Your business relies on US based air courier services, and your customer relies on your business for their all-important products. Use US based air courier services advice and ratings in order to find the most reliable, consumer-friendly air courier service for your business. Ratings will give you an idea of overall consumer satisfaction, safety, and delivery damage information, so you can choose the right US courier for your business needs.

When you look for US air courier companies' ratings, look for:

1. Legitimate sites that rate air courier services.

2. Professional associations that offer approvals of national air couriers.

3. Analysis and assessment of air courier companies across the United States.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Visit legitimate sites that offer consumer reviews and experiences with US air couriers

Consumers love to complain about service, so the best way you can find out reliable, recent information about airfreight courier service is to read consumer Web sites that evaluate a company's service.

I recommend: My3Cents offers a consumer complaint and review area for domestic air couriers across the country. Epinions.com offers consumer ratings and reviews of us air couriers.

Watch professional associations that rate and give advice on national air couriers

Professional logistics and freight organizations keep track of air couriers in the US and reward the ones they think do the best jobs. Look for annual awards that recognize the best service and operations. Look for professional analysis of the different competitors in this area, too.

I recommend: The Association for Postal Commerce offers a detailed analysis of "Competition Within the United States Parcel Delivery Market" that rates each of the major courier companies. The Transportation Marketing Communications Association (TMCA) sponsors the annual Compass Awards that reward domestic air courier and other logistics companies in several categories.

Read professional advice and ratings of air couriers in the US from experts

Experts in the industry have insight into US national courier service ratings, analysis, and can advise you on the best courier services for your business. Look for comparisons of the different services to help you choose the right air courier for your business needs.

I recommend: Emerald Group Publishing offers a detailed article on consumer satisfaction between FedEx and UPS. Air Cargo World rates the best US air courier companies in their annual report.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Don't choose your air courier company by price alone. Reputation, customer service, on time delivery, and condition of your deliveries all matter. When you choose a US air courier, look for one with a customer service ranking that matches their price structure and you'll find the right air courier for your needs, and that will support your profit margin, too.

US air couriers help you send your packages rapidly and with great care. Their services keep you competitive by delivering top-notch products fast. Whether it’s merchandise or a recovery package, air courier services deliver.

US based air courier services come in all shapes and sizes, and most would bend over backwards to earn your business. Shop around and find the one that will be a good fit for your geographic area, then work with them to come to your price point.

To find an air courier service to fit you:

1. Start local and work your way out when looking for US couriers. The smaller the distance the courier has to go to reach you, the lower your shipping costs are going to be on both ends.

2. Look to a regional hub if you don’t have a close air courier company in your region.

3. Consider a national service as your next option.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find US air couriers online

As you begin your search, look to the wide variety of carriers available to choose from on the web. Determine feasibility of their air courier service based on distance from you and price. Look to service providers like Direct Rush or National Air Cargo.

I recommend: Direct Rush specializes in direct air freight and trucking services. National Air Cargo has no size or weight restrictions, and they offer next day, 2-day and deferred services.

Look at big companies for air courier services

US based air courier services Fed-ex and UPS both offer services to hand carry your goods from sender to destination. Often times, this will keep your package out of the customs abyss as the courier can claim it as part of his or her luggage.

I recommend: FedEx offers a door-to-door service where 1 of their representatives will hand carry the package from point A to point B. UPS also offers you an express hand carried option.

Set up an account with your US courier

Work with your air courier service to set up an account with them, while at the same time negotiate your shipping rate. See what kinds of discounts apply based on the amount US national courier service you will need.

I recommend: N&S Messenger Services offer rush and same day deliveries, as well as a regular mail run. They also offer doctor and hospital runs, small to midsized trucking and international shipping. IES Express offers next day and 2-day courier service to the 48 continental states.

Seek a US courier that also offers international services

You never know when the need will arise that you need to ship an international package. If you work with a company that already offers you discounted rates, you don't have to ship a single international package at a higher rate through an untested company.

I recommend: Primac is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. With International Parcel Services, you can save up to 50% because of their high volume of shipments. Many Fortune 500 companies use World Courier Ground.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When choosing a company ask what their on-time delivery percentage is and ask to speak to references.

US based air courier services have several measures for their success. Among those are timeliness, areas covered, expense control, profitability, and reliability. Air courier service is used to deliver highly sensitive documents, time-sensitive gifts and the carriers are particularly stretched during the December holiday season. With the growth in ecommerce over the past 15 years, air couriers in the US have grown in importance and prominence.

Prices are affected by the US courier service offered. Generally, waiting an extra day or even an extra few hours to have something delivered will reduce the price. The amount of miles covered also affects the price for domestic air courier services. There are several US air courier companies, so it pays to shop and compare for the best price and the service that best meet your needs.

1. Make a list of all the US couriers and then review the prices and services each offers.

2. Understand US based air courier services pricing and costs and figure those into your budget.

3. Compare the prices and services for each of the US national air couriers and either enter into a contract agreement or select a different company each time.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Develop a list of US based air courier services companies and research their pricing

There are a finite number of national, US-based air couriers and learning who they are as well as US based air courier services pricing and costs is far from impossible. Knowledge is power, and dealing with couriers while understanding the competitors' pricing will help you negotiate a lower price while retaining maximum services.

I recommend: According to the Manta website, there are about 1,700 US-based air courier service companies, and each one is listed there along with contact and website information. This will familiarize you with your options and help you find one that suits you. To finish up your baseline research, you can visit APX-Air and get information regarding what it costs to ship freight from the US to anywhere in the world.

Obtain information on working with US air courier companies

Now that you know who all the courier services are and are armed with some baseline pricing information, it's time to understand how to best work with a US air courier service. Learning how to cut corners will save you money and help you pay just for the service you really need.

I recommend: There is an excellent article on the Directory M website that will help you learn how the US air courier business works and offers tips on how you can best work with the carriers. The Postcom website has a dynamic listing of issues and trends in the air courier business and is an excellent resource for refining your dealings with the US (and international) courier industry.

Visit the websites of the leading US air courier services and match their services with your needs

The leading US air courier companies since 2000, have been FedEx (formally, Federal Express) and UPS (formally, United Parcel Service). It will pay for you to visit their sites and familiarize yourself with the companies' cultures, prices, products and services and general US based air courier services pricing and costs. The movie 'Castaway' also captures the reputation FedEx would like to engender.

I recommend: The "Business Solutions" page of the FedEx website is a great place to start as it is a fountain of pricing and service information. There is a direct counterpart with similar information on the UPS site. Finally, it wouldn't hurt to check out what products and services the United States Postal Service offers in its air courier business.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you are interested in shipping large quantities, it helps to also seek info on air freight courier service. The relationship you develop with an air courier company in the U.S. will benefit you when you have international shipping needs as well as freight services needs.

US based air courier services are responsible for transporting freight by air all over the world. US based air courier services include everything from deferred services, for finding the most economical option for shipping, to hand carried courier service, for the most urgent shipping needs. US based air couriers also may offer a wide range of additional services, such as managing customs and direct delivery to international destinations, so knowing the terms for the services you need and the procedures to follow is important in getting your freight from here to there.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Direct air freight

Direct air freight is an air courier service that manages all international customs and border regulations, and delivers individual freight components directly to international destinations. Direct air freight services can deliver individual pieces of cargo to multiple destinations overseas, and will ensure that your cargo meets customs regulations before shipping.

I recommend: Read more about direct air freight services provided by UPS and other US based couriers.

Deferred services

Deferred services describe the type of air courier service used by companies that do not have urgent shipping deadlines and prefer to wait for the next available air shipment. Deferred services are the least expensive type of courier service based in the US, and typically take 3 to 5 business days to place a shipment on an aircraft.

I recommend: UniGroup Worldwide UTS provides a concise definition of deferred services in its air freight glossary.

Hand carrier

Hand carrier courier services are a premium type of air courier option that picks up your shipment from your home or office and proceeds with direct mailing. Hand carrier services are also a type of door-to-door freight service, meaning that neither the sender nor the recipient is required to visit the US based courier's office or hub.

I recommend: Crane Worldwide provides a short description of hand-carry air freight shipping in its description of services.

Tare weight

Tare weight is the weight of a cargo receptacle used by air couriers, and is calculated when empty so that the weight of the container can be taken again when full to measure the shipping weight charged to the customer.

I recommend: Wise Geek offers a definition of tare weight as used by air couriers and trucking companies in the United States.

Value for Customs Purposes Only

Value for Customs Purposes Only is a term used to describe the assessed value of a package or the contents of cargo being shipped by US based air couriers internationally. The value listed for the cargo is used only for customs regulations compliance, as customs typically stipulates additional rules for items over a certain monetary value. It does not reflect the manufacturer's or the customer's assessment of the value.

I recommend: Airfreight.com provides a concise definition of Value for Customs Purposes Only in its glossary of terms.

Air Waybill

The Air Waybill, or AWB, is a form describing the contents of a package and is used by US based air couriers for international transactions to document items being shipped. The Air Waybill is also used to track individual items in a freight shipment from sender to recipient.

I recommend: Read more about the Air Waybill and how it is used from TradeXpro.