Multi-carrier shipping software: Automate Carrier Selection & Maximize Shipping Efficiency

Dynamically choose the best logistics carriers for your parcels 

Icon product ship
Become the customer-first brand you want to be, offering customers a flexible range of delivery options at checkout.
Ship
The Last Mile Mandate eBook
Download the eBook
How to Buy Last-mile Delivery Technology
Download the guide

By Komal Puri | October 10, 2022

Shipping parcels and packages can be a complex and dynamic business. With costs, routes, and volumes constantly fluctuating, it can be difficult for retailers and e-commerce providers to guarantee timely and cost-effective delivery to their customers. This is where MCSS comes into play. By leveraging MCSS, businesses can identify the most efficient and cost-effective carriers for their package delivery needs. But, selecting a robust and adaptable MCSS is critical for ensuring a superior delivery experience for customers. With the help of MCSS, retailers and e-commerce providers can anticipate changes to their delivery networks and build resilience into their systems, ultimately providing added value to their customer base.

What is multi-carrier shipping software?

Multi-carrier shipping software is a powerful tool designed to assist retailers and e-commerce shippers in selecting the optimal logistics carrier for their parcels based on predetermined criteria such as destination, price, route, speed-of-delivery, package size, and weight. 

This software automates the process of choosing the most suitable carrier from a pool of regional and national options. By analyzing various factors and weighing them against predefined parameters, the software enables companies to make informed decisions, ensuring efficient and cost-effective shipping operations. 

It simplifies the carrier selection process, enhances delivery performance, and contributes to improved customer satisfaction.

How does multi-carrier shipping software work?

In today's fast-paced world, companies need to have the ability to choose from and use multiple carriers in order to deliver their parcels to customers quickly and economically. This is where multi-carrier shipping software (MCSS) comes in. By inputting package size and weight, destination, and desired delivery timeframe, MCSS is able to compare carriers, rates, and service levels based on preloaded criteria. This not only increases agility and flexibility for the company but also helps to control costs. With MCSS, companies are empowered to make informed decisions that are best for their business and their customers.

Why do shippers need multi-carrier shipping software?

As e-commerce continues to grow (expected to reach $6 trillion by 2024), shippers are faced with the challenge of efficiently delivering an increased volume of packages while keeping last-mile costs low. This means that shippers need to optimize their end-to-end omnichannel fulfillment while also providing flexible and frictionless order tracking and fulfillment.

Expanding carrier capacity can help, but managing deliveries through multiple carriers can be a daunting task. This is where multi-carrier shipping software comes in. This type of software is designed to help shippers manage the complexities of working with multiple carriers, allowing them to focus on providing top-notch service to their customers while minimizing costs. Shippers can also achieve last-mile excellence and build a robust ecosystem of carriers to meet demand using this software.

What are the benefits of multi-carrier shipping software?

It has numerous benefits for shippers. By utilizing MCSS, shippers can streamline their shipping processes and manage their carriers more efficiently.

  • It allows shippers to allocate orders to the appropriate carriers more easily.

  • Enables shippers to meet predetermined criteria with their carriers, such as meeting minimum capacity requirements.

  • It helps shippers manage their shipping costs by comparing rates offered by various carriers

  • Offers customers the flexibility to choose from different delivery speeds at checkout, providing them with a more personalized shipping experience.

Multi-carrier shipping software helps shippers realize these benefits:

Lower Delivery Costs

This software can choose the carrier with the best price and lowest cost delivery options. This means that shippers can now have more control over their shipping costs and no longer have to rely on just one carrier. With this technology, retailers can now offer competitive pricing and customers can enjoy more affordable shipping options.

Package Tracking and Exception Alerts

Multi-carrier shipping software has revolutionized the industry by providing precise tracking details that allow shippers to stay informed on the location and delivery status of their packages. But it's not just about satisfying the shippers' needs - tracking is also key to providing a superior customer experience. With the ability to know exactly where their package is and when to expect it, customers can rest easy knowing that their needs and concerns are being addressed.

Efficiency

The automated carrier decision-making process means that you don't have to waste time manually searching for the best rates and routes. Instead, pre-set criteria are used to make the carrier selection process easy and fast.

Features of Multi-carrier Shipping Software

MCSS allows businesses to:

  • Eliminate the time-consuming task of manually selecting carriers and calculating rates.

  • Manage multiple carriers using a single platform, which also standardizes the carrier selection criteria.

  • The integration of complex logic in a reduced timeframe allows companies to efficiently and effectively handle the most intricate shipping scenarios.

  • MCSS helps improve cost-efficiency, giving businesses more flexibility and greater profitability.

How does this software help with customer experience?

In today's fast-paced world, customers expect quick and convenient delivery options that fit their busy lifestyles. With so many choices available, businesses need to provide a variety of delivery options to keep their customers satisfied and loyal. This software can help to streamline the delivery process and ensure that all of the available options are synchronized with carrier capacity planning. By using this software, businesses can offer same-day, same-hour, curbside and free deliveries without causing any disruptions to their shipping process. This, in turn, helps to create a positive customer experience, which is crucial for building a strong brand reputation.

How FarEye’s Ship Works

FarEye’s Ship product has revolutionized the way businesses approach their delivery options. With its pre-built order management system integrations and expansive carrier networks, retailers, e-commerce providers, and logistics companies now have a whole new range of delivery options at their disposal. Its delivery service providers allow businesses to introduce new options like curbside pick-up or scheduled, next-day or same-day deliveries in a way that is easy to manage and implement.

What’s more, the multi-carrier enabled deliveries help businesses achieve peak efficiency and on-time delivery performance. With FarEye’s Ship, businesses can provide their customers with the flexibility they demand and ensure that their orders arrive on time and in excellent condition.

Ship provides: 

  • Dynamic allocation system enables you to choose from the carriers with the best pricing and shipping terms, ensuring the lowest delivery cost options.

  • Rate and transit time comparisons from multiple carriers at the same time.

  • Reduce the shipping times increase order processing speed for businesses.

  • The ability to track packages accurately and receive exception alerts to further improve the customer experience.

  • Efficient and automated process, increase throughput, free up valuable resources for other areas of the business.

  • Flexibility to scale as the business grows, and carrier diversification, also allows for a more sustainable shipping strategy.

What can Ship’s modules do for your business?

FarEye’s Ship can optimize delivery routes and cut costs while offering multiple shipping options at checkout. A built-in carrier selection feature allows you to easily choose the carrier that makes sense for your fleet size and delivery volume.

Ability to choose the right carrier based on your preset inputs, you can ensure that your deliveries are efficient and cost-effective. FarEye Ship makes shipping faster and more convenient by allowing you to print your own shipping labels in-house.

What are the different modules in FarEye’s Ship product?

When it comes to multi-carrier shipping, FarEye's Ship product has got you covered with four modules.

  1. Checkout: Checkout provides customers with a range of delivery options to ensure flexibility and a great customer experience.
  2. Allocate: Allocate automates carrier selection based on predetermined criteria to optimize carrier utilization.
  3. Print: The Print module allows for quick printing of shipping labels, reducing warehouse processing times.
  4. Expand: Expand module lets you easily build and manage a network of carriers with plug-and-play integrations. With FarEye's powerful carrier network, you can ensure delivery anywhere.
Komal puri

Komal Puri is a seasoned professional in the logistics and supply chain industry. As the Senior Director of Marketing and a subject matter expert at FarEye, she has been instrumental in shaping the industry narrative for the past decade. Her expertise and insights have earned her numerous awards and recognition. Komal’s writings reflect her deep understanding of the industry, offering valuable insights and thought leadership.

Komal Puri
Sr. Director of Marketing | FarEye
Transform your delivery experience today
Book a meeting