Thursday 29 August 2013

Sending goods via sea freight: pros and cons

If you need to send goods abroad, you have no urgent time restrictions and you're looking for a greener and more economical shipping solution, sending goods via sea freight could be the best choice for you. Sea freight is usually cheapest when you are sending a high volume of goods, so it's perfect if you're moving to another country or you're shipping a large amount of stock to be sold overseas. 


Sea Freight Pros and Cons 

The biggest advantage of sending goods via sea is the price: it's often much cheaper than air freight, especially for large volumes. It's also a greener shipping option - opting for sea freight over air freight will significantly reduce your carbon footprint, and, if you're shipping for business reasons, this may be something your customers will appreciate. 

The main disadvantage of sea freight compared to express delivery options such as air freight is, unsurprisingly, the transit time. If you need goods to be delivered urgently, sea freight will not be the shipping option for you: it takes longer and, in most cases, needs more advance planning. If you're shipping goods because you are emigrating, it's usually possible to plan this in advance and, given that when you're sending personal effects there is no commercial need for a speedy delivery, sea freight is a great shipping solution.

Sea freight versus air freight

Typically, air freight services have been used for the shipment of high value goods but the recent slump in the air cargo industry coupled with a relative rise in sea freight volumes shows that, in the current economic climate, many companies are opting to send goods via less expensive sea freight options. If you think sea freight may be for you, you can easily compare both sea and air freight quotations via the Transglobal Express website. 

Friday 16 August 2013

Two pilots die in UPS cargo plane crash in Birmingham, Alabama

A UPS A330 plane crashed early hours of Wednesday morning while approaching Birmingham International Airport in Alabama, USA. The pilot and the co-pilot - the only people on board - were killed in the crash. The plane is thought to have caught fire before the crash-landing in a field near Birmingham Shuttleworth International Airport. William Bell, Mayor of Birmingham reported there had been two to three small explosions on the aircraft that were likely to have been caused by aviation fuel. 

File:UPS Airlines (N288UP) McDonnell Douglas MD-11F climbs just after taking off at Sydney Airport.jpgUPS published a statement yesterday offering condolences to the family of the crew members who have lost their lives: "All of us at UPS extend our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of these two crew members. Our efforts are now primarily focussed on helping their families" said UPS Chairman and CEO Scott Davis. 

Wednesday 14 August 2013

Will surcharges apply to my parcel delivery? | Tips to ensure that the price you see is the price you pay

If you're thinking of booking a courier service to send a parcel within the UK or abroad, the first thing you'll want to do is get a quote for how much it will cost. Once you've found a service and a price you're happy with, you'll want to make sure that the price you see is the price you pay! Follow this quick guide to ensure you can anticipate and - where possible - avoid any surcharges on your parcel delivery.

Why are surcharges applied?

The most common reasons for the application of surcharges are:
  • Parcels that exceed weight or size restrictions, or that the carrier deems to be heavier or larger than originally stated by the shipper
  • Parcels that are insufficiently packaged and therefore entail an additional handling charge. 
  • Parcels with a collection or delivery address deemed to be "remote" by the carrier. 

How can I avoid them?

In order to avoid surcharges you should:
  • Make sure you weigh and measure your parcels as accurately as possible and always after it has been packaged.
  • Check in advance that you are not exceeding any carrier or country specific restrictions with regard to parcel size or weight. Our customer service team will be happy to advise you in this regard.
  • Ensure you package your parcel appropriately by following quality packaging guidelines such as those available on our website. 
Of course, there are some surcharges that cannot be avoided: if your delivery destination is remote, there is nothing you can do to change that! It's a good idea, however, to get a variety of different quotes from different carriers from resellers such as Transglobal Express, since different carriers will have different criteria as to what defines a "remote" location. DHL, for example, do not administer remote area surcharges for any US addresses- that's a potential saving of £16 per shipment! 

For further information on surcharges, please contact our customer services team on 0845 145 1212 Monday-Friday 9:00-5:50pm or visit the surcharges section of our website. 

Monday 12 August 2013

UPS reduces greenhouse gas emissions

UPS published its 2012 Corporate Sustainability report on July 25th, announcing a reduction of total greenhouse gas emissions for the year, in spite of an overall increase in parcel volumes. The company pointed to its investments in alternative fuel vehicles, retooled routes and air fuel savings as reasons for this success. 
Hydraulic Hybrid
UPS Hydraulic Hybrid Vehicle
Highlights from the year included: a 2.1% year-on-year reduction in absolute greenhouse gas emissions from operations and purchased energy, $2.6 million charitable donations and humanitarian relief efforts in 35 countries, and a Global Forestry Initiative which aims to have planted over 1 million trees by the end of the year.

As well as promoting details of UPS' recent performance UPS Chief Operating Officer David Abney reported that the company has also set a new alternative fuel goal: "By 2017, the company will reach one billion miles driven by alternative fuel/ advanced technology vehicles - more than double the previous 400 million goal," he said. 

The in-depth nature of the report is testimony to how corporate social responsibility has taken on a massive significance in recent years. UPS' main competitors, FedEx and DHL, similarly produce reports charting their environmental and social performance, so much so that many commentators assert that social responsibility indicators will  be treated as important as economic performance when assessing a company's viability. 



Sending a parcel to Germany


Germany has the strongest economy in the European Union and has long been the UK’s largest EU export partner country. If you’re planning to send a parcel to Germany for business, you’ll be looking for the best possible rates and a parcel delivery service that you can trust. As well as offering up to 70% savings on delivery services from top couriers such as DHL, UPS and TNT, Transglobal Express has a strong presence in Germany. We established an office in Frankfurt in 2011 and we know the German market well.

Sending documents to Germany

If it's documents rather than a parcel that you need to send to Germany then you could save up to 50% off the parcel rate.Whether it’s a contract, letter or certificate, Transglobal Express offers excellent rates for document delivery to Germany. . If your consignment weighs less than 1kg and will fit into a 335 x 240mm UPS envelope then this service is for you. Get a quick quote for document delivery to Germany through our easy-to-use quote form. Don’t forget to select “documents” as your consignment type!

Transit Times to Germany

Transit times to Germany can vary depending on the courier service you select and the precise destination of you parcel. Since Germany is a member of the European Union, customs clearance is not required of parcels from the UK, making transit times quicker than they would be for a non-EU country. Generally speaking, an express service such as DHL Express Worldwide, UPS Express Saver or TNT Express can offer next day delivery to Germany from the UK; road-based economy services can take a few days longer. If you know your collection and delivery postcode you can calculate the transit time using the tools on our Transit Times page.