4 Tips to Lower or Avoid Accessorial Charges

A range of factors determines your total shipping costs. But very few beat the effect of accessorial charges. Accessorial charges are an extra fee that the carrier charges you for the services beyond the regular shipping. Such services include:

• Residential delivery
• Lift gate services
• Fuel surcharges

If you are not careful, accessorial charges can significantly add to your shipping costs. Read on to discover some tips and tricks you can leverage to reduce or eliminate these fees.

Incorporate a Dock Scheduling System

A dock scheduling system is software that allows you to schedule appointments for when your shipment will reach the shipping dock. However, to incorporate the scheduling system, you must confirm with your carrier to determine if they use this service. If they do, you need to create an account and schedule your appointments online.

A dock scheduling helps you eliminate lift gate fees, late fees, and missed appointment fees. Some more ways you can benefit from the software include the following.

Get Real-Time Updates

The software lets you track your shipment in real-time. You will constantly receive updates on the shipment status until it arrives at the dock. You will know the expected arrival time, thus fewer chances of no-shows.

Reduce Lift Gate Fees

If your shipping dock has a lift gate, you can use the information from scheduling software to load and unload your shipments so that you won't pay a lift gate fee.

Reduce Appointment No-Shows Charges

This software allows you to schedule appointments in advance. You will be certain that your shipment will arrive at a specific time. Therefore, you will be there to pick it up on time, and this saves you from missed appointment fees.

Consolidate Shipments

You can consolidate shipments whereby you combine multiple loads at once. This step reduces the number of shipments you need to send, which means you will pay less for the services. In addition, shipment consolidation reduces wear and tear on your products. The reason is that the products won't have to be at different points before they reach the recipient.

Also, consolidation improves shipping time as the step reduces the time your products spend in transit. Again, you must first confirm with your carrier to ensure they offer shipment consolidation services.

Select a Reliable Carrier

You can use a shipping calculator to estimate product transportation costs plus the approximate accessorial charges. To calculate the costs, consider the dimension and weight of your shipment and the shipping destination. This step helps you identify the most cost-effective carrier that will meet your needs and budget. Also, with the cost estimates, you can more easily negotiate the rates with the carriers until you settle on the best.

You don't have to break the bank to ship a product. Leverage the tips above to reduce or eliminate accessorial costs to ensure that you remain within your budget. Contact us at JBS Logistics Inc. for affordable shipping plans to suit your needs. We will also advise you on more tips to surprise extra charges.