The Minimum Weight Requirement for Small Sea Freight Parcels: How to Respond Skillfully?
Facing the challenges brought by the minimum weight requirement for small sea freight parcels, shippers and freight forwarders need to master skillful response strategies to reduce transportation costs and improve transportation efficiency.
Firstly, actively seeking consolidation partners is an effective approach. Shippers can establish contacts with other enterprises having similar transportation needs through industry associations, logistics platforms, and other channels for joint consolidation. For example, in Yiwu Small Commodity Market, many small and medium – sized merchants spontaneously organized a consolidation alliance, gathering their small parcels and entrusting them to freight forwarders for unified transportation. This not only met the minimum weight requirement but also significantly reduced freight costs. Freight forwarders can also give full play to their advantages, take the initiative to integrate market resources, and provide consolidation services for shippers.
Secondly, optimize goods packaging and combination. Adopt technologies such as vacuum packaging and compression packaging to reduce the volume of goods and lower the volumetric weight. At the same time, reasonably combine and match goods according to their characteristics to increase the weight of individual parcels. For example, combine small – sized and light – weight jewelry with moderately – sized and weighted packaging boxes for sales, which can not only enhance the added value of products but also meet the minimum weight requirement. In addition, negotiate with suppliers to adjust the production batches and packaging methods of goods, optimizing the weight of goods from the source.
Furthermore, flexibly choose transportation time and routes. During the off – peak season of shipping, some shipping companies may lower the minimum weight requirement or offer freight discounts to attract cargo. Shippers can seize these opportunities and arrange goods transportation reasonably. Meanwhile, compare the minimum weight standards and freight prices of different routes and choose the route with higher cost – effectiveness. For example, from China to Europe, besides the traditional Suez Canal route, the Arctic route can also be considered. Although the transportation time may be slightly longer, in certain periods, its minimum weight requirement and freight are more advantageous. By skillfully responding to the minimum weight requirement for small sea freight parcels, shippers and freight forwarders can find better transportation solutions in the complex shipping market.