Blog

Within the logistics and shipping industry, lead time plays a critical role in preparing, processing, and handling orders. Consumers and businesses also use lead times as a way to plan ahead for their orders.

Today, we'll answer “What is lead time?” and “What does lead time mean in shipping?” We’ll also discuss why it’s vital for your business, the different categories, factors influencing lead times, and other important information.

Shipping costs have become a hot topic of discussion within business circles. With the U.S. inflation rate hitting 7.11% in Q4 of 2022, shipping prices have risen globally.

Business owners may see a flat shipping price only to find extra fees on their invoices. These are accessorial charges, and failing to get a handle on them can eat into your profits.

We’ll discuss accessorial charges, why they exist, and how to stop them from getting out of control.

Shipping a box domestically is as easy as choosing a carrier, scheduling a pickup, and letting the carrier take care of the rest. On the other hand, shipping internationally has wrinkles, including additional charges, transit times, and clearing customs on the other side.

There has been an increased demand for reliable international shipping recently, with eCommerce retail sales expected to grow by 14.1% in 2022. It leaves small and large businesses trying to figure out the cheapest way to ship a box internationally.