What Are Business Days For Shipping
Shipping is crucial in the business lifecycle because it is the most important way businesses get products to their customers.
Shipping happens round the clock as multiple people worldwide are always buying stuff at the same time.
With the advent of eCommerce giants like Amazon, shipping is the order of almost every business day.
Shipping can be described as the physical moving of goods from one location to another. It is usually controlled by a shipping or logistic company that may operate locally or internationally.
Shipping is also a key element in international trade as, without efficient shipping processes, it would be impossible to get products from foreign countries, which will break down the global market, foreign exchange, and the stock market as well.
Shipping powers the world’s economies by ensuring that products will get to the people who need them on time and in good condition.
Shipping can also be a lot of work and is quite demanding as there are many hoops to pass through.
Attention to detail in the shipping process is also critical, and no one wants an order scheduled for one location to mistakenly end up in another location or have customers calling incessantly because their packages did not arrive, so there is no room for error in shipping especially when you there’s a lot of stuff to ship.
One of the challenges customers encounter when purchasing online products is when they aren’t shipped immediately, which can be inconvenient for customers who need their items right away.
This challenge can be traced down to when vendors do not know what days are business days for shipping.
Let us first understand what business days for shipping mean.
A business day is any day businesses operate and a business day for shipping refers to the days of the week where shipping or courier service companies operate.
Usually, the first day the package ships will not count as a business day. The business day count begins the next day. For example, if a package’s delivery timeline is five business days, then the day the order ships is not day one; day one is the day after.
Here is a clear illustration of how business days for shipping work;
Let’s say the package ships on Monday:
- Business Day is Tuesday
- Business Day is Wednesday
- Business Day is Thursday
- Business Day is Friday
- Business Day will be the following Monday because Saturday and Sunday are not business days. However, there are very few companies that operate on Saturdays.
Also, public holidays can affect business days for shipping and unforeseen delays.
Most shipping giants like FedEx, DHL, and other companies have already structured arrangements for shipping as well as policies and procedures, so when selecting a shipping company to handle your shipping needs, ensure that you go through their policies to know what they are and if they fit your business needs.
You can also check to find out their business days for shipping and if they fit into your plans.
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions when finding out what days are business days for shipping.
What Does 5-7 Working/Business Days Mean For Shipping?
In the shipping industry, five working days means Monday to Friday. This means that your orders will be delivered within five business days. Bear in mind that weekend does not count as a business day.
Also, remember that the day the package ships will not count as the first business day for shipping. The business days will start counting from the next day so long it’s not Saturday, Sunday, or a public holiday.
If an order ships on Friday, the next working day will be the following Monday (provided it’s not a public holiday)
Take, for instance, you place an order for a bag on Friday, and they say two working days. This means Monday and Tuesday. Saturday and Sunday are left out. Weekends are not working days; hence five working/business days means Monday to Friday.
How Long Exactly Will It Take For My Package To Arrive?
Most shipping companies will attach an ETA (expected time of arrival) to all package orders. However, there are several things that could cause a delay or even expedite the process.
However, most companies use a tracking option to help you monitor your shipment as it moves along the journey until it arrives at your doorstep or is ready for pickup.
There are several ways to check the status of your shipment: you can use your tracking or order number to track your package.
In most cases, when you track your shipment, you’ll see a possible delivery date and sometimes a near real-time update status.
Bear in mind that these updates work within the business days for shipping based on the company’s policies, so you always know where your package is at every point in time, whether there is a delay or not.
What Are The Standard Business Days For Shipping?
Many companies have different policies and operational structures. However, there are some standard shipping structures used globally to ensure that shipping is efficient enough to power world commerce.
Here are some standard shipping models and their delivery timelines based on the four most common package classes and their business days for shipping.
Priority Mail Flat Rate: 1–3 business days
Priority Mail Regional Rate: 1–3 business days
First-Class Package Service: 1–3 business days
Parcel Select: 2–8 business days
How Fast Can A Package Be Delivered?
Packages that need urgent attention can be put on the Express delivery plan based on whatever packages the shipping company offers. However, industry-wide the fastest shipping would be the priority Mail Express.
It can guarantee a 24 to 48-hour package delivery (1/2 business days) though it would be more expensive than regular shipping. There is also a $100 insurance fee added to the cost due to the urgency of the delivery process. This service is offered in many locations around the world.
What is the Best Business Day For Shipping To Send Out My Package?
In shipping, there aren’t necessarily any good or bad days to send out your package; however, you should look into how fast you want your package delivered or other factors important to you or your business.
You can also avoid sending packages out over the weekend or on Fridays because the next business day for shipping would be Monday unless you want the delivery to arrive early in the week.
After calculating the expected delivery timelines, you can send your package late the previous week and count the number of business days allotted to your package delivery.
Conclusion
Business days for shipping might differ based on the company, and for you to not miss out on their shipping days, it is advised to reach out for clarity.
Most companies operate only Mondays to Friday except on weekends and public holidays.
However, there are shipping companies that operate these days but are rare. Some of them offer pickups as an option to speed up their services.
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