses, are they commercial clients or private home addresses?

Your main price constraint will be quality of service and reliability, a quality overnight carrier is unlikely to offer the rates you desire, it is just uneconomic. £7-8 sounds in the right ball park, UPS, FEDEX, DHL are the most likely candidates, but each changes it requirements in how much they want, prices etc depending on how they are doing. some will refuse shipping to private addresses at times.

 

[BusterBloodvessel]

Hi MBE, sorry I should have clarified these are all to commercial addresses. And yes it’s individual parcels to individual addresses.

We could potentially push it to 48hr delivery (at least in some cases) but I’m honestly not sure how much of a difference this might make?

 

[MBE2017]

Hi MBE, sorry I should have clarified these are all to commercial addresses. And yes it’s individual parcels to individual addresses.

We could potentially push it to 48hr delivery (at least in some cases) but I’m honestly not sure how much of a difference this might make?

Probably not enough to worry about.

I would recommend talking to a few companies, such as DHL UK to get a rate, a lot will depend on the weight, sub 5kgs will cost a lot less than 25kgs.

Depending on your location, you could save a lot on the cost by dropping the parcels off at the carriers depot.

 

[BusterBloodvessel]

Cheers for reply, that could be an option. Each parcel will be less than 1kg, it’s a small box with 1 item in it in a slim box that’s designed to go through a letterbox (not that that matters I guess if going to a business address and needs signing for anyway).

 

[MBE2017]

For those sizes I would contact Fedex or Evri. FedEx would be £3.50-4.00 if you dropped them at their depot, Evri sub £3 if you drop to one of their locations. With the quantities you mention you should manage to get a small discount.

 

[hikiwari]

@BusterBloodvessel Don't forget you're probably going to get a 15% fuel surcharge added to your monthly invoice.

And you haven't said where you are in the country.

 

[Marantzdigital]

What are your approx measurements for these parcels ? And you say around 1KG?

I am looking for a business account for myself for larger boxes

I ordered some 1l car oil recently and it came in a DHL mailing bag, I think that is a scheme they have as when I spoke to DPD they also said the had that service.

The 7 to 8 pound figure you are being given doesn't sound great ? A quick check on parcel2go shows FedEx service for less than that (drop off).

I guess you'll have to factor in time and fuel etc for the drop off services

250 parcels per day wow I wish I can get to those numbers.

I think even yodel do that mail bag service

Have a chat with DPD I found the direct number gets picked up and helpful too

 

[DontAsk]

For those sizes I would contact ... Evri.

Hahahahahahahahaha........

 

[thetiger2015]

200 to 250 parcels per day, to multiple UK addresses, small under 1kg boxes, delivered next working day?

DPD have the best tracking but can be expensive for smaller parcels.
Royal Mail with RM24 or RM48 optional tracking which can put the cost per item up a bit but 200 odd parcels a day gives you room to negotiate.
Evri for cheapest courier style delivery - for 200 parcels a day, talk to them. They'll build you a quote across the average weekly or monthly parcels you ship.

You'd have to make sure all parcels are packed and ready by a set time, maybe 1pm each day for collection.

 

[Marantzdigital]

I have no experience with my herpes / evri apart from deliveries at home. Some good some really bad eg leaving things on the door step or in plain view. Makes me angry.

But I think for a business premesis deliveries they may be on better behaviour and maybe they won't be so bad?

The big chains use them, surely there is something the company can offer.

But personally I'm not sure I would want to trail that unless there was sufficient insurance as dealing with 10 unhappy customers out of the 200 probably isn't worth it.

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

Evri are the cheapest along with Yodel performance is hit and miss but if you want reliability I would talk to APC at the moment

 

[LPB 123]

I have no experience with my herpes / evri apart from deliveries at home. Some good some really bad eg leaving things on the door step or in plain view. Makes me angry.

But I think for a business premesis deliveries they may be on better behaviour and maybe they won't be so bad?

The big chains use them, surely there is something the company can offer.

But personally I'm not sure I would want to trail that unless there was sufficient insurance as dealing with 10 unhappy customers out of the 200 probably isn't worth it.

ParcelForce and DPD are the best for service in my opinion. 1 hour timeslot and follow the driver. We have used PF for a good few years now and rarely have an issue with delivery. Also flat price up to 30kg.

A DX rep came around recently and quoted £4, flat price up to 25kg.

 

[DoolallyTap]

Evri, are probably the best option and will collect from you with these quantities.

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

Evri, are probably the best option and will collect from you with these quantities.

I think you are right and I think that people expect too much for such a small amount of money

 

[japancool]

I pay less than £5 for parcels via Tracked 24 with RM. Normally reliable, but there are occasional delays (and it was awful over Black Friday/run up to Christmas).

 

[BusterBloodvessel]

Thanks guys for the replies, it seems at least what we are looking for is achievable. Will report back if/when we get anywhere just for peoples reference!

 

[DontAsk]

I think you are right and I think that people expect too much for such a small amount of money

I expect a proper service, whatever I pay.

Evri clearly cannot provide that (not round here anyway) and need to charge more to up their game.

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

I expect a proper service, whatever I pay.

Evri clearly cannot provide that (not round here anyway) and need to charge more to up their game.

Pay a fivers worth you get a fivers worth
Lada UK customer care used to get people saying that they expected this and that no matter what they paid ??

 

[Elliott Coleman]

Royal Mail Tracked 48 or Tracked 24 on account at those volumes you should be able to ship anything up to 20Kg for less than a fiver.

 

[DoolallyTap]

Whichever parcel service you use, they all have poor reviews. Personally I have found Evri to be good.