E-commerce buzz words - how many do you use?

Atul Bhakta, Managing Director of One World Express, has recently shone a light on the increasing pervasiveness of the language of e-commerce in the international shipping sector.

In an interview with Post & Parcel he come up with a list of current buzz words associated with global e-commerce. How many from the list are you familiar with?


Growth - surely not preserved for the realm of online business, the issue of growth is at the forefront of every business person's mind, but it's certainly true that the growth opportunities within the online channels are particularly compelling. E-commerce is often seen as a way into foreign markets, without the initial outlay cost of setting up a physical office abroad.

Expansion - different to growth in that it implies not only increased sales but a broader consumer base, e-commerce offers more opportunities to expand into international markets than ever before.

Export - clearly, export costs are a vital element of any e-commerce model, and there a variety of options available to businesses and consumers. As a business, should you offer free international delivery, link up with an international delivery partner, or encourage your customers to arrange their own deliveries? And how much advice should you give on customs and related issues? As global markets become increasingly interconnected, such issues are emerging as essential to the future of global business - whoever knew logistics was such a host topic!

Cost effective deliveries - For consumers, it's important that the large potential savings of making purchases online are not counteracted by prohibitive delivery costs. This is why many e-commerce operators team up with discount parcel delivery resellers such as Transglobal Express, securing top-brand deliveries from the likes of UPS, DHL and TNT at a fraction of the price. Many consumers also may opt to arrange deliveries through these agents directly.

Visibility of parcels - A significant challenge currently faced by e-commerce professionals is the development of robust parcel-tracking systems. Customers want to know where their parcel is, and when it will be delivered. Lack of such a facility makes many potential buyers more tentative, so it's important to integrate this into your business model.

Customs Clearance - This is a tricky one as there are so many potential markets with such ever changing import policies. Argentina, for example, recently imposed strict regulations regarding the import of goods bought from foreign e-commerce websites, and Russia has imposed similar restrictions, in such a way as to hinder the likes of Ebay and Amazon's rapid expansion into the huge Russian market. It's important for companies to maintain a working knowledge of the customs restrictions of the country they're sending too and, importantly, to encourage consumers to do the same.

Source: Post & Parcel

Yodel named worst parcel delivery service in Money Saving Expert poll

Yodel was named the worst parcel delivery service for the second year running earlier this month. A poll on the renowned Money Saving Expert website asked for the views of almost 9,000 users and 58%  of those who had had goods delivered by Yodel rated their experience with the company as bad, compared with only 22% stating is was good.

Marin Lewis, founder of the website, commented, "Yet again Yodel has come bottom of the delivery pile. It's not quite as hideous as last year when 71% rated it bad – but it should act as a serious warning to anyone thinking of using it, or a company that uses it."

According to Martin, part of the reason for people's dissatisfaction was the "indirect nature of delivery firms". Yodel delivers for a number of major retailers including Amazon, Tesco Direct and Argos, meaning that many customers have no choice but to use them if they are purchasing from such companies.

"It's time we put pressure on retailers to stop inflicting this type of delivery on us." urged Martin, "any customer who has an abominable delivery service should complain to the retailer and ask them to justify why they use firms with such dire reputations."

Hermes also came out quite badly in the poll, with 30% of customers reporting a bad service from the company. The most highly-rated services were DPD, Collect Plus, Royal Mail and UPS.

Which is the best shipping solution for me? | The evolution of shipping over time

The proliferation of parcel delivery services in the last couple of decades, and, with it, the emergence of parcel delivery resellers such as Transglobal Express, has made express delivery more accessible and more affordable than ever before.

Once upon a time, most people would go to the post office if they wanted to send a parcel internationally and private courier services were much more the preserve of businesses, or those with an urgent personal parcel delivery that could afford to be undeterred by the high prices.

The use of freight services has also developed over time. While it is still the case that air freight and sea freight are mainly used for commercial shipments, an increasing number of shippers send excess baggage by air, or personal effects by sea, if they are relocating to another country, for example.

The democratisation of door-to-door couriers, air freight and sea freight services, and, importantly, the availability of online quoting and booking facilities in the last five years or so, has meant more and more small businesses and private customers have access to a variety of delivery options.

But with so much choice, it's sometimes difficult to determine which is the best service for you. At Transglobal, we are often asked by our customers about the difference between an air freight service and an air-based courier service, for example.

For that reason, we thought it would be helpful to produce a guide to choosing the right delivery service, which you can access by clicking here.

Generally speaking, a door-to-door courier service is an express delivery option that includes collection from your door, delivery to another address of your choice and, where applicable, any necessary assistance with customs clearance. If you're shipping internationally, your goods are likely to be shipped by air for the majority of their journey, but they still differ from air freight services per se.

Air freight services typically run from departure airport to destination airport, not door to door. Most freight forwarders, including Transglobal Express, can arrange to have your goods collected or can advise an appropriate drop off point for your goods other than the airport, but usually the delivery terminates at the destination airport. For experienced shippers or those requiring more control over their delivery, a back to back air freight service enables you to use your own clearance agent, as well as more choice as to when exactly your goods will be shipping. With a door-to-door courier service, by contrast, your parcel enters the network of your chosen carrier and is consigned to them for the duration of the delivery. A parcel on a door-to-door courier service is delivered through a carrier's network, and while most services are fully trackable, there is often very little advance information about the journey your goods will take. Air freight offers increased transparency and will therefore benefit shippers for whom this is important.

Sea freight is similar to air freight in that it typically runs from sea port to sea port, unlike door-to-door services. Sea freight typically costs much less, takes much longer and is most economical for larger volumes of goods. In fact, many freight forwarders request that you are shipping at least 1 cubic metre in order to get a sea freight quote, given that, with lesser volumes, a door-to-door courier services or air freight service is likely to be the more economical choice.

If you need any help choosing a service, please don't hesitate to call our experienced staff on 0845 145 1212

FedEx is the first freight carrier to introduce Electric Vehicles in Latin America

FedEx Express, the express delivery branch of US-based FedEx Corp, has announced plans to add six electrically-powered delivery vehicles to its fleet in Brazil, making it the first freight carrier to introduce electric vehicles in Latin America. The vehicles - which will be delivering on the streets of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro from January 2014 - will be able to cover approximately 75 miles on a single charge.

The electrically-powered FedEx Kangoo Maxi ZE -
to be introduced in Brazil in  January 2014.

The introduction of the electric vehicles (EVs) is intended to contribute to FedEx Express' efforts to reduce its carbon footprint. So far, the company has introduced EVs into urban areas in six other countries: USA, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, China. From 2005-12 the introduction of these vehicles into the FedEx fleet has saved approvimately 528,000 gallons of fuel, and with the introduction of the vehicles in Hong Kong also imminent, FedEx have revised its initial energy efficiency goal from 20 to 30 percent improvement by 2020. 

Regional President of FedEx Express, Latin America commentedL "This is a milestone for the Latin American region, and we are excited to provide this type of vehicle to Brazil as part of our efforts to find cleaner, more efficient transportation solutions. We hope to be a catalyst in motivating other companies in the region to develop sustainability programs, as environmental responsibility is such an important part of doing business."

Source: FedEx

Transit times to Australia | How long will my parcel take to be delivered?

Not many nations are further from the UK than Australia (London is over 10,000 miles from Sidney as the crow flies!) but with a quality door-to-door courier service, your parcel can still reach its Australian destination in record time. The largest global courier companies such as UPS and DHL offer excellent transit times to Australia and with parcel delivery resellers such as Transglobal Express you can ensure you get quality services from big name carriers for a fraction of the price.

Transglobal Express offer a variety of discounted services from leading couriers including UPS, DHL, TNT and FedEx. You can compare the prices of each and pick the best one to suite your timescale and budget.   All major carriers offer Transit Times Calculator tools; if you know your collection and delivery address, you simply enter these into a quick form and you will see how long your parcel will take to be delivered depending on the service you select. With the UPS Expedited service, you can book a delivery to Australia this Friday morning, have it picked up this afternoon and delivered to Australia by Monday! If your parcel is less time-sensitive, there are more economical services you can select. You can compare a variety of services by getting a quote with Transglobal Express today!

Is it that time of year already? | Planning your Christmas deliveries

There are still over 100 days until Christmas (not that we're counting...), but many of us are already starting to plan for the festive period. With shops displaying Christmas decorations earlier than ever, and reports that some supermarket branches already have a Christmas aisle, it's difficult not to notice that the retail sector is commencing its Christmas push.

If you love Christmas, being super-organised, or both, then you'll most likely have already started some Christmas preparation, or at least given it some thought! But what if your Christmas plans involve shipping gifts to family elsewhere in the UK, or even overseas? You want to ensure that your relatives or friends receive their gifts before Christmas day, but preferably not too far in advance! You'll also want to have the peace of mind of knowing that your gifts are received in the exact condition that you sent them, and - if you love tinsel ribbon and bows as much as us - your Christmas wrapping will also be a consideration. Most importantly you'll want to keep the cost of posting your Christmas presents as low as possible, so you can spend less on shipping and more on the present to be shipped! In the hope of helping you address some of these issues, we've put together some ideas to help you plan your Christmas shipping.

When should I post my Christmas parcels?

To be absolutely certain of pre-Christmas delivery, the obvious answer is: the earlier the better! But you also don't want your overseas friends, relatives or customers to receive their gifts too early, so you need to find a happy medium. We'd recommend sending gifts to UK addresses by the 1st December. Unlike the Post Office, door-to-door couriers such as UPS and DHL don't tend to advertise cut-off dates for guaranteed Christmas delivery but since courier services tend to offer much reduced transit times, you should be fine if you stick to these dates. For deliveries further afield, you'd need to allow for more time. Our top tip? Visit our transit times page, enter your collection and delivery postcode into the appropriate transit times calculator and add two weeks to be extra safe!

How can I protect my Christmas gifts in transit?

As ever, careful packaging is the best way to ensure your parcels arrive in pristine condition: make sure you use a sturdy box, and don't over or under fill it; protect your gift by at least 5cm of cushioning all around, and if you have any further queries or if you are packaging an unusual gift and would like some advice, contact our customer services team who will be more than happy to assist you! 

How should I wrap my Christmas parcels? 

Careful packaging means your gifts should be placed within a cardboard box, and this outer packaging should not be covered in Christmas wrapping paper as this could mean your shipping label could be detached from your parcel. The good news is you can still wrap your presents as extravagantly as you like inside the shipping carton, just don't forget: cushioning is key!

How can I save money on Christmas post?

As well as offering shorter transit times and a convenient door-to-door service: shipping your Christmas gifts by courier could also be cheaper, especially for higher weights. Get a quote for Christmas parcel delivery here, or call us on 0845 145 1212.

FedEx receives first Boeing 767 of its new freighter fleet

FedEx Express, the express delivery branch of US-based shipping giant FedEx Corp, received the first aircraft of its modernised freight fleet yesterday.

The Boeing 767-300, which can carry approximately 58 tonnes, is up to 30% more fuel efficient than previous models. As well as improving FedEx's environmental performance, the increased fuel efficiency will save the company 20% in operating costs per unit.

Brad McCulle, vice President of North America Sales at Boeing, commented: "We are excited to see the 767 freighter join the FedEx fleet... With its tremendous efficiency among medium wide-body cargo airplanes, [it] will complement FedEx's fleet and support fast, reliable deliveries to customers around the world."

Royal Mail warns Christmas season could be affected by CWU strike

The UK's Communications Workers Union has announced that it will hold a ballot for a full national postal strike if ongoing talks with the universal postal service are not concluded by the 20th September. The union is currently working to get a better deal than the "below-inflation" Royal Mail pay offer as well as protesting the proposed changes to the employee pension schemes and the effect of privatisation on postal workers' terms&conditions and job security.

If a solution is not reached in time, then 125,000 Royal Mail workers will be eligible to vote in a ballot on industrial action, the result of which should be released around 3rd October. If approved, the Union is required to give at least 7 days notice before going on strike, meaning the earliest possible strike date is around 10th October.

Along with the threat of a national strike, Royal Mail is also contending with multiple localised disputes, most recently in Plymouth. Royal Mail are reported to be "very disappointed" that a timeline has been issued for a national ballot and have warned that the proposed industrial action could threaten operations in the run up to the festive season. A statement issued by the organisation declared: “Any industrial action, or the possibility of disruption, is damaging to our customers, and our business, especially in the run up to our busiest time, Christmas.”

In the meantime, door-to-door couriers are also gearing up to the Christmas period.

Source: Post & Parcel

DHL pilots crowdsourcing app for deliveries in Stockholm

DHL announced yesterday that it is to pilot an innovative crowdsourcing platform for parcel deliveries in Stockholm. While crowdsourcing has been an increasingly popular practice for some time, this is the first example of such an initiative by one of the giants of the express parcel delivery industry, and, if successful,  it could have huge implications for the sector. 

The new platform, named "My Ways",  is enabled by a specially developed mobile app which connects shippers seeking flexible delivery with individuals willing to transport parcels along their daily routes for a small fee. Peter Hesslin, CEO of DHL Freight in Sweden explained: "MyWays is not only a service for those requesting flexible deliveries; it is also a service for those who would consider delivering a package and earning a little extra money. This is what makes the platform so unique. As soon as the package arrives at one of DHL's collection locations, the recipient and the deliverer confirm the fee and delivery details, all within the mobile app."

The app has been developed by DHL's innovation unit Solutions and Innovation, which researches current  and future trends in the industry. The pilot is due to run until the end of the year and DHL are yet to make any announcements relating to potential further roll-out if it proves successful. 

Source: DHL

DPD to offer same day delivery in Germany

Following its recent acquisition of a 20% share in the Munich-based tiramizoo city courier portal, which offers delivery within time frames as little as 90 minutes in 15 German cities, courier company DPD has stated it plans to offer its German customers same day delivery by the end of 2013. 

Chief Operating Officer of DPD GeoPost Boris Winkelmann commented, "by participating in tiramizoo we are taking a leading role among parcel services on a key market of the future. At the moment same-day deliveries are still a niche market, but we regard its growth potential in future years as enormous. Offering delivery on the same day is already highly attractive for service-oriented shippers and consumers, and this is why we aim to make a same-day service available to our customers by the end of this year."

As well as end of year targets, DPD are also planning to offer one hour delivery windows by 2014, which Winkelmann asserts "will set a new benchmark on the German parcels market".

Sending documents? Make sure you get the best door-to-door courier rates!

If you're a small or medium-sized business that has used courier services before, you probably already know that you can make great savings on your shipping by booking your courier through a reseller. You're probably aware how it works - that companies such as Transglobal Express can secure the best rates from major couriers such as DHL, UPS and TNT and that they can pass those rates onto you, at up to 70% less than the standard cost. If you've used us or a similar service before, then you'll know that. But did you know you can send documents at significantly reduced rates too?  The rates for our new UPS envelope service are the best on the market. 

Can you answer "Yes" to the following three questions? 

• Are you sending documents?
• Do they weight less than 1kg?
• Will they fit into a branded 335x240mm UPS envelope?

Then you qualify for our document rates!

You can ship any documents: - certificates, bonds, contracts, passports etc. - to over 200 countries and destinations for about half the price of a parcel of the same weight. What's more, because documents are not subject to customs clearance, you can also benefit from swifter transit times. With UPS Express Saver, you can send documents to the USA for as little as £11.95, to China for £13.95 or to the Netherlands for just £11.75 with transit times of just 24 hours between major European gateway cities and as quick as two days to many business areas of North America. If you need guaranteed morning delivery then you can upgrade to our UPS Express Envelope service for a small fee (just 50p to the USA). 

You'll also have access to all the usual benefits of shipping with Transglobal Express: simple online price comparison, booking and tracking, and easy access to our friendly, helpful and knowledgeable customer care team. 

Check our website to get a quote today, or for for information, contact us on 0845 145 1212 Monday-Friday 9:00-5:30pm

UPS releases results for the second quarter

Express delivery company UPS has released its financial results for the second quarter. Profits fell by almost 3% compared to the second quarter of 2012 while revenue saw a slight 1.2% year-on-year increase. The freight division of the company performed worst, with a 27% plunge in profit. You can read the full story, including detailed results per division, via our website.

DPD Germany builds Social Media presence

In a move to encourage more direct engagement with customers, international courier DPD launched new Facebook and Twitter pages for its German branch earlier this month. As well as using the sites as promotional platforms, DPD will also offer customer services via both sites, and have gathered over 1000 Facebook "likes" and 49 Twitter followers so far.

Boris Winkelmann, COO of DPD GeoPost (Deutschland)  explained,  "As part of our B2C strategy we are increasingly aiming at direct communication with consignees and putting them in charge of the delivery of their parcels. With our presence on Facebook and Twitter we are highlighting our efforts to integrate parcel shipping as simply as possible in the everyday lives of consignees." Frank Rickert, Social Media Coordinator at DPD, added, "As a dialogue instrument Facebook offers tremendous potential, which DPD as a service-oriented company intends to use to the full." 

The rise of e-commerce has meant that commercial shipping to private consignees is of increasing importance  to DPD, a trend which reflects the door-to-door courier sector as a whole. Business-to-consumer (B2C) activity necessitates greater flexibility than the B2B model and social media is one way in which DPD, along with many other courier companies, are responding to this need. 

In May, we pointed out the increasing importance of social media to the major global carriers and this trend is showing no signs of letting up. Would you use Facebook or Twitter to book or track your delivery services?

TNT Express to cut over a quarter of its Italian workforce

TNT Express plans to cut approximately 850 jobs from its workforce in Italy, it was announced this afternoon. The courier company currently has approximately 3000 employees in its Italian Business Unit, and is preparing to reduce this number by over 28%, to around 2150. 

The plans are a response to what TNT has termed the "harsh economic environment" in Italy and are in line with the company's overall strategy - redefined after the failed merger with UPS -  which entails the loss of 4,000 jobs across the company by 2015.

TNT has insisted that this move does not represent any intention to reduce services in Italy but is intended to secure the company's long-term market-leading position in the country. The job losses will affect 20 facilities across Italy, but TNT has stated that service levels across the whole Italian network will be maintained. 

Source: TNT

Royal Mail research reveals massive growth in UK e-commerce

The number of online-only e-retailing business has more than doubled in the past five years from 6,700 in 2008 to 14,400 in 2012, according to a nationwide study commissioned by Royal Mail. While the number of businesses contributing to the British economy fell an annual average of 0.4% for the years covered, the number of companies selling goods online saw a staggering 21.3% average annual growth. 

Speaking of the study, Managing Director of Royal Mail Parcels Nick Landon commented: "Online-only e-retailing has become an increasingly strong area for business start-ups and is making a strong contribution to the overall UK economy. With continued growth in online shopping, we can expect more significant contributions to the UK economy in current years."

Online sales are also way ahead of the retail sector as a whole, according to a recent CEBR study of ONS data: e-retailing grew by almost 50% while the total retail sector saw only 13.6% growth. Given that increased online sales means increased demand for postage and delivery Royal Mail are set to take advantage of this increase as part of their growth strategy. Courier services resellers such as Transglobal Express are are also set to benefit from this increase, given that their highly competitive rates for services such as UPS, DHL Express and TNT can rival Royal Mail in terms of price and service, as well as offering much lower costs than customers would incur by booking directly with the courier. 

Reasons to choose Transglobal Express: #1 Our dedication to customer services

There are many factors involved when choosing a courier service. If you are a small-medium sized business or a non-commercial customer, the chances are it will be much cheaper for you to send your parcels via a reseller such as Transglobal Express than booking directly with the carriers. Our purchasing power enables us to negotiate the best rates with world-renowned carries such as DHL, UPS and TNT , which we then pass on to our customers. But while price is of paramount importance, it isn't everything in business. Our rates are some of the most competitive around, especially for international parcel delivery to the US, Canada, Australia and China, but in addition to this, we recognise the importance of outstanding customer services. 

Members of our customer services team

We believe our customers services are the best in the business: our staff are well-trained, well-motivated and always happy to help.  If you're seeking excellent customer services, here are some reasons why you should choose Transglobal Express:

We're easy to contact

We know how important it is for our customers to get hold of us. Unlike many of our competitors, our telephone number is published on our website and available to you Monday-Friday 9:00-5:30pm. We aim to answer all phone-calls within 3 rings, and, since we have one of the best ratios of customer services staff to customers in the business, we achieve this goal over 90% of the time. You can also email us any time at sales@transglobalexpress.co.uk and contact us during business hours using our on-line chat feature via our website.

We care what you think

We always encourage customer feedback via both our website and third party websites such as TrustPilot. We love to hear good news (who doesn't?!) but we welcome all feedback and always want to know if there is a problem, so that we can solve it! 

We're social

We love hearing from our customers and we reach out to you via social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. You can contact us with enquiries here if you prefer, and we will deal with your enquiries promptly and efficiently. We have promotions, industry news, and parcel delivery tips and tricks on these sites (and puzzles too.. for a bit of fun!)

We're eager to help 

Whichever way you contact us, we endeavour to deal with all enquiries as quickly and thoroughly as possible. We try to make the parcel delivery process simple and seamless by explaining the appropriate documentation to you, by offering lots of help and information via our website and by providing friendly and knowledgeable advice whenever you need it.  

What is Volumetric Weight and how will it affect my shipment?

When sending a parcel via courier, no matter what the destination, you will need to provide a certain amount of minimum information in order to obtain a quote for the service you require. All parcel delivery services require you to enter the destination of your package and the weight (most often in kilograms) and dimensions of your parcel (that is, the length, width and height, most often in centimetres) in order to obtain a quote. For non-seasoned shippers, the dimensions are measured as shown in the image below:

Often, the cost of your shipment will be calculated on the basis of its stated weight, in kilograms. This is called the actual weight. Sometimes, however, if your parcel is particularly large or bulky and contains relatively light items (think: balloons, sponges or even large items made of lightweight plastic) a value derived from the size rather than the weight of your parcel will be used to calculate the shipment cost. This is called the  volumetric weight. 

How is volumetric weight calculated?

Different services have slightly different formulae for calculating volumetric weight, but generally speaking, the figure is determined by multiplying the three dimensions of your parcel together and dividing by  between 4000 and 6000. For example, the premium air service DHL Express Worldwide, which is offered at heavily discounted rates by Transglobal Express, calculates volumetric weight with a denominator of 5000. So, if your parcel dimensions are 40x20x15 centimetres, given that (40x20x15)/5000=2.4, the volumetric weight for your consignment would be 2.4kg

How will it affect the cost of my shipment?

The chargeable weight of your shipment will be either the actual weight or the volumetric weight- whichever is largest. So, in the example above, if your parcel weighed less than 2.4kg, you would still be charged the 2.4kg of volumetric weight. If your parcel weighted more than 2.4kg, you would be charged for actual weight. 

All clear?

Please contact Transglobal Express on 0845 145 1212 if you require any further information, or check our website for service specific details.

Happy Shipping!

A guide to Courier Services: how to weigh and measure your parcel

If you want to send a parcel within the UK or overseas via a courier service, the first thing you will want to do is get a quote. This way, you can easily compare prices and get the best possible deal for the service you require. Several factors determine the cost of sending your parcel. In addition to the destination country of the goods you'd like to send, the weight and dimensions of your parcel will also determine the price, and you will need to supply this information in order to get a quote. 

This seems simple enough, doesn't it? And it is! But there are a few areas where it's possible to slip up, and if you do not quote your parcel's weight and dimensions accurately at the point of obtaining a quote, you risk incurring additional charges from the carrier when they measure it themselves while it is in transit. Of course, no-one wants this to happen, so we've compiled a list of tips to assist you with careful measuring to ensure that the price you see is always the price you pay! 

Always aim for accuracy

If you're unsure of your parcel's exact weight and dimensions, at the point of obtaining your quote, you may be tempted to estimate it rather than giving exact figures. This is not advisable since all carriers weigh and measure the parcels themselves and levy charges if they find inconsistencies. While (gu)estimates may work to give you a rough guide on cost, at the point of booking you really should have weighed your parcel using quality scales and determined the length, height and width as accurately as possible. 

Measure the furthermost point of each dimension

Consider the image below. Which is the correct way to obtain the dimensions for this suitcase? Most first-time shippers (and even some seasoned shippers!) would probably be tempted to measure their shipment in accordance with the image on the left, but the measurements on the right are the correct ones to quote when obtaining a quotation. 

Carriers such as UPS and DHL Express use lasers to measure the parcels transported through their networks and this equipment measures from the furthest most point of each side of the parcel. In this case, including the wheels, the handle and the strap around the suitcase would be necessary in order for your dimensions to agree with those that the main carriers would measure using their specialised equipment. The same goes for cardboard boxes that are bulging at the sides. Aside from an indication of poor packaging, such instances could incur extra fees if they are not measured correctly.

Include your packaging in your quoted weight

It may sound obvious, but the weight of your parcel comprises both the items you wish to send as well as the cushioning to protect them and the shipping carton in which they are sent. Ideally, you should book deliveries only after your parcel is packaged so you can quote the correct weight.

Protect yourself

It's quite rare, but carriers make mistakes too when weighing and measuring your parcels! If you have followed all of the advice above and you are still contacted about a size or weight discrepancy, it's great for you if you have evidence to support your position. Before you send your parcel, why not cover yourself by taking photographs of it on the scales on which you measured it, and against the tape measures that you used to determine the dimensions?

For further information or to get a quote, please visit www.transglobalexpress.co.uk 

FedEx competition indicates increasing importance of social media and sustainability to major carriers

FedEx's launched its "Grow a Greener School Contest" on Pinterest yesterday, highlighting the growing importance of social media as well as sustainability within the industry. The competition aims to give teachers, students and parents the resources to create hands-on sustainability projects at their school. Any school in the United States can enter by submitting an on-line form and attaching a photograph, which FedEx will subsequently post on Pinterest, the photo-sharing social media website. 

Image c/o FedEx

Entries can be submitted until midday (CDT) on May 24th and then a week of public voting for the best projects via "liking" on Pinterest will determine the winners. There are prizes of $3,000, $2,000 or $1,000 prizes for the winning schools' green initiatives.

FedEx's competition comes at a time when both sustainability and social media seem to be high on the agenda for other major carriers including UPS and DHL. UPS have recently announced adjustments to their Boeing 767 aircraft which, as well as cutting fuel costs, will decrease carbon emissions by an estimated 62,000 metric tonnes per annum. DHL  released their 2012 corporate responsibility at the beginning of the month in which sustainability was one of their primary focuses. 

In addition, both carriers have a large and growing presence on social media. DHL have almost 100,000 likes on Facebook while UPS have a still impressive 35,000. TNT Express also has 25,000 likes. FedEx are leading the way, however, with an amazing 650,000! Using social media platforms allows carriers to engage with customers and clients in new and innovative ways and to take advantage of viral marketing opportunities. Carriers regularly post interesting photographs, puzzles or updates on their latest sustainability projects. Often they advertise special offers which are only available on Facebook or other platforms.

Given FedEx's competition, it seems they are keen to build their Pinterest presence next. On this platform too, they are leading the way: they have 1600 likes compared to DHLs 79 and UPS's 51 and, at the time of writing TNT Express are yet to establish a Pinterest account. 

Sending a parcel to Australia

Many UK residents have family in Australia and thanks to new technologies such as Skype, it's easier - and cheaper - than ever for us to keep in touch with them. Still, nothing quite compares to sending parcels to let your loved ones know you care. Have you thought about sending a parcel to Australia but don't know where to start? If you're sending a parcel internationally for the first time, you may need some guidance on how to pick the best courier service for your needs. 

Cost

In spite of the massive distance between the UK and Australia (London to Sydney is over 10,000 miles as the crow flies) sending a parcel down under can be much more economical than you might expect. For international delivery to Australia, our rates are amongst the most competitive around and start from less than £30 per single kg ranging to £3.54 per kg, depending on the weight of the parcel you want to send. Of course, the greater the weight of your individual parcel, the cheaper the price per kilogram. Click here to get a quick quote.

Customs

As with any parcel delivery to a country not within the European Union, when shipping to Australia from the UK, you will need to provide four copies of a customs invoice to your driver when they arrive to collect your parcel. This is a document detailing the contents and value of your consignment which the relevant authorities use to process your parcel and calculate customs costs. Services such as Transglobal Express produce these automatically for you during the booking process and they can be downloaded and printed once your order is complete. If you are sending personal effects, we have Austrialian customs forms available on the documentation section of our website to assist the swift transit of your parcel.

Transit time

Booking parcel delivery with an international courier means your parcel will arrive in Australia in a matter of days rather than weeks. Depending on the service you select, delivery can be as quick as three days, and the majority of parcels are delivered within a week. 

For further information, please call our customer services on 0845 145 1212 (Monday-Friday 9:00- 5:30 pm). Happy shipping!