Many carriers offer a number of products and services with different products having different capabilities and qualities. There are a huge number of different services offered, where the defining characteristic may be low cost, speed of delivery, freight type-specific (bulky or palletised), target market-specific (B2C, B2B, or both), and/or offering a time crucial delivery option.
With all these different products, it can be difficult to know what to expect. To simplify the comparison of shipping products, Shippit classifies carrier services into “like” products by “service level”, with the following service levels supported:
Standard
Express
Priority (Now, Sameday or Timeslot delivery)
On-Demand (within 3hours)
International (Express and Standard)
Standard Service Level.
A standard service level on Shippit indicates a varied transit time (i.e not overnight or express).
Standard services are normally facilitated by road or rail and not recommended for time-crucial deliveries.
It is a very cost effective service for intrastate & interstate deliveries.
Standard services are generally used for B2C type deliveries going to an end consumer rather than a business.
Dangerous goods are more likely to be approved using a standard service when travelling by road or rail.
Transit times vary dependant on time it takes to reach it's destination by road or rail and there is no guarantee of delivery speed with a standard service level.
Products in the standard service level often involve bulk collection (or dropoff) of parcels. The driver will perform multiple pickups, returning to a central sorting when at capacity. The parcels are then sorted and distributed to other vehicles for delivery locally, or to a sorting center closer to the shipments final destination.
Standard orders can be created in Shippit by using Send A Package, the New Orders Modal, and by API.
Standard orders created via the API or modal will be visible on the new orders screen and will wait to be labeled by user confirmation, or via the labeling API.
Bulky and palletised freight will be booked on a standard service level using a carrier that manages heavy goods and offers a tail-gate service.
Express Service Level.
An express service level on Shippit indicates a specific transit time is expected.
Express service level offers time specific transit times, normally next-day delivery between major metropolitan areas.
Freight on express service level normally moves by air to ensure the delivery timeframe is met which is why you may find stricter regulations when using an express carrier service.
Dangerous goods require strict approved when travelling by air.
Express orders can be created in Shippit by using Send A Package, the New Orders Modal, and by API.
Handy tip: you can use Shippit's 'Express Downgrader' tool to allocate orders to a cheaper standard service that meets an express service level if our system recognises it.
Both small and bulky products can be facilitated on some express services. It's recommended for both B2C and B2, intrastate and interstate deliveries.
On-Demand Service Level.
An On-demand service level on Shippit indicates an urgent delivery time is expected.
Shippit's on-demand service level aims to deliver within 3 hours from the time of placing a booking.
This service level uses a crowd-sourced model and has drivers dispatched for immediate pickup from the sender, and delivered directly to the recipient, without visiting a sorting station.
On-demand is otherwise know as a point to point delivery service.
On-demand orders will automatically label and request a pickup from the courier.
'NOW' orders will request immediate pickup and 'TIMESLOT' orders will request a pickup in a period closer to the requested delivery timeslot. Availability of the priority service level is influenced by the opening hours/days configured for the merchant.
On-demand 'NOW' orders can be created via the API by requesting a service level of “on-demand”. See here for more info.
On-demand 'TIMESLOT' orders can be created via the API populating automatically or using Send A Package, but not the New Orders model.
Recommended products for this service are small satchels and cartons for B2C /B2B time sensitive deliveries in intrastate and metropolitan areas only.
Bulky freight cannot currently be facilitated by our on-demand carriers.
Priority Service Level.
A priority service level on Shippit indicates a specific transit day and/or time is expected.
Shippit's priority service level aims to deliver within a specified delivery date and/or time.
Products in this service level have courier drivers dispatched for an allocated pickup time to ensure the delivery date and/or time is met.
Priority is otherwise know as a point to point delivery service and will automatically label and request a pickup from the courier.
Both small and bulky freight can be booked on priority services through Shippit depending on which carrier can facilitate bulky freight.
Priority Now.
The Priority 'NOW' service level is similar to the On-Demand service level, with delivery expected within 2-4 hours from booking. This is only available within live quoting and servicing hours.
Both small and bulky products can be shipped using this service for B2C /B2B time sensitive deliveries in intrastate and metropolitan areas only.
Priority Timeslot.
The Priority Timeslot service level is for products that can be delivered within a future 3-hour window. Products within this service level are useful when the recipient wants to nominate when they will be at the delivery address to take receipt of the shipment.
Both small and bulky products can be shipped using this service for B2C /B2B time sensitive deliveries in intrastate and metropolitan areas only.
Priority Sameday.
The Priority Sameday service level guarantees delivery before close of business day when booked before 2pm.
Both small and bulky products can be shipped using this service for B2C /B2B time sensitive deliveries in intrastate and metropolitan areas only
International Service Level.
Most international carriers offer both a standard, and express service level.
The International service level is for shipments that the origin of the shipment is a different country to the destination country. Because shipments are crossing international borders there are extra complexities involved with shipments/products in this service level.
International shipments have extra requirements for customs clearance, including extra documentation (automatically generated by Shippit) and the possibility of duties or taxes.
Express service level offers time specific transit times where as a standard service is less time stringent and therefore a more cost effective cross border solution.
International freight normally travels by air which is why you will find strict regulations when using this service.
Dangerous require strict approval when travelling by air.
International orders can be created in Shippit by using Send A Package, the New Orders Modal, and by API.
Bulky freight cannot be facilitated by our partnered international carriers.