Small business owners are some of the toughest, most savvy, and most independent-minded individuals out there. It’s that scrappy, entrepreneurial spirit that leads them to success.
But there is one stumbling block that many of them hit regularly. It’s failing to leverage resources for non-core functions because they believe they are not big enough to benefit from outside vendors. Just because they are accustomed to struggling through tough challenges doesn’t mean it’s the only way to solve a problem.
Smart small business owners know that surrounding themselves with talented and driven business partners propels their businesses forward even faster, especially when those businesses help manage non-core functions like mailing and shipping. In my decades of experience in this industry, there are several reasons why small businesses have brought our team on board to manage their mailings.
It Saves Time. Outsourcing your mail logistics saves time, allowing you to focus on your core operations. Yes, you can handle that mailing yourself, but as a small business, your time and personnel are likely limited. Mail and freight are our business. We do it every day, and we’re good at it. We will do it fast and accurately and get a great price.
It’s Highly Cost-Effective. Even with small mailings, using experienced mail logistics professionals can cut costs while improving the quality of your services. We have customers who send as little as one pallet of mail or freight with us, and we are still able to save them time and money while improving deliverability.
Professionals Provide Accuracy and Reliability. The USPS is a complex system, especially when it comes to mass mailing and postal compliance. When you work with a mail logistics professional, we handle all these requirements, as well as work with any independent freight carriers, to ensure that your mail is delivered accurately and reliably, reducing the chance of errors and managing any issues should they crop up along the way.
It’s Scalable. As your business grows, we can easily scale your mail logistics services as we’ve already got the systems and suppliers in place. It’s as simple as one phone call or email rather than having to scramble to scale your internal systems and/or find new carriers who can handle your increased volumes or new geographies.
Still not sure if mail logistics makes sense for you? Send us your Mail.dat file or shipping details and we’ll provide a free quote and consultation.
Fundraising programs require specialized focus and skills to be truly successful. So in 1975 when the President of Wake Forest University needed help with the University’s development (fundraising) program, he turned to a recent graduate to help build its outreach program. That was the start of Excalibur Direct Marketing, which today has built its expertise and grown to serve other universities and non-profits, as well as political campaigns, now under the new owner, Jay Turner. Its current client base includes organizations of all sizes all across the US, as well as select B2C companies.
“Being able to pick up the phone and say ‘we’ve got a 100,000 piece mailer that needs to go out today’ and not only have Altrans make it happen but still be able to save our clients money on that shipment, that’s the kind of support that makes it possible for us to consistently meet the high expectations of our customers.”
– Tom Mabe, IT Manager and Systems Administrator, Excalibur Direct Marketing
But even with over 50 years of experience in comprehensive direct marketing, print and mail services, Excalibur’s team still turns to industry experts for help. Competitive edge is what keeps them at the top of their game, so they chose to partner with Altrans Postal Solutions, an alliance that dates all the way back to 2008 (under the previous name of WIT Postal Services). Since then, our work has been focused on keeping their innovative approach to direct mail campaigns at the forefront of their industry.
Expanding Market Reach
Unlike many of its peers, Excalibur has its own pre-sort facility. While this provides some convenience and cost savings, it’s only the first step in optimizing mailing logistics.
“Altrans provides us with logistics services to transport our mailings to various SCFs and NDCs throughout the country, something that we simply don’t have internal resources to accomplish,” explains Tom Mabe, IT Manager and Systems Administrator at Excalibur who’s deeply involved in putting together customer shipments every day.
Working with Altrans Postal Solutions allows Excalibur to expand its reach and compete on a national scale by improving cost savings, delivery times and localization of pieces.
“Our partnership with Altrans has virtually eliminated any geographic barriers to our business. We’re able to meet the needs of our customers whether they’re in our own backyard in North Carolina, in the Midwest, Northeast or even the West Coast. ”
The large network of Altrans Postal Solutions carriers allows Excalibur to drop ship mailings to virtually any SCF or NDC in the US, providing that local point of origin that its customers desire.
“Many of our customers, especially universities and non-profits, want their mail to originate from the local market in which their audience lives,” Tom explains. “To maintain trust and credibility with their audiences, it’s vital that the pieces appear to have originated locally.”
Turnaround in Hours, Not Days
When time is of the essence, Altrans always pulls through.
“There have been many times when we’ve received rush jobs or a customer wants to make a last-minute change to their mailing and Altrans has gone above and beyond to make it happen,” says Tom.
“This is especially true of the political mailers,” adds Ryan Talbert, VP of Client Services at Excalibur. “These campaigns have many moving parts, massive budgets and short deadlines — we’re not talking days, but hours. There would be times when jobs would literally show up on our dock with little to no advanced notice with the expectation that we’d turn them around immediately. Altrans has more than rolled with the punches in these situations, often turning around logistics plans for 15 or more mailings in less than an hour and conducting more same-day turnarounds than I can count.”
This flexibility and ability to execute on a plan quickly and accurately played a critical role during the 2024 elections. There were many times during the election cycle when the volume of pieces coming through Excalibur exceeded its printing capacity. To meet the demand, the company partnered with other local direct mail and printing companies to inkjet the pieces. Excalibur would then coordinate with Altrans to pick up these pieces from the partner vendors as well as Excalibur for delivery to the SCFs.
“During the 2024 election, we had several different candidate mailers totaling well over 1 million pieces. Altrans not only provided us with a mail plan but also access to fleets with larger vehicles and longer range to accommodate the volume and reach of these mailers,” adds Tom. “By sorting, palletizing and then drop shipping them to various entry points across the US, we were able to maximize the savings for multiple clients.”
A Winning Combination
“Being able to pick up the phone and say ‘we’ve got a 100,000 piece mailer that needs to go out today’ and not only have Altrans make it happen but still be able to save our clients money on that shipment, that’s the kind of support that makes it possible for us to consistently meet the high expectations of our customers,” explains Tom.
“While working with Altrans, I can’t remember ever hearing about issues with shipping and logistics,” Ryan adds. “Altrans makes sure we have the logistics in place to make these mailings happen, especially when clients move up a date or ask for a short turnaround.”
“Altrans has also made it easy for us to simplify the conversation around mail logistics and pricing with our customers,” Ryan continues. “Today’s marketer has so many channels to contend with and isn’t necessarily as educated about the postal service and shipping as they used to be. Altrans provides experienced, full-service logistics planning that eliminates the need to dig into the minutia of how to get the best service and pricing. We’re just confident that it’s a given and so are our customers.”
“A key part of our mission statement is succeeding through partnerships – partnering with our clients, with other mail houses and with our vendors,” Ryan concludes. “It’s so important to us that we’re in win-win situations with everyone and Altrans has been an integral part of our success as well as that of our clients.”
Where are the opportunities to improve on your mailing and logistics services for your clients? Contact us to discuss how partnering with Altrans can give you a competitive advantage and increase your customer satisfaction.
One of the most talked about topics of 2024 was Artificial Intelligence. From your home to your car to your business, AI is everywhere and spreading fast. One of the biggest discussions surrounds whether it is truly beneficial or something of a concern, especially for service-based businesses like ours. Like most controversial topics, the answer is not a simple one and lies somewhere in the grey, murky middle-ground of it simply depends on how you use it.
The Pros of AI for Shipping Services
24/7 Availability. Artificial Intelligence is an on-call customer service representative that doesn’t need sleep or breaks, so it can provide customer service around the clock. This makes it perfect for quick and simple queries like package tracking, checking invoices, and even simple price quotes.
Automating Simple Tasks. Similarly, AI is perfectly suited for tackling mundane, repetitive tasks such as invoices, labels, and as mentioned above, simple customer service inquiries.
Where AI Fails for Logistics
Problem Solving. While Artificial Intelligence may be able to track your shipment or tell you if it’s lost or not where it’s supposed to be, it isn’t going to pick up the phone and find out why or get it back on track for you. This is where the assistance and knowledge of an experienced professional are essential.
Specialty Pricing and Customization. The best value for most mailing and shipping quotes come from leaning on the expertise of a logistics professional. While AI can quote a price from point A to B, it’s the personal knowledge of the complexities of the USPS and private carriers that is needed to achieve the best rates and service.
Lack of Empathy and Creativity. AI’s greatest failing is the most obvious, its lack of humanity. While AI is improving every day, it’s only as smart as the information it is fed and, to date, we’ve yet to teach it how to truly understand the very human condition of empathy. There is an art to customer service and knowing when it’s not just about solving a problem, but also understanding and empathizing with the customer’s pain. Sometimes we just need to speak to a person, hear an understanding voice, and be reassured that the problem is going to be solved. AI simply isn’t there yet and who knows if it ever will be.
AI’s Place in Your Business
Artificial Intelligence adds value to business services, but only when used judiciously. It’s great for mundane, repetitive tasks and simple, customer service inquiries. Here at Altrans, we leverage technology for all these advantages but it doesn’t take the place of a human perspective for more complex services. We always provide our customers with a human review of their project to ensure we’re able to provide the best, most effective and most efficient solution required.
We also believe that AI can’t hold a candle to the value of human connection. AI is just another rapidly developing technology to leverage for the benefit of your customers, but we are nowhere near a point where it can replace real human interaction and talent. That’s why every one of our customers knows that they can reach a human being by phone, chat or email, whether AI isn’t doing what you need it to, or even if you just prefer to talk to a person.
How are you leveraging AI in your shipping and logistics planning? Reach out to us to discuss the best ways to apply artificial intelligence technology to your program.
To say Pressworks does “a lot of political mailings” is a subtle way of stating that they reach millions of mailboxes in the critical state of Ohio every election season.
“Altrans has been a lifesaver to me over these past several weeks. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve scheduled a job, canceled a job, rescheduled that same job for the same day, still not mailed that job…now take all of that and multiply it by about a thousand. I don’t know how they did it, but Altrans came through for us each and every time. We couldn’t do what we do without them.”
Jamison Dumas, Mailing Operations Manager
Political Mail is a “Special Beast”
In the 6 weeks leading up to the November elections, Pressworks printed and mailed nearly 5 million pieces of political mail all over the highly contested state of Ohio. And that’s on top of its regular print and mail business for the typical busy Fall season.
Jamison Dumas, Mailing Operations Manager, explains that October is already a busy month with marketing departments making their year-end pushes. With 2024 being an election year, it took their workload to a whole new level.
Add to that, the particular nature of political mail.
“Political mail is a special beast,” continues Jamison. “It’s very reactive in nature. Much of the messaging is commentary on a recent event or comment so timing is of the absolute essence.”
“It’s not unusual for an order to come into our designers and the customer to ask if we can get it in the mail that very same day. And while we can’t do that, I can’t tell you how many times I have called Altrans at 2:30 asking if they could get a mailing out the door that day and they made it happen.”
Balancing Cost Savings and Deliverability
In addition to political campaigns, Pressworks works with both government agencies and educational institutions, organizations traditionally known for being budget-conscious. Being able to achieve reasonable in-home delivery times along with savings on postage is a clear advantage for Pressworks, something Altrans has helped them achieve by integrating freight services into the mix.
“We’re able to achieve substantial savings by delivering mail pieces by freight to the postal center closest to their final destinations. In many cases, we’re saving as much as 7 to 10 cents per piece,” Jamison explains. “When you have mailings of 10,000 or more pieces, this becomes a no-brainer.”
In the past, Jamison had used mail consolidators to achieve these kinds of cost savings, but that cost savings came at the sacrifice of in-home dates.
“The problem with consolidators is timing,” says Jamison. “While you’re waiting for the consolidator to amass enough pieces for a shipment, your mailer could be missing a critical in-home window, something especially critical for reactionary pieces like political mailers.”
In fact, the last time Jamison worked with a company that wasn’t using Altrans, election season was a nightmare.
“We were working with a consolidator and honestly, we just couldn’t use them for the political mailings due to the quick timing needed,” he explains. “So we found ourselves hiring temporary drivers and renting trucks to handle the logistics in-house just to get it done. Not only was it stressful, we didn’t have the resources Altrans has so we couldn’t maximize the postage savings for our customers like we do here at Pressworks.”
Expert Advice for Mailers
“Look at the numbers and what best fits your customers’ needs. The cheapest option is not always the best option. Neither is the most expensive. If your customers are like ours, they’re going to prioritize in-home delivery dates and you’re not going to find anyone who can turn things around faster than a third party logistics provider like Altrans,” says Jamison. “I’ve worked with a multitude of logistics options and this has been the most seamless process so far. We are in complete control of the in-home delivery dates and the savings are top notch. ”
If you’re looking for a better solution for your customers’ mailings, or are curious about the potential cost savings a third party logistics provider like Altrans could deliver, contact us today for free consultation.
Founded in 1941 by John Thysse, Thysse provides a broad variety of brand and marketing solutions all backed by a core founding principle— deliver exceptional outcomes. And given its growth from a small garage and a single letterpress in Madison, WI, to Thysse’s current 95,000 sq. ft. facility, one can say that the company must excel at delivering on that promise. Now in its third generation as a family run business, Thysse continues to grow its operations, a large portion of which is still print and direct mail services.
Thysse first discovered Altrans Postal Solutions when one of its marketing firm clients wanted to utilize drop shipping to save on its mailings. A fairly mail-savvy client, they had some great ideas but not necessarily the industry connections or knowledge to know which carriers were best suited for this kind of work.
“We knew it was vital to use a freight company that specialized in mail because there are nuances on a postal unit dock that most freight companies aren’t familiar with or don’t want to deal with,” says Thysse Mail Manager, Kristina Peer. “If you aren’t comfortable with the United States Postal Service process, you jeopardize the mailing not getting there at all.”
That’s when they contacted Altrans.
Altrans was able to arrange a freight solution that took the ins and outs of drop shipping to Sectional Center Facilities (SCFs) into account, successfully implementing the drop shipping strategy.
“Seeing the success this client experienced, it was an easy decision to expand the approach to more of our mail customers,” comments Peer.
Thysse utilized Altrans’ expertise to ensure the time-sensitive delivery of several large mailings for another client to promote its events in multiple locations. These campaigns were also highly successful, landing in home on the target dates as promised with a guaranteed delivery rate that kept the projects on budget.
“This client’s concerns weren’t even necessarily about budget, but about getting their pieces into the hands of potential customers on a specific date,” explains Peer. “With their markets scheduled for the weekend, it was essential that these pieces get there before the scheduled events.” The cost savings were a bonus win, making Thysse an even more impressive partner for their customer.
Do it. Don’t think twice. I may have knowledge of the local offices and companies and how they work, but Altrans has relationships all over the country and has been able to negotiate rates I’m just not able to.” – Kristina Peer, Mail Manager at Thysse
Thysse continues to use Altrans with the bulk of its customers for mailings of all sizes with varied requirements and Peer couldn’t be happier.
“Partnering with a company like Altrans really lines up with our value set, they offer peace of mind and consistently go above and beyond,” she continues. “I’ve had Jeremy Albright get on a video call and help me restack pallets to lower freight costs. He’s called me after hours to resolve paperwork issues with carriers to avoid redelivery fees and keep mailings on schedule. The whole team has taken care of everything from how to get mail onto a truck, making sure paperwork is in order, to pricing, scheduling and more. That’s the kind of service you get with these guys, they take care of it all.”
Peer has been managing shipments and mail for over eight years and is quite knowledgeable about the process, but still has this advice for other shipping managers when it comes to hiring a logistics company like Altrans:
“Do it. Don’t think twice. I may have knowledge of the local offices and companies and how they work, but Altrans has relationships all over the country and has been able to negotiate rates I’m just not able to. Plus, working with Altrans eliminates the need for me to go out there and get multiple quotes. When I need to do a mailing, it’s as simple as one email or call to Altrans and they do the rest.”
Thysse’s exceptional print capabilities and Altrans’ leading-edge logistics solutions are a great example of how the right strategic partnerships can add value for both the provider and client. Interested in learning more? Contact us for a no obligation consultation.
As shipping and logistics become more efficient and consolidated, your company should be thinking about new options for shipping that can save money, bring efficiency and provide better service for your customers. LTL is one method that can deliver this.
Less-than-truckload or less-than-load shipping (LTL) is used for transporting small freight or mailings when the shipment doesn’t require an entire truck. Typically used for shipments totaling 150-15,000 pounds, the shipper pays for only the portion of the trailer their freight occupies, while other shippers and their shipments fill the rest of the space.
Why Use LTL?
LTL has many advantages over other low-cost mailing solutions like consolidation and co-mingling. Most importantly, it is faster and more trackable than consolidation and co-mingling, so if you have a piece that requires a specific delivery window LTL may be a good solution. LTL is also obviously less expensive than FTL, or full truckload, so if your mailer is substantial, but still not large enough to require an entire trailer, you can still take advantage of the benefits of an expedited shipper through LTL.
What Should I Consider When Opting for LTL?
While LTL is a great option for your mailings, like many aspects of shipping, it pays to know the inner workings of the industry, especially when there’s a handoff to the United States Postal Service. When opting for LTL, consider these three tips:
Choose your carrier wisely. Not all carriers are created equal. Understand what regions they serve and the schedules they keep. Ask if their customer service is 100% self-serve or will you be able to get a person on the phone if you have a question or hit a snag with your shipment. And if you need a hand-off to the USPS, do they understand how to do that (hint: it’s not as simple as it sounds)?
Have your postal documentation in order. One of the most common reasons we see for shipping delays is problems with postal documentation. Whether it’s inaccurate postage, missing forms or pallet labels, problems with your postal documentation can halt your shipment in its tracks. Check and double-check that it’s in order before and during the shipping process.
Consider hiring a mail logistics partner. If you conduct frequent mailings or freight shipments then hiring a mail logistics company might be one of the best investments you can make. As experts in their field, they will ensure that the proper carriers are hired for each job, that documentation is in order, and that each shipment is meticulously tracked from start to finish. Additionally, a top-notch partner will save you time and money by consulting with you to ensure that you’re using the right service for each shipment.If you have questions about LTL shipping or other shipments, please reach out. Altrans Postal Solutions has decades of experience in direct mail planning and shipping logistics, and we’re happy to help.
On July 14, 2024, the United States Postal Service (USPS) increased postal rates for the second time this year. While this was announced well in advance and the agency has been increasing rates at more frequent intervals recently, many will still be concerned about hitting postage budget limits before year end.
What are the best ways to manage an inevitable situation drastically affecting your budget?
Keep a clear and open mind.
Price increases are an unfortunate part of doing business. Whether you figured an increase into this year’s budget estimates or not, you can adjust to these changes if you approach it with a clear and open mind. The market will typically justify your company’s pricing with profits following suit. Have faith in your ability to manage your business and be flexible to options that help you stay on track. If a postage increase is the worst thing that happens to your business this year, consider it a great year!
Be creative with your systems and designs
If you are faced with needing to cut your postal budget, look to more affordable piece sizes and weights or consider different delivery options or services. Although a glossy, full-color catalog may stand out in the mailbox, you can also try testing a lighter, flat mailer with a QR code that takes your customers to your website with those same products and see how that performs. Adding more lead time to your campaign and using a different mail service can also help cut costs. Could LTL, comailing or comingling be something you could take advantage of?
Whenever possible, look to changes in your creative or delivery services and save cutting your audience size as an absolute last resort. You may even find that these changes free up budget allowing you to increase your list size and reach even more potential customers.
Review and investigate every aspect of your program
It can also pay to take a second look at your entire approach to mailing, not just the big budget hits. Putting a fresh set of eyes on your lists, designs, schedules, service providers and anything that touches your mail campaigns can open up opportunities for not only cost savings, but delivery efficiencies and performance improvements.
When was the last time you really dug into the details of how your mailers are being produced and delivered? The industry is changing and innovating, and postage increases are nowhere near as simple as they seem on the surface. Most times they are accompanied with changes to service-level discounts that are added or eliminated. That means a class level, service or drop-in point that once made good financial sense for you may no longer, but without being well versed in the intricacies of the postal code, it’s hard to keep up with that.
Think ahead
The bottom line with this increase, and others you will see this and next year, is that costs can and will rise, it’s the nature of the economy. If you didn’t plan ahead for an increase this year, be sure that you keep it in mind for next year’s budgeting. Your best course of action with postage is the same as with all aspects of your business: look for creative ways to cut costs without negatively impacting your operations.
And when it comes to the complexities of mail, bringing in an industry expert to review your lists and systems is a worthwhile investment, especially in the face of changes like what we’re facing now. Our team is always happy to provide a complimentary consultation that brings fresh eyes to your program. We specialize in helping companies catch up to industry trends and find efficiencies that extend budgets a little further.
According to a recent survey by the United States Post Office, 68% of people polled say that direct mail is one of the most credible sources of information in a political campaign. And with $10.4 billion projected to be spent on advertising for this coming election cycle, you can be sure that political mailers will be landing in mailboxes everywhere.
As you (and the candidates) start planning for fall campaigns, here are our top three tips to keep in mind to ensure the best results.
Pick the Right Service
With most mailers being highly targeted and timed, choosing the right service level is essential. If you’re looking for delivery on a specific date, then the faster you can get your pieces into the delivery stream, the better your chances of precise timing. Looking for specific geo-targeting or blanketing a specific region or community? Consider Every Door Direct Mail (known as EDDM) from the United States Postal Service. From your mailing list to your design to your mail delivery services there’s a lot to consider, but there are many companies like this, including Altrans Postal Solutions, that specialize in these services who are ready to assist you.
Pick the Right Carrier
Just like choosing the right service level is essential, so is picking the right carrier. For time-critical pieces, a high-end LTL carrier with a strong reputation for good service is your best choice. But be prepared to get creative, as even these carriers can experience volume overload. Maintaining open communication about your needs and delivery targets can make sure the carrier keeps you informed in the event you need to make alternative arrangements such as delivering the pieces to them rather than relying on standard pickup service.
Plan Well in Advance
As the saying goes, timing is everything, and with mailers, planning in advance, especially for potential pitfalls in schedules, is positively essential for success. From weather delays to excess volume to staffing shortages and holidays, be sure to allow enough time for your piece to make it IN time by padding your schedule for unforeseen circumstances like these.
The Bottom Line
When it comes to political mailers, or any time-critical mailers, planning and knowing your services and carriers are what stand between you and success. Do your research, plan in advance, and communicate with your carriers and customers to set expectations and keep in the know of current factors that could affect your mailings. When in doubt, hire an expert in the field to advise and even manage the job for you. It’s an investment that will surely pay off in the end, in more ways than one.
If you have questions about how to maximize your results for political mail or other shipments, please reach out. Altrans Postal Solutions has decades of experience in direct mail planning and shipping logistics, and we’re happy to help.
In shipping and logistics, we’ve been watching the slow decline of the United States Postal Service for some time. And although many carriers and drop shippers like Amazon have taken a bite out of its package business, there’s one place the USPS still reigns supreme—direct mail.
If you’ve visited your mailbox recently, you know mail isn’t dead, but most likely it’s not a letter from Grandma waiting for you or even your electric bill. Instead, it’s a hefty stack of direct mail pieces of all shapes and sizes. So who’s sending these? According to direct mail marketer, Postalytics, the top industries utilizing direct mail are:
Automotive
Travel
Financial Services
Insurance
Retail and E-commerce
Home Services
Real Estate
Non-Profits
Education
Healthcare
And why? Well why not? It’s targeted, personalized, can have a great response rate, be highly trackable and best of all, it’s tangible.
The Lifeblood That’s Draining Your Budget
Direct mail is arguably the lifeblood of the USPS and, if you’re in one of these businesses that relies heavily on direct mail, it’s likely a large part of your budget. So while certainly not taking its last breath by any means, the USPS has definitely struggled in recent years to reinvent itself (Postmaster General Louis DeJoy unveiled a decade-long plan, Delivery for America, in 2021) but that innovation comes at a price that is passed on in the form of regular increases to postage and shipping rates, five of them in fact, since 2021 with more sure to come.
You Can Lower Your Postage and Shipping Costs
So when your business relies on direct mail, how do you fight these ever-rising costs while ensuring your pieces are delivered on time and to their target audience? Check out Four Ways to Save on Your Mailing and Freight. It’s filled with insights from professional mail planning and logistics experts that can help even the savviest of mailers up their direct mail game. Check it out and let me know what you think.
