How To Set Up Successful Parcel Pickups From Day One

After you have started a partnership with a new carrier for your parcel shipping — whether you leverage a third-party logistics (3PL) provider or work on your own with the carrier — you want to make sure you start on the right footing.

One of the most effective ways to establish a successful carrier relationship is to know what to expect regarding parcel pickups. This will help you create a seamless, hassle-free process that makes life easier for you and your carrier.

Find the Parcel Pickup Option That Works for You

First, you'll need to establish a parcel pickup schedule with your new parcel carrier. Below we outline the wide range of flexible options that UPS^® offers so you can tailor pickups to your business needs:

• UPS Smart Pickup^® will automatically notify UPS to make a pickup when you create a shipping label.
• UPS Day-Specific Pickup lets your driver know the days of the week you want parcel pickups to happen regularly. You can select the best days for your SMB's shipping schedule.
• Daily pickups: There are two options here — the more economical unscheduled UPS Daily On-Route Pickup^® service, or UPS Daily Pickup, which occurs at a predetermined time each business day.
• UPS On-Call Pickup^® is available for one-off pickups if you only ship occasionally.
• UPS Saturday Pickup is a great option for businesses that operate on weekends.

Each UPS pickup type incurs a different fee, so choose carefully based on your business needs. Learn about each UPS pickup option in more detail to determine which is right for you.

How To Prepare for Successful Parcel Pickups

Once you've chosen your preferred pickup option, you can help with a smooth experience by being properly prepared for it.

Make sure your shipments are packaged and labeled correctly. Packages that are missing a label or are clearly packed improperly may cause the driver not to accept the pickup for fear of a lost or damaged shipment. Our guide will help you become a pro at parcel packaging.

Know your pickup window and have your parcels ready in plenty of time. Due to tight schedules and commitments to their on-time performance, drivers may not be able to wait if you're not finished preparing your package when they arrive.

Have a plan B if a pickup is missed. If your driver attempts to pick up the package and it's not in the expected place, they'll leave a delivery notice letting you know their pickup attempt was unsuccessful. If this happens, you can bring your packages to a nearby retail drop-off location, call your carrier directly to schedule an on-demand UPS pickup request, or ensure your package is in the designated area for the next regular scheduled pickup.

Want to be a great partner to your carrier's driver? Learn more about establishing a strong relationship with your parcel carrier.

Be Prepared for Growing Pains

On the first day or two after setting up your parcel pickup, it's possible that your driver may not show up. It shouldn't be cause for concern since there's sometimes a small delay in the new pickup being added to their daily route. If this happens, it won't take more than a day or two before the regular pickup is in place.

If that is the case, you can be prepared so you don't experience any interruptions in your small package shipping. If your first expected pickup didn't happen and your shipments are urgent, contact the carrier directly to arrange for another pickup or find nearby drop-off points.

In the unlikely event you continue to have issues with late or missed parcel pickups, talk to your driver or work with the carrier directly to develop a solution together. You can also raise concerns during your next check-in with your shipping advisor, and they'll help you secure a satisfactory outcome.

Put Our Parcel Shipping Technology To Work for You

When it comes to managing parcel pickups and keeping records, it's crucial to have technology that gives you control of your shipping. If you work with a 3PL, they'll often have their own tools that let you manage all your shipments, from small package shipping to freight, in one place.

For example, at Unishippers, our proprietary myUnishippers™ transportation management system (TMS) makes it easy to stay on top of all aspects of the parcel shipping process. For instance, when it comes to pickups:

• You can track your parcel pickups even when you're not around and monitor their status to find out whether your pickup has occurred.
• If you don't have a package on your scheduled pickup day you can use myUnishippers to cancel pickups and avoid unnecessary fees.

Managing parcel pickups is just one aspect of how this comprehensive tool can help streamline your shipping operations. Learning how to use myUnishippers to its fullest will help you keep tabs on your shipments throughout the entire journey.

Now You're Prepared for Parcel Pickup Success

Working with a new parcel carrier can be the beginning of a fruitful partnership. A 3PL like Unishippers can help by providing valuable shipping expertise and competitive pricing to support your business as it continues its successful journey.

With preparation and communication, parcel pickups with your new carrier will soon be seamlessly integrated into your business operations. Get a shipping consultation to see how your business could benefit from smooth pickups utilizing our powerful TMS and more.

Unishippers can help you navigate UPS pickup services!

At Unishippers, we pride ourselves on helping SMBs like yours create custom shipping solutions and optimize their logistics processes. As a third-party logistics (3PL) provider of choice for 125,000+ shippers across the nation, we offer top solutions and support to help your business thrive. Plus, as part of the nation's largest non-retail authorized reseller of UPS, Unishippers gives you access to affordable rates and service options to meet your unique business shipping needs!

See how Unishippers can help you leverage UPS pickup and delivery options to maximize cost savings and operational efficiencies. If you are ready to talk to an expert about our parcel solutions, reach out for a free consultation today!