Shipping Rate Comparison

The best way to FIND the cheapest way to ship your goods is to compare shipping rates.

Unfortunately, only a few businesses know how to do this process. 

They simply go for ANY freight forwarder, even if it has a HIGH shipping price. 

At Leeline, your profit is our priority. We’re an experienced freight forwarder with 10-year shipping experience. Calculating shipping cost is CHILD’S PLAY for you. 

Keep reading. You’ll get the BEST shipping price for all your future shipments. 

Why compare shipping rates?

It’s CRUCIAL to compare rates of shippers as a business owner. This HABIT has many advantages. Let me go over each of them in detail. 

1. Stronger bargaining position with shipping companies

A shipping company MIGHT take advantage of your naivety as a beginner. Your shipper might GIVE you higher rates. It’ll recommend the MOST EXPENSIVE shipping option.

Couriers won’t be able to take advantage of you if you know how to compare rates.

Because if your freight forwarder knows YOU switch companies anytime…

It’ll offer you the cheapest flat-rate shipping. You even get DISCOUNTED rates. 

2. Increase profits 

You get the CHEAPEST shipping charges when you compare rates. 

The LESS  you spend during shipping, the more money you’ll SAVE. And it’ll be much easier to get your ROI. 

3. Ship more often 

Once you know you’re getting the BEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK…

You won’t have to WORRY about losing money every time you ship. You’ll KNOW you’re choosing the best shipping option. You’ll GROW your business EXPONENTIALLY. 

Top 5 shipping calculators

#1: ReachShip 

Want to compare the shipping costs of all MAJOR shipping carriers? 

ReachShip is 1 of the best shipping tools you try. 

It’s VERY user-friendly. All you have to do is INPUT your cargo’s details. And the website automatically generates the estimated shipping charges for you. 

Pros:

• Compatible with DIFFERENT couriers. Other tools are only compatible with one shipping company. 
• You choose from 3 subscription plans. You don’t need to spend over your budget. 
• FREE printing labels are available. You don’t need to make them scratch, saving you time. 

Cons: 

• This shipping software isn’t FREE.
• You need to SIGN UP before you can calculate shipping costs. This might take up quite a bit of your time. 

#2: USPS

USPS is 1 of the best shipping couriers. Luckily, this company has a BUILT-IN price calculator. 

The best part? It’s for FREE. 

Just head to the USPS calculator. Then, include your cargo’s following details:

• Initial location.
• Final destination.
• Shipping date. 
• Package dimensions. 
• Type of shipping. 

And in SECONDS, you’ll get an accurate estimate of your shipping charges. 

Pros:

• EASY TO USE. You won’t waste time navigating the calculator. There are dropdown menus that guide which information you need to include. 
• No sign-up process. It’s a calculator you use ON THE GO. 

Cons: 

• It’s EXCLUSIVE for USPS shipments. So, you’ll need to use other shipping calculators to compare rates. 

#3: FedEx

This carrier is known for FAST deliveries. Unsurprisingly, its calculator is also quick to use. 

This tool is EFFICIENT at showing you not only how much your shipping price is. It also SHOWS how long it takes to ship your goods between specific locations. 

Pros:

• You CALCULATE the shipping rates of MULTIPLE packages at once. It’s a HUGE time-saver for busy business owners. 
• You’ll see the ESTIMATED delivery date. You won’t have to look it up separately. Other shipping calculators don’t show this. 

Cons:

• You only calculate the prices of FedEx shipments. If you’re interested in other shipping couriers, use other shipping calculators. 

#4: UPS

UPS is another top contender in the shipping realm. Like other major couriers, it also has its OWN shipping calculator.

Choose from VARIOUS UPS shipping options. Then, pick the one that you want to ESTIMATE the shipping price of. 

Pros: 

• You know the LATEST available pickup time for your cargo. This is PERFECT for impressing your customers with fast delivery schedules. 
• It’s free. You don’t need to spend over your budget. 

Cons: 

• It’s not as VISUALLY pleasing as other calculators. You’ll MAINLY see words that are confusing if you’re into graphs and images. 

#5: Secureship

Here’s another ALL-IN-ONE shipping calculator you don’t want to miss.

Secureship lets you estimate the shipping costs of ALL major couriers. Those include FedEx, UPS, and USPS. 

You won’t need to use other calculators along Secureship! 

Pros: 

• It also has label printing and tracking services. It’s good for businesses that need to regularly pack and ship their products.
• You save your address. You don’t need to type it out every time you need to estimate another shipment. 

Cons: 

• Estimates aren’t always ACCURATE. Sometimes, there’s a 10% difference between the estimate and the actual shipping price. 

How to compare shipping rates?

Comparing shipping rates isn’t as hard as you think. I’ve listed the detailed steps to do so below. Just follow along with each one, and you’ll successfully do this. 

Step 1: Know your package’s details. 

Specifically, list the following information:

• Package’s weight.
• The length of your cargo.
• Starting and final destination (and their postal codes).
• Your preferred shipping method. 
• Whether you want to add insurance. 

Once you have them ready… 

Step 2: Find couriers to compare. 

For international shipping beginners, I recommend the top 4 shipping companies:

• UPS.
• USPS.
• FedEx.
• DHL.

However, there’s 1 exception. And that’s if you’re shipping from China. 

Chinese shipments are CHEAPER if you contact freight forwarders instead of couriers directly. So, if you want to import from china, find freight forwarders for this step. 

Note: You should have at least 3 companies in mind before you proceed to the next step. 

Step 3: Find the shipping costs of each company. 

You use your courier’s shipping calculator for this process. Alternatively, you ask your freight forwarder for a QUOTATION. 

Ensure to include the information you’ve listed in step #1 to get accurate estimates. 

Once you’ve received the shipping rates of every courier/freight forwarder… 

Step 4: Choose the cheapest option. 

If you contacted couriers, all you do now is pick the one with the LOWEST rate. Because big shipping companies aren’t up for bargaining. They stick to their flat rates. Always.

However, if you received quotations from freight forwarders… 

At this step, it’s time to bargain. Show the freight forwarders the quotation other companies offer you. And ask if they give you a BETTER offer. 

You’ll get much lower shipping prices! 

How do you save shipping rates?

Keep your package as small as possible to save shipping rates. Consolidate your products into a smaller box. And AVOID using bulky packaging materials. 

Once your cargo is as small as it can safely be… 

Compare the prices of different companies. This way, you’ll PICK the cheapest shipping option. And you can even NEGOTIATE to lower your shipping price. That’s if you contacted freight forwarders. 

Lastly, make sure to prepare your shipment’s paperwork carefully. You AVOID hefty penalties and unnecessary charges. You save time and GET faster ROI. 

FAQs about Shipping Rate Comparison

What’s Next

Shipping rate comparison is CRUCIAL in minimizing your fees as a business owner. This strategy HELPS you maximize your savings. It’ll also help you make a STRONGER connection with freight forwarders. 

Trust me, it’s not that hard. I’ve listed the BEST tips for shipping rate comparison above.

Come back anytime you need to. 

Speaking of shipping… 

If you don’t know which freight forwarder to contact, hit us up! 

Leeline has the BEST shipping rates in China. Show us other shippers’ quotations and receive a MUCH better option.