A packing list is created by the shipper to inform all parties – including the receiver of the goods, the transportation company, and customs agents (if applicable) – about the details of the shipment.

An Essential Document for the Receiver of Goods

Also called a packing slip, a packing list is particularly useful to the receiver of the goods to verify the shipment is accurate. Upon arrival, the receiver generally compares the packing list to what is actually delivered, as well as to a list of what was expected to be received, such as a purchase order. However, to protect confidentiality, price information is not usually included on a packing list.

Whether your shipment is domestic or international, Saturn Freight can help answer questions you may have about packing lists or any other shipping documentation. Our goal is to help you transport your freight in the most efficient way possible.

Point-to-point shipping can occur by land, air or sea transportation. As such, you may sometimes hear it referred to as door-to-door, dock-to-dock, pier-to-pier or another similar term.

The Most Direct Shipping Route

Unlike a traditional spoke-and-hub transit system, point-to-point shipping follows a direct route. This eliminates any dependency on connecting routes as the freight moves toward its destination. As a result, this streamlined point-to-point approach saves transit time and minimizes handling.

Saturn Freight offers many point-to-point shipping options, including exclusive use vehicles and expedited air services. Let us help you develop the best point-to-point shipping solution for your budget and time schedule.

How does a Common Carrier differ from a Contract Carrier?

A Common Carrier and a Contract Carrier are both for-hire carriers. However, a Common Carrier makes its services available to everyone, whereas a Contract Carrier transports freight under specific contracts with a single shipper or a limited number of shippers.

How does a Common Carrier differ from a Private Carrier?

A Private Carrier is a not-for-hire carrier that only transports its own company’s freight. For example, a fleet owned by a manufacturing company to distribute its finished products or bring in raw materials would be considered a Private Carrier.

Whatever your needs, Saturn Freight offers a variety of express and economy freight services. Give us a call at (866) 722-9136 to learn how we can help you achieve your transportation goals.

A Common Example:

Let’s say Business X drop ships merchandise to its Customer Y via third party Supplier Z. Business X has a blind shipping arrangement with Supplier Z to prevent the receiver of the goods, Customer Y, from knowing about Supplier Z. Even though the shipment originates from Supplier Z’s location, Supplier Z’s name is intentionally left off all shipping documents, labels and packaging.

On a blind shipment, Customer Y’s copy of the shipping paperwork may simply display no shipper information. However, in most cases, the shipment documentation will display the name of Business X as the shipper, even though the physical shipment did not originate from Business X. This is known as private label shipping and is a very common practice for blind shipments.

Why Ship Blind?

There are several reasons why Business X may not want Customer Y to see the name of Supplier Z. For competitive reasons, Business X may wish to keep its suppliers confidential, or it may wish to prevent Customer Y from attempting to contact Supplier Z directly, or it may just wish to avoid any confusion that may result when Customer Y sees the unfamiliar name of Supplier Z on its shipment.

If blind shipments are part of your business model, get in touch with Saturn Freight. In addition to great rates, we will make sure your paperwork gets handled properly. Saturn is committed to protecting your valuable business relationships.

Tight Schedule, Hectic Environment

Despite the high volume of exhibitor freight going into and out of the venue, tradeshows have set dates and narrow time windows for deliveries and pick-ups. In addition, the docks and exhibition floors of a tradeshow are bustling with frenzied activity during show set-up and breakdown, which increases the potential for holdups and problems.

Needless to say, without the experience and expertise of a tradeshow shipping specialist, you increase the likelihood of headaches, delays and costly mishaps. And let’s face it, tradeshows represent a significant investment for your organization, so you really can’t risk a late delivery, a broken exhibit, or lost equipment.

Tradeshow Shipping is Unique…

Date and Time Specific – Because a tradeshow begins on an exact date and runs for a predetermined duration, your booth materials will need to arrive within a very specific window of time to allow for placement and set-up. And when the show is over, the venue will require that all materials be removed promptly so they can prepare for the next event. A tradeshow shipping specialist understands these stringent timelines and provides the planning and coordination required to make your event run smooth.

Weekend Deliveries and Pick-Ups – Tradeshows often begin and end over a weekend. Shippers who specialize in tradeshows are completely prepared for Saturday or Sunday deliveries and pick-ups. By using a show specialist, your freight can move in or out over the weekend and help you avoid the storage and handling fees which might otherwise occur.

Driver Wait Time – Because tradeshows operate on such narrow timelines, and because they are usually congested with activity, trucks will often be required to wait in line to deliver and pick-up. Fortunately, a tradeshow specialist factors this into the schedule, so you’ll have no extra charges, unforeseen delays or other surprises to contend with.

Special Handling – The quality of your exhibits and sales materials is a huge factor in your show’s success. Whether moving bulky wooden crates, mixed boxes, fragile displays or odd-sized fixtures, a trade show specialist will provide the extra care needed to ensure your materials arrive in the same condition as when they left your hands.

Tradeshow to Tradeshow – If your organization plans to participate in a circuit of tradeshows, your booth exhibits and materials can be shipped directly from one show to the next, or to a warehouse near an upcoming event. This can reduce the expense and hassles of moving items back and forth numerous times. For your best rates and options, it helps to let your freight company know in advance if you’re considering a tradeshow-to-tradeshow shipping schedule.

Saturn Freight Systems specializes in shipping your displays and booth materials to tradeshows, exhibitions and conventions all over the world.  Our experienced specialists will coordinate all aspects of pickup, transportation and delivery so you can rest easy knowing your freight is in expert hands. Whether you’re participating in a single event, or planning to exhibit at multiple venues, Saturn will give each move the quality attention you deserve.

By definition, shipments sent by NFO will be on the very next flight leaving your city. Thus, NFO shipping provides one of the fastest ways to deliver product to almost any destination. In most cases, NFO provides delivery within one day. However, because shipments travel by air, there are some size and weight restrictions with the NFO shipping method.

The Next Flight Out Process

NFO shipping focuses on speed and extremely well-coordinated air and ground logistics. As soon as you notify the carrier of your pending shipment, the airports nearest the origin and destination are located. Then, the schedules of flights departing and arriving at these airports are quickly examined, along with the drive times to and from each airport. A driver is then immediately dispatched to pick up the shipment, where it is taken to the airport and placed on the optimal flight. As the flight arrives at the destination city, another driver is dispatched to retrieve the shipment and take it to its final delivery point.

Saturn Freight Systems provides NFO services to the majority of U.S. destinations, 24 hours a day / 365 days a year. We understand the pressures associated with emergency and time-critical shipments, particularly those traveling long distances. When it has to be there, you can depend on Saturn’s rapid-response transit network.

The benefits of an Exclusive Use Vehicle include…

More Control

Because you are chartering a truck for your specific transit needs, you choose the pick-up and delivery times. Also, you can arrange for the truck to travel directly from origin to final destination, or you can request intermittent stops along the way.

In addition, you have a varied choice of vehicle types to meet any special needs or size requirements. Plus, the entire cargo space is available for your sole use, which provides a cost-effective opportunity for transporting multiple items to the same destination.

Shipments Arrive Faster

An Exclusive Use Vehicle is an excellent solution for time-sensitive deliveries because it offers direct, point-to-point service. The freight onboard is yours and yours alone, so there are no intermittent stops along the way (unless you request them).

Also, expedited air service is not always a viable option for certain freight categories or sizes. Fortunately, an Exclusive Use Vehicle can transport just about any type or volume of freight you may have.

Minimal Handling

Because there are minimal stops, and no loading or unloading of cargo along the way, you don’t have to worry about fragile or odd-shaped items being subject to excessive handling. Once loaded, your freight remains on the vehicle untouched until its final destination is reached. Also, because your shipment is the only one aboard, there is no contact with any other freight that could harm or disturb it.

Saturn Freight offers Exclusive Use Vehicles for a variety of ground transportation needs. Whether your freight is fragile, oversized, or just needs to arrive as quickly as possible, our experienced staff can provide you with the optimal Exclusive Use solution.

Logistics incorporates several professional disciplines, including the management of personnel, information systems, purchasing and inventory, facilities, and distribution methods. Logistics management is considered both an art and a science.

What is the Goal of Logistics?

Basically, the goal of logistics in business is to efficiently and effectively supply customers at all levels with the raw materials, components, finished goods, services and related information they request.  Needless to say, shipping and transportation methods play an integral part in successful logistics management.

Third-party freight carriers offer many important inbound and outbound services that allow companies to meet their logistical goals. These services include standard and expedited freight transit via air or ground, domestic and international transportation, online shipping and tracking, traffic and carrier consulting, methods for cost and inventory reduction, and many others.

Saturn Freight Systems offers the logistics support you need to effectively manage the movement of your freight. Our experts will thoroughly evaluate your transportation needs, then develop a cost-effective routing and logistics management program specifically for you. You’ll gain better control of your freight flow while reducing your transportation expense and aggravation.

If a shipment is designated as Freight Prepaid, the carrier will invoice the consignor for the transportation charges. Conversely, if the shipment is designated as Freight Collect, the carrier will invoice the consignee.

Don’t be Confused…

Bear in mind that the terms Freight Prepaid and Freight Collect do not necessarily designate which party will ultimately bear the transportation costs…these two terms only designate which party is responsible to the carrier for the charges. For example, it is quite common for the consignor to pay the carrier under a Freight Prepaid arrangement and then subsequently bill the consignee for the shipping charges.

Also, contrary to what the terminology may imply, a Prepaid shipment does not mean it was paid for in advance. Nor does a Collect shipment necessarily mean it is “collect on delivery” (the consignee may have an account with the carrier and be invoiced after delivery has been made).

Whether your shipment is Prepaid or Collect, the shipping professionals at Saturn Freight are ready to assist you. Just give your nearest Saturn office a call to compare rates, services and delivery times.

Shipments are expedited when the delivery of freight is time critical, such as the need to meet a deadline, fill an emergency request, or prevent a costly out-of-stock situation.

Filling Your Need for Speed

As you would expect, expedited shipments will cost somewhat more than non-expedited shipments. This is because they require speedier processing and accelerated transportation methods. For example, using air transportation to supplement ground travel shortens the transit time considerably. In fact, most overnight and second-day deliveries rely on air travel. If air service is not an option, an exclusive use vehicle (a truck that travels directly from origin to destination) is a popular method for moving rush shipments by ground.

If you require expediting services for your time-sensitive shipments, contact the professionals at Saturn Freight Systems. Whether your freight is moving within the U.S., or into or out of another country, Saturn Freight offers a variety of expediting services to meet your unique needs.