There was a time when someone might send a package once or twice a year at most. While that is still the case for some, for a growing number of people, shipping packages is becoming an almost everyday occurrence. Some are returning goods bought online or some are selling items on a growing number of online marketplaces that specialize in C2C sales of crafts, art, clothing, grandma’s rare china, and other material that helps people put a bit of extra cash in their bank accounts.
The problem occurs when these personal shipping items are shipped on company time — or worse, the company dollar.
While Transtream, Pierbridge’s multi-carrier parcel management solution, is an essential tool for corporate shipping needs, Transtream's Personal Shipping app can be used to allow employees to ship personal items at a discount and without cutting into their work time or your shipping budget.
Personal shipping hits a high note for cost savings
For instance, one user recently shared how he was able to save money on shipping by utilizing the Transtream Personal Shipping app to sell a guitar and amp.
"I make money selling musical equipment and electronics via two online marketplaces. For years I have been using their built-in tools for getting shipping rates and printing labels right along with the transaction on the sites just for the sake of convenience,” said the user. “The functionality is much like Transtream in that you enter your address, weight, and dimensions and get back rates from multiple carriers. You can shop for the best rate, print your label and pay with your own credit card.”
“The quote I got from one carrier for shipping the guitar and amp was $77,” he said. “When I logged into the Transtream Personal Shipping app and entered my data for this shipment including insurance, it returned multiple rates, including one for $32. I was able to print a label on my home printer and pay for the shipping right away using my credit card. I saved $45!"
Pretty typical experience. Another user told us of how he used the Transtream Personal Shipping app to not only save money, but also save time by not having to leave his desk when he shipped hockey equipment.
“I never shipped anything in my life before this year,” said the Transtream Personal Shipping user. “Then this year, my 16-year-old son left to play hockey halfway across the country. So, I had to ship him things he needed that couldn’t be delivered directly from retailers.”
The busy dad was happy to save both time and money.
“The fact that I could rate shop, print a label, and then arrange a pickup, all without having to travel to the nearest package drop-off location, made it so I could get things shipped and my work done,” he said.
Another factor for this busy dad was the need to ship awkward and bulky hockey items, which is where Transtream’s cartonization algorithms paid dividends.
“When entering the weights and dimensions for, say, a goalie stick or leg pads, I was able to pack the item in the right-sized box for the job,” he explained. “And the one time I didn’t pack as efficiently as I could, I got a post-delivery charge on the credit card I used to pay for the shipment to handle the extra costs.”
Transtream provides a convenient, efficient, and cost-saving way for employees and businesses to accommodate the rise in personal shipping volumes.