
10 common shipping mistakes to avoid
Today, life without shipping is impossible to imagine for companies, ecommerce platforms, and consumers. With shipping, it is possible for brands worldwide to deliver products to consumers and vice versa. However, even seemingly minor errors with shipping can prove time-consuming and expensive for businesses, with the added risk of losing customers. Therefore, one needs to be very careful when shipping products over long distances. Here are some common shipping mistakes to avoid:
1. Not filling the Bill of Lading with accurate information
The Bill of Lading (BOL) is a document in which shippers need to add details of their shipments and provide their signatures. It also lists shippers’ and suppliers’ fiduciary duties, so it is a rather important document. That’s why it is critical that all the details in the BOL are accurate, including the total weight and value of the parcel. One should also mention the weight and freight class accurately. Mentioning incorrect details can tarnish a company’s image, so it is crucial to fill in the BOL correctly.
2. Disposing of delivery receipts
It is not considered the shipper’s fault if a shipment gets damaged in transit. In such cases, companies shipping their products need evidence that the product did not get damaged at the packaging stage but during shipping. Procuring delivery receipts at every supply stage helps shippers identify the stage at which the product was damaged so that they can prove to their customers that they had not shipped a damaged product. So, companies should always collect delivery receipts at every stage of supply and avoid disposing of them until the product reaches the end user.
3. Not making use of online shipping platforms
There are thousands of online shipping platforms that make shipping a breeze for businesses. They have a wide range of cutting-edge features, including plugins to track the shipment, complete labeling tasks, calculate the total amount, etc.