Door-to-Port International Shipping vs. Door-to-Door: Which Is More Suitable for You?

Business owners are constantly on the lookout for new ideas to streamline their processes. In most meetings, the words liberally used are efficiency and reliability, that’s why there are instances when managers look for better ways to improve their business practice. There might be times when your company needs to use Door-to-Port International Shipping instead of door-to-door shipping. 

What is Door-to-Port International Shipping?

This is a more cost-efficient method of shipping goods internationally. The goods are picked up from your home or office and delivered to an inland terminal or port of your choosing. The consignee or receiver will then be responsible for completing several processes such as customs clearance, duties & taxes, terminal fees, fumigation & quarantine, and collecting the freight from the terminal. 

When Is Door-to-Port International Shipping Worthwhile?

There are some instances when this process works better than other types of shipping. It all depends on the type of business you have and the type of goods you ship. Let’s look at the different situations when you can use door-to-port.

• The consignee gets cheaper shipping rates from his logistics company. It’s possible that your consignee gets cheaper rates from a more trusted logistics company and wants to handle everything after the freight reaches the specified port. The good news is, your responsibility ends the moment your goods arrive at their destination. Everything else, including customs clearance, is not your problem anymore. 
• There’s a possibility that the goods will be quarantined. In cases when it’s possible that the goods may be quarantined, some consignees want to handle the things that need to be done themselves. This takes care of product safety, personnel safety, and sometimes, fumigation of the goods. 
• The consignee wants personal control of the goods while in transit. This is usually the case with high-value items such as expensive artwork, collectibles, and jewelry. The consignee wants to make sure no item gets lost or damaged while in transit by hiring a logistics company he’s worked with before. 

What is Door-to-Door International Shipping?

For many businesses, door-to-door international shipping is the easiest method of sending goods. As the name suggests, your goods are taken from your office, home, or warehouse and are then transported directly to the consignee’s designated warehouse. Furthermore, you have the option to choose between standard international shipping and economy international shipping. This process gives the responsibility of dealing with all the middlemen to your logistics company. There are instances when door-to-door makes more sense.

When is Door-to-Door International Shipping Needed?

There are certain situations when door-to-door is more convenient or essential. It could have a significant effect on how you do business, sales, or just convenience. Let’s look at some of them. 

• Personal Effects Shipping. Many people have problems on how to ship personal items internationally when moving abroad or travelling. You don’t want to spend a lot of time looking for your personal effects in a foreign country as there could be a language barrier. Most countries have a duty-free allowance for personal items, so you won’t be stopped by customs. 
• Ecommerce Deliveries. Providing fast and reliable deliveries for ecommerce is absolutely critical. Your seller feedback depends on how fast you can get your products to your customers. Plus, finding a good logistics partner will also have an effect on how you do business. An efficient ecommerce business usually means you take care of the sales aspect and your logistics partner takes care of the deliveries with minimum involvement from you. 
• Delivering Perishables. As the name suggests, perishables have a limited time in transit before they decay or go bad. Thus, the shipping process has to be streamlined to avoid delays. Perishables can’t spend a lot of time in terminals where their value will decrease as time passes. Shipping these items door-to-door makes more sense than relying on many separate handlers and carriers.
• Confidential Documents. Email might be a thing now, but there is still information that you just can’t send over the internet unless you have top-rate encryption software. You can send these documents via Restricted Delivery that can only be delivered to the consignee’s address, signed for by the receiver. In these cases, door-to-door is a must.

Who Can Help Me With International Shipping?

Before everything else, you must consider the price of international shipping, may it be door-to-port international shipping or door-to-door. Pricing is always important as it affects both your personal and business budget. You need to find a logistics carrier that can offer more services at a reasonable cost. Plus, you also need a company that can guide you through the whole shipping process with the goal of maintaining a good working relationship. We have experts who have extensive experience in international shipping. For any questions, please contact Stallion Express today.