When looking to make purchases online, 99% of people, in the U.S., consider fast delivery an important factor. If you don’t have faster delivery options, you could be losing valuable business. The question is, what do people consider as fast delivery?
Below we’ll review what expedited shipping is and if it’s worth the money.
What Is Expedited Shipping?
When you choose expedited shipping, you’re going to get your package faster than normal. It’ll be quicker than if you chose standard shipping. This shipping method is faster as your package won’t be hopping from vehicle to vehicle.
You’ll stay with the same courier service and your package will stay in one vehicle. If it’s a long drive, the package will still stay in the same vehicle, but the driver may change. The speed of your shipping will determine if your package stops for the night at a courier facility.
You may get expedited shipping and not even realize it. For example, the terms express and priority can be considered expedited shipping.
How Fast Is Expedited Shipping?
The amount of time it takes for your shipment to arrive varies from company to company. Expedited shipping can range from same-day to 3-day shipping.
Part of the reason there is variation is based on your location. If you live far away, it’s highly unlikely you’ll be able to get the item on the same day.
Weather can also play a role in slowing down your shipment. Unfortunately, no one can control how the weather operates.
Moreover, if you have a new driver at the wheel it can slow down the shipping time; they won’t know the routes as well. If you choose a company with more experience, you may not need to worry about this.
Expedited vs Standard Shipping
Standard shipping isn’t concrete as different companies have different standards. For many companies standard shipping falls under 2-3 days, but some can go as far as 7 days. Since it’s the company’s slowest form of shipping, it’ll be your cheapest option.
Most companies offer expedited delivery, at a higher cost to you, if you want a faster shipping time. Instead of waiting up to a week, you’ll be able to get your order much faster. Some offer a few different options based on how quickly you need your order.
Standard shipping is likely to have stops along your journey, it won’t be one smooth transition.
On top of that, expedited shipping always offers tracking information. The same can’t be said for standard shipping. You may not know where your package is or when it might arrive.
Always look at what a company’s standard shipping is. This will give you a good idea of how fast their expedited shipping is.
For example, their standard shipping could say it can take up to 5 days for your package to arrive. For expedited shipping, your package would arrive sooner than 5 days.
Expedited vs Express Shipping
Some companies use the word express instead of expedited. This means express shipping is their expedited shipping. Express and expedited are interchangeable in those cases.
In some instances, express and expedited are both listed. In these situations, express will be faster than expedited shipping.
Generally, express will be next-day (aka overnight) or 2-day shipping. In this situation, expedited shipping could still take 1-3 days. Yet, you’re not guaranteed to get your package as quickly.
Expedited vs Next-Day or Two-Day Shipping
Depending on the company, standard shipping could be two days. In this case, expedited shipping could be next-day or same-day shipping.
If you don’t see expedited shipping as an option, it could be classified as next-day or two-day shipping.
Is It Worth the Cost?
If you’re in no rush to get your order, then you don’t need to spend the extra cash on your order. Yet, there are a few reasons you may want to consider using expedited shipping.
The biggest reason is if you’re under a time crunch. This can apply to households and companies. For example, you’re a hospital and you need emergency supplies. Alternately, you’re a manufacturer who’s running low on inventory and needs more quickly.
For the average joe, the time most people need quick deliveries is around the holidays (e.g. Christmas). We all like to think we’ll order our gifts ahead of time, but sometimes you just don’t have the time.
The closer it comes to Christmas, the harder it’s going to be to get your packages on time. This applies even with faster shipping methods. Check your courier’s website to see what their guarantees are.
Couriers will have many more packages to deliver during the holidays. This will slow down when your package will arrive, or when it even gets shipped. Not to mention, any snowstorms that happen can slow things down (depending on where you live).
When using faster shipping methods, your package is of higher priority.
Keep in mind, before your item even ships it needs to be processed. The guaranteed shipping time does not apply to the processing time. The clock starts ticking once they send you the email telling you that your package has shipped.
The closer you are to the holidays, the longer that processing time can take.
What Type of Shipping Do You Need?
This article has given you a brief overview of the world of expedited shipping. You may not need expedited shipping for every order, but it’s great to have the option when you need it. If you need your packages quickly, then expedited shipping is perfect for you.
Reach out to us today if you have any further questions.