When you hear ‘carrier’ you likely think of the big guys: UPS, FedEx, the USPS, etc. But when you hear of regional carriers, what comes to your mind? Today we’re explaining who regional carriers are, what they do, and how they might work for you—be sure to leave a comment with your favorite regional carrier you’ve worked with!
Who They Are
A regional carrier is exactly that: regional. These carriers are like UPS and FedEx regarding what they do, but they are smaller companies that focus on a particular geographic region. There are hundreds of regional carriers in the United States, each focusing on a specific area and sometimes on different parcel characteristics or service levels. Examples include First Mile, OnTrac, and many more.
Why They Might Work for You
Many shippers simply don’t know that regional carriers exist, but even if you do know, it can be incredibly difficult to determine how to effectively include them in your distribution strategy. When considering partnering with a regional carrier you face all the same questions that you face when partnering with a national carrier: carrier performance, pricing, how to allocate volume to multiple carriers, etc. You also face other questions specific to regional carriers regarding things like geographic location and company size. However, don’t let this scare you off. Investigating regional carriers and what they can do for your business is an increasingly important step to success in today’s fulfillment landscape.
How to Move Forward
Working with a regional carrier can be well worth the time taken to carefully calibrate your distribution strategy and examine your carrier mix, but we don’t blame you if it seems overwhelming. If you need help determining how to best go about your distribution strategy and add regional carriers into your plans alongside national carriers, reach out to us and we will be happy to help! Also, be sure to check out the episode of the ‘Tee Up: Logistics Insights’ podcast that inspired this post.
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