Types of Courier Services

TL;DR

• Courier services vary based on urgency, price, parcel size and weight, delivery location, and product type, including fragile and high-value items.
• Standard courier services are ideal for small to medium parcels but may incur extra charges for larger sizes.
• International courier services enable cross-border shipping but come with restrictions on certain items and destinations.
• Same-day and overnight services cater to urgent needs, while pallet shipping is common for business users but more expensive due to size.

Courier services compile several services for the delivery of portable goods, documents, and mail. As there is a wide range of products involved and each customer has different needs, courier companies offer several types of courier services. When planning to trust courier services to ship your goods, it is always a good idea to choose the service that meets your expectations. There are several services to choose from, and your choice should be based on several factors:

• Urgency – If you need your package to be shipped as soon as possible, or if time is not your concern;
• Price – The quicker the service, the more expensive it gets;
• Size and weight of your parcel – The bigger the parcel is, the more space it takes from the courier company’s trucks. Thus, the bigger and heavier the shipments are, the more you pay;
• Your desired delivery place – Usually, the closer you are to the delivery address or country, the less you will pay;
• The type of products being sent – Some goods require special transport conditions, i.e. food or certain products need a temperature-controlled environment;
• The fragility of your products – If you are planning on sending fragile items, such as wine bottles or electronic products, you might want to choose the service that ensures that your package gets to its destination safely;
• The value of goods being sent – If you are shipping high-value products, you might want them to be delivered as soon as possible, or as safely as possible.

After having all these details into consideration, you can start looking for a courier service to ship your parcel. Find below a list of the most common services provided by courier companies, as well as their pros and cons.

Types of Courier Services – Choosing the service that best serves your needs

Standard Courier services

Standard services are the most common types of courier services. These compile shipping services for standard-sized shipments. This service is suitable for small and medium parcels, usually not exceeding the 50kg. The price varies depending on the size and weight of the shipment. These are sometimes the cheapest option. However, the limitations in size and weight might be a problem for some. If your package exceeds these dimensions, you will be charged extra or you would have to explore freight services instead.

International courier services

Shipping services from one country to another. Here, the prices will vary depending on the chosen route, ensuring that the best transport method is used for that route. International courier services are very useful for people living abroad, enabling them to ship their belongings back home. However, shipping internationally always comes with some restrictions: Some countries have specific legislation for what can or cannot be sent. This requires further research, in order not to break any local laws. Additionally, not all couriers ship to every country.

Same-day or express services

This service is reserved for urgent deliveries. It might come in handy for important shipments, such as documents. As the name indicates, it is the quickest service of them all, but also the most expensive one from the types of courier services. Besides, there are only a few companies that offer same-day deliveries.

Pallet shipping services

Courier companies can also ship goods placed on pallets. These types of courier services are quite common among business users. In this case, the pickup and delivery time are planned and defined between the sender and the courier company. However, as the load is bigger than a normal standard shipping service, it is also more expensive. Besides, wooden pallets tend to accumulate bacteria if ever exposed to moist or humidity, which could be a big downside for some products.

Overnight services

Service for those who would like their shipments to be delivered on the following morning/day. The name indicated that the goods are transported to their delivery address overnight. It is great for last-minute requests. However, these services are not always available for all the routes, since the bigger the distance between the two countries, the longer it takes to get there.

Other types of services offered by courier companies

Warehousing – There are customers that request their goods to be stored in a depot or warehouse. Some courier companies offer warehousing facilities to their customers, who have to pay according to the number of days the shipments are stored (for occasional storage), or monthly. Besides giving the courier company more control over the parcels being shipped (reporting, scanning, etc.), it could help not only end-consumers but also companies. This might be the best option for companies that don’t have their own storage facilities or that don’t need such services very often;

Extra insurance options – Big part of courier companies include basic insurance for all shipments being sent. However, when shipping something with a higher value or fragility, you might want to purchase extra insurance. Some courier companies have partnerships with insurance companies, enabling you to add extra protection to your goods.

Drop-off locations – For those who cannot be at home at the moment of pickup or delivery, some courier companies have drop-off locations, where the customers could leave or pick up their packages.

Would you like to know more about courier services? Take a look at our blog post to know how standard courier services work.