Why you Should Move to a Regional Delivery Network

If 2020 proved anything, it’s that the time of a single-carrier delivery network, built to rely on large national carriers, is no longer going to serve your business. Capacity caps and delivery surcharges brought on by these large national carriers can bring down entire supply chains, especially during peak season.

Why should your company diversify your delivery network with regional and local carriers before 2021’s peak season?

Regional carriers can ensure capacity

More expendable cash and higher-than-ever order volumes have continued through 2021, and peak season will not slow that down.

Moving from a national carrier to a network of regional and local carriers can add flexible capacity to fulfill seasonal needs or take over deliveries as a whole. With thousands of carrier companies nationwide, you can select which markets you need to fill capacity gaps in. Regional carriers are uniquely positioned to be flexible and adapt with your business to get you through the holiday season.

Don’t wait -- now is the time to be locating and onboarding regional carriers for your network so they’re ready to deliver this fall.

Lower your costs

Surcharges are no longer just for peak season, national carriers have made these a year round affair. What started as a record breaking, isolated occurrence has become a regular part of their business model.

Moving to regional and local carriers can help keep your costs predictable, especially during peak season. Negotiating with regional carriers is simpler. Many times they can meet or beat the large national carrier rates, especially in markets where you can drive volume or are delivering big and bulky items.

Regional and local carriers are uniquely equipped to handle your big and bulky or white glove deliveries. They can provide consistent service to your customers, even during a pandemic. To learn more about these carriers and their abilities, read this article.

Improve customer experience

So much of the customer experience with your company hinges on the delivery process. How readily available was tracking? Was their order delivered on time? Was it delivered to the right place? Were all the steps completed correctly?

With their satisfaction hinging on their delivery experience, customers should be the main reason you move to a regional or local carrier.

Peak season 2020 left millions of orders delivered late, increasing returns and costing repeat business. 69% of customers will think twice about ordering from a business again if they don’t deliver on time. Can you afford another peak season where you don’t deliver?

Regional and local carriers not only provide the capacity to ensure delivery by Christmas, they offer great customer service to ensure a great experience this holiday season.

It’s not too late

Accessing an existing network of regional and local last mile carriers, like the eTrac network (link), can take a matter of days to onboard and get rolling.

Access this vast network through your current TMS with a single integration to eTrac. Once connected, eTrac’s vast network is ready to deliver for you. Maintain complete visibility by connecting to each carrier's current operational system -- no more forced apps or secondary systems. Enforce carrier compliance and improve service with reporting and analysis dashboards.

Watch this video to learn more: