3PL for Specialty Goods

Things to Consider When Shipping Specialty Goods

Specialty goods are sensitive items that require exclusive handling. Handling and shipping these goods is no small understanding. There have to be so many considerations, from legal documentation and approvals to finding a reliable carrier and ensuring proper packaging. Even a minor blunder can disrupt the functioning of your supply chain. You can either partner with a professional 3PL for specialty goods or get knowledge of every aspect of your specialty fulfillment process.

Well, it is no secret the former option is easier. Still, if you choose to manage everything yourself, here are some of the factors that you must take care of when shipping specialty goods.

Legal Requirements

Specialty goods are often subjected to strict laws and regulations to prevent their misuse. It goes without saying that the inability to meet these requirements can result in serious charges and shipment confiscation, causing financial loss. Thus, you must acquire all the required documentation that makes you eligible for selling and shipping specialty goods.

Alternatively, you can hire a 3PL specialty goods to simplify the compliance and avoid legal hurdles. A professional third-party logistics provider will help you procure all the required permits, documentation, and regulatory approvals to streamline your shipping operation.

Customs Clearance

Specialty goods are either high-stakes or extremely expensive. Therefore, they are also subjected to heavy customs and duties depending upon the criterion of the country your products are being shipped to. In order to make your shipping process smooth and uninterrupted, you must estimate these charges and clear them at your end. You can include these fees in the total shipping cost so that your customers are not surprised with additional charges at their doorstep, as such situations often cause customer dissatisfaction.

Experienced Shipping Carriers

Specialty goods can require special handling protocols and extra certifications for shipping due to their sensitive nature. Therefore, you must partner with carriers that have experience in specialty items handling and also have the necessary certifications. These are the bare minimum criteria that will make a carrier eligible for handling your shipments. Your selected carrier must also operationally align with other expectations like the safety of consignment, careful handling, and timely deliveries.

Shipping and Packing Costs

Every business, whether B2B or B2C, is ultimately driven by its total cost and revenue. However, businesses often mistake delivering good service for paying through the nose. No doubt that high quality comes at a price, but that doesn’t mean you cannot improve your bottom line while maintaining service standards.

The operation of specialty products transportation is already expensive. Thus, you should cut the costs wherever possible. Negotiating discounted shipping rates with carriers can help lower your overall logistics expenses. Otherwise, you can partner with a 3PL to get access to their carrier network and specialized rates.

Importance of Finding a 3PL for Specialty Goods

Partnering with a third-party logistics company will ease up your business management as they will be managing a whole segment: the supply chain. These logistics services providers do not just handle the operations, but they execute them in the most effective way. Whether you deal in beauty products, natural health products, HAZMAT, or any other specialty goods, you can hand over its logistics to a 3PL. Still, if you are skeptical about partnering with a 3PL for specialty goods, here are some of their benefit;

Inventory Optimization

A well-organized inventory streamlines order fulfillment and facilitates the process to be faster and more efficient. The faster and more accurately your orders are fulfilled, the quicker they reach your customers and ensure higher satisfaction. A 3PL can manage and optimize your inventory more effectively than you can because they have access to advanced technology.

Additionally, their team is highly proficient in handling fulfillment operations. Their software isn’t just for storing inventory data; it also assists with demand forecasting. This foretelling ensures timely replenishment of the inventory to prevent stockouts and keep your sales uninterrupted.

Access to Warehouse Network

With in-house fulfillment, your operations are restricted to a single location. However, partnering with a 3PL gives you access to a network of fulfillment centers where you can distribute inventory strategically across multiple locations. This distribution will help you cover a wider customer base while reducing shipping costs, as orders will be fulfilled from the warehouse closest to the customer.

Additionally, if your 3PL also has a specialty fulfillment center in another country, you can easily expand into international markets without setting up your infrastructure. You only need to send inventory to their warehouse in bulk once. Afterwards, whenever there is a cross-border order, you will not have to go through the hassle of handling customs and duties.

Brand Enhancement

The position of a brand is decided by the value it provides to its customers. This value goes beyond just high-quality and unique products. It is divided on a spectrum from a smooth sales channel experience and a premium unboxing experience to accurate and fast delivery.

When you partner with a quality 3PL for specialty goods like SHIPHYPE, you will not have to worry about most of these things. You just need to tell them what you want, and they will deliver. A skilled third-party logistics partner will work alongside you to enhance your business.

Supply Chain Management

Your supply chain has to move smoothly in order for your business to move seamlessly. If your products are not being hindered at any stage in the supply chain, they will also reach your customers on time. Third-party logistics centers have the right knowledge and systems for handling the specialty goods and their supply chain. They ensure that every link in your supply chain strengthens your business rather than slowing it down.

Choosing SHIPHYPE as Your 3PL for Specialty Goods

Storing, fulfilling, and shipping specialty goods is an intricate process, and SHIPHYPE has mastered the skill of specialty goods fulfillment. We collaborate hand-in-hand with the businesses to understand their needs and curate a customized fulfillment strategy for their business. We follow smart warehousing and fulfillment tactics to place ourselves above the other 3PL providers.

With SHIPHYPE, you will also not have to worry about procuring the necessary documents and complying with the regulations. Our professionals will carry out all the necessary operations on your behalf so that you do not have to hassle.

Industrial Experience

We have worked with a spectrum of businesses dealing in specialty goods and amassed exceptional hands-on experience. Our professionals have handled complex logistics of different specialty goods with flying colors time and time again. With the familiarity of the challenges related to specialty goods fulfillment, SHIPHYPE is better suited for managing your e-commerce logistics. No matter what unexpected challenges come up, we’ll handle them efficiently so that there are no disruptions on your end.

High-quality Storage Facilities

We fully understand that just as specialty goods are unique, the warehouses where they are stored must also meet specialized requirements. Our warehouses are designed to maximize space, allowing every item, big or small, to be stored efficiently without causing congestion. For sensitive and perishable goods, we provide temperature-controlled storage to ensure controlled storage conditions. These optimal conditions ensure that as long as your products are stored at our facilities, they remain well-preserved and secure.

Cost-Effective Solutions

We understand how important it is for businesses to manage their logistical operations within the budget while improving their bottom line. Therefore, we offer cost-effective packages that cover different services in one consolidated price. You can add or remove the services of your choice, and we will customize the pricing accordingly. Moreover, for every order, our fulfillment software selects the shipping carrier with the lowest rate in real time.

Customer Service Protocols

We understand that outsourcing your logistics is a big decision, and you can be as apprehensive about it. You are welcome to ask us all the questions and concerns that you may have. As a 3PL for specialty goods, we are fully prepared to communicate with you and brush off all your doubts.

This communication is not just for the start. We will also assign you a dedicated account representative as your point of contact with us. Our account rep will be connected with you throughout the process and work with you to resolve all the issues.