With Christmas fast approaching, you only have a few days left to get your parcels delivered on time for the Big Day.

With tracked services being the most reliable this time of year, Royal Mail and Parcelforce are advising the below as their final dates to get your presents delivered on time.

Tracked 48 Royal Mail - Monday 18th December
Tracked 24 Royal Mail – Wednesday 20th December
Special Guaranteed Delivery – Thursday 21st December

Parcelforce 48 – Wednesday 20th December
Parcelforce 24 – Thursday 21st December

So, get your parcels sent out now to avoid disappointment

Negotiating prices for postage can seem like a minefield. The cost of fuel is still on the high side and the couriers are passing these costs on. We have seen some couriers change their fuel surcharge on a daily basis, meaning it can be really difficult to keep track of what you are paying on top of your base rate per package. On top of this, you have to consider the surcharges for going to remote locations and for driving into congestion zones.
We can take all of this stress away from you. We have fixed rates with all of our main couriers, including Royal Mail, Parcelforce, Fed Ex and Norsk. We also have these rates set out on a easy to read document so that you know exactly what you are paying. With these costs fixed in until the next financial year at the earliest, this is one less thing for you to worry about when considering the costs for your business.

Traditionally Carrier 3PL has been a non barcoded warehouse and although we have seen no problems with this method, we are upgrading all of our software which means now is the perfect time to make the switch to barcoded picking and packing.
A lot of work has gone on in the background ready for this big change, including mapping the entire 40,000sq ft warehouse and creating barcodes for our clients products that have historically never had them.
Barcoding the products and their picking locations takes away the human element in risk factoring. With the handheld scanners now telling us exactly where to pick and how many of each item, it will increase our efficiency as the packer won’t have to make  checks before packing up all of the lovely orders.
The process is very easy (we’ve had plenty of practice now) and we can talk you through what you need to do to make your products barcode ready. Give us a call, or drop us an email to see how we can help you.

At Carrier 3PL we send and receive 100’s of pallets and take great pride in our wrapping skills.  So, to avoid your pallets looking like this delivery, here are our top tips…..

• Use the correct size pallet for your cargo. You want your cargo to fill the length and width of the pallet where possible.
• Always stack your pallet evenly with the heaviest boxes at the bottom – nobody wants a squashed box!
• Is your cargo very fragile? If so, use corner protection to protect against bumps in transit.
• Wrap your cargo to the pallet. Straps work very well for this but aren’t always needed. Ensuring that you have a few layers of pallet wrap around the bottom of your pallet, onto your first layer of boxes minimises movement in transit. You don’t want your cargo slipping off its pallet.
• Keep your pallet wrap tight. Baggy pallet wrap allows for movement and damage.
• Remember the top of your pallet. They will inevitably go outside during the loading and unloading processes, wrap the top of your pallet to stop any rain from getting in. Or use a sheet of plastic on the top to protect against the elements.

Finally, remember to tell your haulier if the pallet is stackable or not. If you have items that would crush, you don’t want another pallet being put on top of yours during transport.

The Carrier Group manages our whole distribution for our online shop.  They are a pleasure to work with and nothing is ever too much trouble.

They always go the extra mile for us and it is great to be working with such an ethical and professional company. 

We have worked with The Carrier Group since our launch in 2018 and we have scaled with them over the years.  They have taken us from no orders to orders coming from multiple high street retailers, from multiple countries and hundreds of orders a month.  We have loved working with the Carrier Group and they feel like an extended part of our business and team.  They are flexible, reliable and most important of all a lovely bunch of people

Carrier 3PL has been the best investment for my small business and I highly recommend their services to other business owners. The team are incredibly supportive and helpful and go above and beyond. Thank you for being on this journey with me and for everything you do

We have been fortunate to be in business with Carrier 3PL for the last seven years. They do a wonderful job of working with us proactively to make sure that all aspects of our work run smoothly. Communication with any and all departments is always prompt and professional. The staff we interact with on a daily basis, from management, to warehouse, to IT, Carrier 3PL provides the service and professionalism necessary to succeed in the current, ever changing business climate. We have peace of mind knowing our stock is under the careful watch of Carrier 3PL

Carrier 3PL are so efficient and we are extremely grateful for their friendly, helpful support. Moving warehouses can be a stressful time, but the team at Carrier 3PL made it seamless - it has honestly been the best decision for our business. We would highly recommend them."

Sending parcels out weighing between 1001g and 2000g? Sending them on a royal mail tracked service is now cheaper than sending them untracked. Save yourself 30p a parcel and have the additional peace of mind that you can trace your package from our door to the customer’s door.

Could you product fit in a smaller box? Getting the width of your parcel down to large letter dimensions could save you up to 50p a parcel on postage. Plus doing your bit for the environment by saving on excess packaging.

Speak to us today to see how we can help you keep those pennies in your pocket!