Islands, mountains, distant countryside – what do these all have in common? They’re a pain to deliver to. While technological advancements and improvements in transport have made delivery to remote locations much more efficient in the past few years, for those looking to send to remote locations, knowing what to expect when you do so can help you better prepare for the shipment. Whether you’re looking for countrywide services, or international parcel delivery, here’s what you need to know when shipping to a remote location.
Remote Area Surcharge
Remote Area Surcharge is a fee often placed onto your overall shipping quote when sending to a remote location. In most cases, this is automatically added when you apply for a quote, so in most cases you won’t need to worry about it beyond expecting a higher delivery cost. Most parcel delivery companies will charge this to cover the excess costs they may have to pay in order to get your parcel to its destination. In most cases, this charge will only be applied if the location is difficult to service, distant, inaccessible or not frequently served, or is an island or highlands.
Delivery Times Aren’t Often Guaranteed
If you’re searching for next day delivery for a remote location, you might be out of luck. In some cases, couriers could be willing to attempt next day delivery for remote locations, however this isn’t without a hefty price tag attached and even then, it’s not likely that your delivery time will be a guaranteed one. Updates through tracking can also be slower, especially if your location is a fair distance away. After all, it could have further to travel via a slower delivery method like a postal boat or infrequent trains.
… Or Regular
Speaking of infrequent trains, remote location deliveries aren’t guaranteed to be frequent. While some remote locations might still have regular shipping opportunities, others could be on a bi-weekly or even just weekly basis. For that reason, you may not have very much control over when your shipment is delivered but it’s important to remember that neither will the courier and so patience is key in these situations.
Door-To-Door Shipping Could Cost More
In some cases, door-to-door shipments could prove impossible for some couriers. In these cases, they’ll often deliver the parcel to the nearest depot, from which the recipient may need to travel to pick it up, or you could have to pay out for the depot itself to deliver the parcel to the door. When you come to book your parcel delivery, make sure you ask questions about the method of delivery, whether it can be delivered to the door or may require a little extra effort, or potentially even funding, on your part.
With constant improvements in parcel delivery technology, getting your deliveries to remote locations is easier now than ever before, but it’s still important to be aware of the difficulties you could face. While most couriers are willing to deliver to these places, you could face surcharges and restrictions, but with comparison tools and negotiation with your courier, you could be sending your parcel in no time.