What Is Shipping Software and How To Choose the Right One for Your Business?

Small and medium companies whose business model depends on shipping a lot of products often run into a practical obstacle when their business starts growing – organizing their order fulfillment needs. One solution is to hire staff dedicated to managing shipments, while another is making use of the technology available, i.e. shipping software.
If you run a business that is facing a similar issue or are anticipating that effective shipping may become an issue, this article is intended for you; in it, we will cover the basics of shipping software, the different shipping services it can streamline, and how to choose the right software for your company from the plethora of options available.
In its most basic form, shipping software is a tool that automates and optimizes segments or the entirety of the shipping and delivery process. Depending on the shipping software you use, it can create and print shipping labels, present the shipping rates major carriers use, let you choose between multiple carriers, etc.
Not every shipping tool performs the same function. Most integrate multiple complementary but separate services. While most shipping software serves the same overall purpose, the specifics differ.
One of the primary uses of shipping software is determining the shipping rates and transit time of the carriers your company hires. Multi-carrier shipping software allows you to compare the offers of multiple carriers seamlessly and choose the shipping service that suits you best.
Another common function of shipping software is streamlining the shipping process by providing some form of automated labeling in accordance with the parameters you set. Additionally, shipping software may allow you to forward the necessary documents to customers automatically and create custom templates.
Shipment tracking software can be considered a subcategory or a specialized type of shipping software. It can be used to track the stage of transit of a package by the shipper and/or the end receiver. Most shipping software allows for some tracking integration.
Not all software compiles reports and analytics. Those that do are a useful tool to track shipping trends, regardless if it refers to frequent customers, price trends over time, transit times, etc. This feature can be a useful tool for creating advanced logistics strategies for companies that do a lot of shipping.
Naturally, the cost of shipping software varies with the version you need and the company you choose. Free shipping software exists but has limited features. Regular software is in the range of $30 per month, while more advanced software is in general $50 – 70 per month. The most advanced versions with the largest numbers of features usually go for $200+ per month.
When you are choosing shipping software to be used by your business, you should first weigh the price and the functions it can perform. Once again, not all software has the same features and can perform the same functions. Asides from that, here are three more characteristics of shipping software to consider:
Some shipping software is made for advanced users, while some are targeted at people with no experience and are designed to be more intuitive. When choosing your software, consider the staff that will be the primary users, will they need special training, can you implement it on a company-wide basis if needed, etc.
More than likely, as your business grows and shipment needs increase, you will need more from your shipping software, however, those features may not be a part of the software you use. Yet, if your software allows for third-party integration, this issue is easily solvable. Additionally, you may want to integrate your software with your carriers’ to streamline the process.
Even though it may seem counterintuitive in the digital age, not all software is mobile-friendly. Consider whether you will need to use the software from your phone and consequently whether it is designed to be mobile responsive (or whether a new version will add this feature).
If you are looking to partner with a logistics company to take care of all of your shipping needs, contact Unival Logistics. We provide end-to-end shipping solutions, a shipping API that can be integrated with your website or enterprise system, and full-value insurance for both domestic and international shipments.
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.105 per ton-mile. Reducing truck transport and opting for the optimal rail transload facility can help increase expense savings through rail.</p> <h2>Rail Freight and Intermodal Strategy</h2> <p>Intermodal is the use of two or more freight transporting modes. When combining rail and road, trains are utilized for the long-haul chunk of the transport. Trucks are used to ship loads from the origin to the terminal and then from the terminal to the recipient, known as drayage.</p> <p><strong>Using rail freight as part of an intermodal strategy has many benefits</strong>, which you can discover below.</p> <h2>Rail Freight Is Eco-Friendly</h2> <p>Given the current state of our environment, caring for it is imperative. From an ecological point of view, rail freight is a great transport alternative compared to air, sea, and road freight. <strong>The biggest advantage of rail freight is the reduction of CO2 emissions</strong>. Compared to other transport modes, rail freight leaves the smallest carbon footprint.</p> <p>For example, air freight consumes 138 tons of CO2, and the combination of air and sea consumes approximately 76 tons of CO2. However, rail freight consumes only 5 tons of CO2 over the same distance. That’s why, now more than ever, rail freight deserves more attention.</p> <h2>Rail Transportation Is Safe and Efficient</h2> <p>Railway safety has notably improved over the past couple of decades. Now, <strong>rail transportation is one of the safest shipping options</strong>. With steady investments in railway infrastructure, routings, tracks, terminals, and border crossing stations, there’s a significant enhancement in the performance of rail freight.</p> <p>Moreover, GPS tracking in trains prevents theft and losses, protecting the goods in transit. Since carriers can locate their customers’ shipments and follow up on milestones, they can deliver information on container position and detect if something unexpected happens during the transportation.</p> <h2>Rail Freight Is Fast and Reliable</h2> <p><strong>Rail freight is a fast and reliable shipping mode</strong> with shorter lead times when compared to sea freight. Although not always possible, there are many situations when rail freight is a more optimal choice than other transport modes.</p> <p>For instance, one of the biggest challenges for companies with production in China is the long lead times to northern Europe when shipping by sea. Sea shipping from China to that part of Europe typically takes around seven weeks.</p> <p>With rail freight, the shipping times can be cut in half, significantly reducing the lead time. Shorter lead times can make it easier to predict business operations and costs, positively impacting capital binding.</p> <p>In addition, rail freight transport is a <strong>punctual mode of transport</strong>. Compared to sea and road freight which can be subjected to bad weather and congestion, not much can hinder the rail path, reducing the risk of unexpected delays.</p> <h2>Are There any Drawbacks of Rail Transportation?</h2> <p>Intermodal containers experience a lot of movement during transit that can damage their contents. There’s a risk of a denied claim if cargo isn't appropriately blocked and braced by rail standards.</p> <h2>Rail Freight Shipping Can Be Your Optimal Choice</h2> <p>Rail shipping has many benefits and very few drawbacks. Apart from being extremely reliable, rail freight is also cost-effective. On top of that, it leaves the smallest carbon footprint compared to other shipping modes.</p> <p>With rising challenges in sustaining our environment, it’s vital to do everything we can to reduce CO2 emissions and reduce the impact of global warming. For those reasons, using rail freight as a part of intermodal strategy can be an optimal choice for many companies that wish to see improvement in our environment.</p> <p><a href="https://unival-logistics.com/">Unival Logistics</a> provides end-to-end logistic solutions and we always choose optimal routes, so that your packages arrive on time and cause the least amount of pollution. You can also take out <a href="https://unival-logistics.com/package-insurance">full-value insurance for high-value goods</a>, track your packages in real-time, and integrate your business with Unival’s API.</p> <p>If you need a logistics partner that combines traditionally effective methods of transport with modern solutions, contact Unival Logistics.</p> <script type="application/ld+json"> { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BlogPosting", "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://unival-logistics.com/rail-freight" }, "headline": "What You Need to Know About Rail Freight", "description": "Rail freight is reliable, fast, and green and can be an excellent choice for various businesses. 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