Five Holiday Shipping Tips to Help You Save on Freight

The holiday season can be hectic for businesses of any size, especially for small businesses trying to keep their freight on track. But with the right seasonal shipping strategies, you can reduce stress, save money, and deliver on-time for your customers. Freightquote has your back with these five tips to streamline your holiday shipping and keep costs in check.

1. Start planning early for holiday shipping

When it comes to planning for holiday shipping, the earlier you get started, the better. Avoid the holiday rush by preparing shipments ahead of time. With ample time to prepare, you can use sales data from previous years to forecast peak demand and plan your seasonal shipping accordingly. The sooner you start the process, the better you can manage inventory and avoid costly expedited shipments at the last minute.

2. Prevent inventory shortages

Maintaining consistent stock levels on in-demand products is critical during the holiday season. The main culprits behind stock shortages are typically poor inventory planning or a surprise jump in demand. If you're not careful, these potential shortages can hurt your bottom line and your relationship with loyal customers. Staying on top of inventory, especially during busy times like the holidays, can help you avoid hassle and keep things running smoothly.

Check in with your vendors

With buyers starting to make more and more purchases early for the holiday season, it’s a good idea to make sure you have the supplies and materials you’ll need from your vendors ahead of time to meet your holiday delivery deadlines.

Prepare for holiday delivery delays due to weather

Severe weather can have a big impact on your holiday shipping. Planning out as far as possible will provide a buffer for potential weather delays. Your supply chain is only as strong as its weakest link, so making sure that products can make it those last few miles is critical. Keep docks and parking lots clear and clean to help decrease the possibility of delivery delays.

Allow additional time for shipping ‘extras’

Freight accessorial services are defined as anything that falls outside of dock-to-dock transportation. Common examples of these include liftgates, delivering to residential locations, and inside pickup/delivery. If your shipment includes any freight accessorial services that could impact handling speed, make sure account for that time when planning for holiday shipping.

Double check the hours of your shipment’s delivery location

Business hours can change with little warning this time of year, potentially impacting your holiday delivery. It’s important to make sure the location will be open on the day of your shipment’s scheduled delivery. Unexpected delays and additional fees may arise if your shipment shows up when the delivery location is closed.

3. Know your shipping basics

Whether you’re relatively new to booking freight or you’re already a shipping pro, brushing up on the basics before the busy holiday season can help your seasonal shipping go more smoothly. Here are a few extra tips to avoid common holiday shipping mistakes:

Guaranteed shipping does not mean guaranteed delivery

Guaranteed shipping with a carrier ensures your order will be shipped within the time specified—but there’s an important distinction here that can be confusing. The guaranteed timeframe does not begin until a shipment is picked up.

What does this mean? Let’s say you planned for a shipment to be picked up on Monday with a guaranteed two-day delivery on Wednesday. If a snowstorm prevents the pickup on Monday and the pickup is on Tuesday instead, your delivery will arrive on Thursday, still meeting the guaranteed two-day delivery time. Keep these details in mind when using guaranteed services for your holiday delivery.

LTL shipping is not the same as small parcel shipping

While less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments and parcels can easily be determined by size (parcel shipments are smaller), the process for shipping them is different. This is because LTL shipments are often secured by pallets and are large enough to be placed in a space that protects them from damage. Small parcel and LTL carriers have different additional charges to consider, so keep these considerations in mind when planning for holiday shipping.

4. Work with a freight expert

Freightquote^® by C.H. Robinson is your one-stop shop for fast and reliable holiday shipping solutions during this busy season. Use our online quoting tool to compare the best pricing from preferred carriers and services to cover all your shipping needs. And if you have questions, our customer support team is here to help you every step of the way.

Compare holiday shipping quotes

Freightquote makes it easy to compare shipping rates from multiple, vetted carriers in real time. This ensures you’re getting the best possible quote for your shipments. With various options, you can choose the most cost-effective seasonal shipping solution that meets your delivery needs, helping you save money on every shipment.

Automate your holiday shipping process

Automation ensures your operations run smoothly, even during the holiday rush. Freightquote’s shipping software automates booking, tracking, and managing shipments, saving you time and reducing errors . We make shipping quick and seamless with features like freight class calculation, downloadable pallet labels, and bills of lading (BOL) provided after booking. Potential errors that could cause costly delays are minimized with no hassle. It’s a holiday shipping no-brainer!

Shipping to an Amazon warehouse?

Freightquote makes it seamless to ship to Amazon warehouses with qualified LTL carriers. Check out our step-by-step guide to ensure your Amazon FBA shipments arrive on time.

5. Get rewards

Make every shipment count! Our loyalty program, Freightquote Rewards, allows frequent shippers to earn exclusive savings and perks, reducing your overall shipping costs. The more you ship, the more you save—which is perfect for managing expenses during peak seasons. It’s free to join, so sign up today to start saving.