Where to find customised shipping solutions for Canadian businesses looking to go global.

Where to find customised shipping solutions for Canadian businesses looking to go global.

Customised shipping is a tailored approach to meet the specific needs of a business to optimise efficiency, cost and delivery time. For a business looking to go global, this is particularly important because there are logistical issues to navigate and obstacles such foreign customs regulations, duties, and taxes. International carriers and freight forwarders are the experts who do this sort of work, and include names such as Purolator, FedEx, UPS, DHL, Kuehne + Nagel.

But how does a Canadian business connect to one of these large companies? The answer is simple: Secureship – a Canadian online shipping broker with an easy-to-use platform that will find you a shipping option for your budget and timelines.

But as Secureship and your carrier ensure a smooth delivery of your parcel to a foreign country, you have responsibilities to prepare the parcel and necessary paperwork. This blog explores those important steps so that the recipient receives the goods on-time and intact.

Table of Contents

• How Secureship Lowers Your Shipping Rates
• Getting Your Parcels Ready
• The Importance of Paperwork
• Conclusion

How Secureship Lowers Your Shipping Rates

As an online shipping broker with bulk buying agreements with carriers who encompass the globe, Secureship can lower your shipping rates by 50%. And when you use our shipping estimator, you will receive a number of price and delivery options with Purolator, UPS, and FedEx, which will show the carrier’s retail price and your savings.

But Secureship offers its customers much more – answers, lessons, country guides, and blogs.

Under the Support tab, you will find the Help Centre where the ShipGuru has answers to 5,000-plus questions. Or you can email a human and usually get an answer within an hour.

The Learning Centre also provides support in the form of 16 articles on various shipping topics. Beginner shippers can learn lessons like:

• Your Packaging Responsibilities
• How to Reduce Shipping Costs
• What Can and Cannot be Shipped

And Intermediate articles cover topics such as:

• The Commercial Invoice
• Duties and Taxes Explained
• Importing Shipments

Secureship has assembled Country Shipping Guides for over 140 countries on every habitable continent. These detailed documents cover the customs regulations governing a country’s imports, including restricted and prohibited goods, and applicable duties and taxes on specific goods.

And finally, our collection of over 50 blogs explore specific shipping questions to key shipping destinations – India, the USA, Australia, England, and New Zealand – as well some general shipping topics such as this blog.

Getting Your Parcels Ready

It is you, the shipper, who is responsible to package your goods to ensure they arrive undamaged into the recipient’s hands.

To that end, here are a few guidelines:

1. Pick a new, unused box for the shipment as only a single journey could reduce its stated strength by 50%.
2. Wrap breakables in bubble wrap or surround them in package peanuts. Ensure a minimum of 5 cm between each item, and that distance from the box’s top, bottom, and sides.
3. Use only certified packing tape to seal the box.

If you have purchased parcel insurance, it is particularly important that you follow the ISTA 3A packing guidelines or the insurance may become void in the event of breakage.

The Importance of Paperwork

While Secureship will guide you through the process of preparing a shipment’s paperwork, the ultimate responsibility for its correctness and completion is the shipper’s. And when paperwork is incorrect or missing, a shipment could be delayed or even returned to the sender.

Shipping label

Every shipment, whether domestic or international, requires a shipping label (also known as an air waybill). It provides the recipient’s and sender’s names and addresses, which needs to be written in a large, clear, and indelible manner. You should add a telephone number in the event of an issue.

Commercial invoice (CI)

All international shipments require a Commercial Invoice; it is a parcel’s passport. The CI informs customs the nature of the shipment from which they can assess the applicable duties and taxes.

Other documents

Depending on a shipment’s destination and the goods it contains, other documents may be required. Secureship can help you determine which documents must be completed when shipping from Canada to overseas.

Conclusion

If your Canadian business is looking to go global and you need to find a customised shipping solution, Secureship is the broker who can help you find the carrier for your budget and delivery schedule. Our platform is online and intuitive, so you can arrange your shipping quickly and smoothly.

But you also need to make sure that the parcel has been packed to endure the rigours of a long and manhandled voyage – use a new box, wrap the goods against breakage with bubble wrap, and seal it securely.

Also, shipments require paperwork, at the minimum a shipping label that is clearly written with complete information. And for international parcels, a commercial invoice though other documents may be necessary depending on the receiving country and the nature of the goods.