If you were to put yourself in the shoes of a consumer instead of a business owner, would you rather have expedited shipping or have to wait for standard shipping durations of days to possibly even weeks?
If we had to guess, we’d assume that your answer would be the former, and you’d be amongst the majority!
These days, the expectations surrounding shipping service varieties ultimately come down to one universal sentiment – the faster, the better.
In fact, according to statistical data regarding global consumer insights, 41% of consumers are willing to pay a fee for same-day delivery.
Additionally, 24% claimed they would pay more to receive their packages within a one-to-two-hour window of their choosing.
In this way, it’s a common desire in this modern era for customers to want their shipments to reach them as soon as possible.
From a revenue-generating standpoint, it’s within the best interest of business owners to literally cash in on expedited shipping services to help facilitate supply chains and bolster customer satisfaction.
This article will delve into what expedited shipping is, how fast ‘expedited’ really means, the costs surrounding its implementation, and why you should utilize it for your business.
What is Expedited Shipping?
According to data from Deloitte, a multinational professional services network, 77% of consumers cite convenience and free shipping as their top reasons to shop via eCommerce websites.
Of this population, more than 60% also declared that time-saving benefits and home delivery were key indicators in their purchase-making decisions.
If anything can be concluded from these stats, it’s that one of the best ways to promote customer acquisition and retention is to ensure deliveries are completed fast. Thus, the most viable solutions for your customers is to start implementing expedited shipping options.
Essentially, expedited shipping describes the process of giving a particular shipment priority over others, meaning that it will be delivered faster.
Put another way, in the context of shipping service providers, expedited shipping means express or faster than normal delivery services.
That said, there is more than one variation of expedited shipping services.
Depending on the narrowness of the specific delivery window, expedited shipping could mean same-day delivery, next-day delivery, or express delivery. The last of which typically encompasses a duration of one to three days.
Usually, expedited shipping requires businesses and couriers to utilize a wide scope of resources to ensure that packages reach their desired destination in as little time as possible.
For example, some courier businesses may send out trucks with two drivers so that they’re able to switch off to promote proper safety protocols while also ensuring the shipment itself keeps moving with the fewest number of necessary stops.
How Fast is ‘Expedited’ Shipping?
As we touched on before, there is no one clear answer when answering this question. Ultimately, it most often comes down to the specific company policy of a given courier company and how long your delivery would take should you send it through a standard shipping service.
For example, according to the UPS website, if standard shipping for a particular designated route is upwards of five days, expedited shipping may “reduce time in transit to less than 48 hours.”
Differentially, according to the Canada Post website, it depends on the particular distance a package has to travel. In this sense, local deliveries have a “projected arrival date” of 1 business day, regional deliveries are up to 3 business days, and national shipments up to 7 business days.
Of course, domestic deliveries will be shorter. At the same time, logic would suggest that expedited shipping for more extensive distances would take longer, such as international shipments, with durations determined again by the individual carrier.
That said, for most domestic carriers, the average range when defining the ‘expedited’ portion of expedited shipping is roughly 2-3 business days.
How Much Does Expedited Shipping Cost?
It goes without saying that the more urgent the delivery and the shorter the window, the more likely it is to cost more, especially compared to standard shipping rates. However, as we mentioned before, customers are typically willing to pay a bit extra to have their shipping expedited.
Like most other pricing structures, the fees themselves will vary from business to business and carrier to carrier. Other factors, such as the expenses surrounding dunnage and the particular weight, dimensions and the exact distance a particular shipment needs to travel, are also essential factors to consider.
Below, we’ll outline the current going rates amongst various popular carriers for a package with the dimensions: 50 cm length, 50 cm width, 50 cm height and 10 kg weight.
| Courier Service | Price |
| FedEx First Overnight | $151.21 |
| FedEx 2Day | $62.11 |
| FedEx Priority Overnight | $68.80 |
| Canada Post Xpresspost (2 business days) | $40.54 |
| Canada Post Priority (2 business days) | $56.87 |
| UPS Express | $32.08 |
| UPS Express Saver | $22.41 |
| UPS Expedited | $21.83 |
One of the many beauties of working with Cantec Couriers is that we allow you to scale your business, expedite your deliveries and maintain high customer satisfaction levels.
Regardless of if your expedited shipping cargo contains one or 1,000 packages, we offer the fastest delivery times at the most affordable prices.
Cantec Couriers works with your specific business and caters to it by creating and facilitating a creative advantage through offers such as same-day delivery to reach more customers and unlock new opportunities for revenue generation.
For as little as $10 a delivery, you can offer your customers the convenience of same-day delivery.
Our transparent pricing structure offers itemized billing, so you know exactly how much you owe, and you can pay on the go. We don’t believe in hidden service fees or delivery charges, just straightforward, easy-to-understand, and efficient payments!
Why You Should Utilize Expedited Shipping Service
Of course, the primary objective behind all express shipping and expedited shipping services is to ensure that packages are delivered to customers as quickly and efficiently as possible.
However, there are plenty of other benefits from a business-owner standpoint well-worth mentioning, including:
To Save Time
One of the most straightforward advantages of utilizing expedited shipping is that it saves on transit time. In most instances, customers are willing to pay the extra cost. When money isn’t as much of a concern compared to speedier delivery times, then expedited shipping is an ideal service to use.
To Save on Storage
Logically, the faster your shipping services, the less time these shipments and the various items that comprise them take up space in your inventory and warehouse, saving you money on the cost of overall inventory storage.
To Ship Perishables
Perishable items, like food, run the risk of going bad or spoiling. As such, they require expedited shipping to reach their desired destination to remain fresh and intact.
If your business produces these items, such as baking or frozen food, then express shipping is the best way to go to ensure your products reach your customers in the freshest state possible.
To Acquire & Retain Customers
These days, customers expect faster delivery times. So, suppose your business wants to remain competitive and stand out from similar companies. In that case, it’s within its best interest to offer flexible eCommerce shipping options at the point of checkout.
If you choose not to, you may potentially lose customers who place significant emphasis on the importance of express delivery.
To Drive Profits
At the end of the day, business is business, and money is the name of the game! Ideally, you want to do everything within your power to drive your bottom line and generate the most profits as you can.
With this in mind, offering expedited shipping to customers may help entice customers to make purchases with your business since they know that they will receive their orders promptly.
Executing Expedited Shipping with Cantec Couriers
Following through on expedited shipping offers shouldn’t be overwhelming or stressful!
With Cantec Couriers, executing last-mile delivery is easier now than ever before. We’ll work diligently with you to ensure that your packages are safely, securely, and efficiently delivered on time.
We understand that the expectations of the average eCommerce customer base are high.
We’re here to help you meet this market demand by harnessing our easy-to-use technology, reliable response times, and transparent payment structure to help your business not only succeed but thrive!
Cantec Couriers is passionate about helping your business grow and working and collaborating alongside you to ensure that you are set up for the highest possible level of greatness.
If you’re interested in learning more, sign up with Cantec Couriers today!
