3 Reasons to Break Up with FedEx and UPS for Your Trade Show Shipping

We use FedEx and UPS ourselves for small packages, both in the U.S. and internationally. Under the right circumstances, they do a wonderful job.

But trade show shipping has its own deadlines, docks and paperwork, and there comes a point when it pays to "break up" with the parcel carriers and work with people who know that world inside and out. Here are three signs you've reached it.

1. They're not always there when you need them

The riskiest moment in trade show shipping is the end of the show. Your freight has to be picked up before the contractor's outbound cutoff. If your carrier doesn't show up in time, the contractor sends your freight with its own carrier instead. That's forced or rerouted freight, and it means extra cost, possible delays and freight that may not make it to your next event.

Parcel carriers aren't built around show-floor pickup windows. At three shows we worked, more than 12% of shipments handled by parcel carriers were rerouted because the carrier never arrived.

One of our customers shipped to more than 250 events a year. We split the job: FedEx shipped into each event from their home office, and NorthStar picked up the freight at the end of every show and brought it back, or sent it on to the next event. By not having freight rerouted from show site, they saved more than $22,000 a year. We can still be friends, but it's time to see other people!

2. The relationship has no depth

When your show schedule grows from a handful of events to a dozen or more, the planning grows with it. Will you ship show to show, or back to the office between events? When does the exhibit go in for a refresh? Most companies have only a few displays to move around, so timing is everything.

A parcel carrier moves boxes. A trade show shipping partner learns your schedule, your exhibit and your shows. For a seasoned trade show pro, that saves time. For a marketing coordinator handling shows for the first time, it can be a lifesaver.

A consistent shipping partner turns every show into a reliable routine that saves time, money and headaches.

3. You want to get serious, but they don't

A single pop-up display can go to the hotel business center and ship out as a parcel. Once your display grows to several cases and crates on a pallet, that stops working. Palletized freight needs a carrier that handles freight, works with show contractors and will wait to make sure your exhibit reaches the next event on time.

The reverse is true too. If your display shrinks back to a small pop-up, shipping it yourself from the business center may make sense. Just make sure the case has wheels, and leave enough time to drop it off so you're not running to catch your flight.

So, is it working?

This isn't about cutting anyone off. It's about matching each shipment to the right partner: parcel carriers for small packages, a trade show shipper for exhibit freight and anything that has to leave the show floor on time.

When did you last take a hard look at your event shipping relationship? You decide whether it's working.

How NorthStar helps

Trade show shipping is all we do. Your Shipping Coach plans your shipments across your whole show calendar, books outbound pickups before the show closes and makes sure our driver is there before the cutoff. With NorthStar 360, we reach out 90 days before each show.

Ready to see other people? Request a quote, or reach a Shipping Coach at 703-532-0520 or shippingcoach@northstarexpress.com.