Trade Show Shipping Cost Reduction Checklist

There’s no doubt that trade shows are critical in positioning your company to your ideal audience. Most professionals that attend industry specific trade shows are excited by the education they will receive and motivated to find solutions their challenges and goal attainment.

Trade shows serve as a near perfect environment to gather qualified leads and opportunities. So, investing in these types of events are critical. However, they are not cheap! Sponsorship fees, hotel, travel, meals, staff training, drayage, and one the most expensive aspects - shipping.

Yes, shipping can be quite expensive, especially if you have a rather large, complex booth that requires full trailer loads. But the good news is that through proper planning and strategic thinking, you can reduce your shipping cost, in most cases significantly.

Here at Donovan Logistics, our trade show logistics experts are constantly looking for ways to add value for our clients. One way we do that is to proactively collaborate and suggest all the possible ways to reduce their shipping costs. This helps our client maximize their trade show budgets as well as positions us as strategic long term partner for them.

With 60+ years in business since 1966, here are our top suggestions for reducing your shipping cost.

How Are Shipping Costs Calculated?

If your company exhibits at a lot of shows and has a pretty decent sized booth, then you are familiar with Van Lines vs. Common carriers. In most cases, you’ll want to use a Van Line that specializes in trade show logistics. (more on that later).

When using a specialized trade show van line, shipping costs are based on the linear feet used in the trailer, the miles traveled, and the fuel used. Weight isn't typically a factor in pricing unless your shipment is extremely heavy. In addition, these charges are governed by tariffs, which are basically U.S. and international regulations regarding transportation costs

Van Lines like Mayflower for example offer the fastest service besides of course small package carriers such as UPS and FedEx. This is because these loads go directly to its destination venue without any additional stops. As, opposed to common carriers which typically make multiple less than truck load (LTL) pick up stops along the way. Common carriers cost less, but the risk of damage and late arrivals are real.

 (  For easier reading, you can download the PDF checklist here!)

1. Van Line vs.Common Carrier

Although specialized van lines tendto be more expensive, they are typically safer and more reliable. So, avoidingcommon carriers or carriers that do not normally move trade show exhibit boothsis the safe bet in the long run.

Your best bet is to select a carrierwith a dedicated trade show division such as Mayflower. Van Lines likeUniGroup/Mayflower are equipped with air-ride suspensions, blankets, logistics bars, etc. - all designed to haul sensitive and high value equipment.

2. StrategicallyPlan Your Tour

Instead of shipping to and from each show separately, look at the big picture.Decide when it makes financial sense to ship your exhibit propertiesback to your exhibit house or carrierswarehouse, and when it makes more sense to ship them directlyto your next show site and store them there untilyou need them next.

Anexperienced carrier is able to help you think throughwhat makes the most sense from a cost and efficiencystandpoint based on your show schedule. Typically, you can store your exhibitat an advance warehouse for your next show for free for 30 days beforethe show.

For example, at Donovan Logistics, wehave affiliated local warehouse spaces that can accommodate our clients’ booths.

3. Show-to-ShowShipping

Ifyou exhibit at multiple shows a year, it will probably be more cost effective to shipmaterials from one location to the next consecutively. This will save shippingcosts because you won'thave to t have to ship from the firsttrade show location,back to your officelocation, and thento the nexttrade show.

Itis potentially cheaperto ship the materials directlyto the city of the next trade show and briefly hold it in storage untilthe next show date.

Themost cost effective way to ship from show to show is to use less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping.This is where you only pay for the space you use.

4. Ship to Your Hotel

Ifyou cannot consolidate boxes, or you have last-minute shipments, it is usually less expensive to ship to your hotelbusiness center or a local FedEx office to avoid paying material-handling minimums.

Shipping to your hotel can also save time, since small-package freight shipped to theconvention center must be weighed, and inbound material-handling forms must bewritten. This can delay deliveryto your boothanywhere from a few hours up to a full day.

5: Weigh andMeasure Your Materials

Toget the most accurate shippingrates, the firstthing you shoulddo is weigh and measure each item that you will be shipping. Many freight companies will estimate thesize and weight of your shipment. Make sure you have all your weights anddimensions written on each box or crate.

▢ Height X Width X Height

▢ Weight

6. Shipping Case

Shipping cases are no doubtexpensive. We’ve seen some tip the $10,000 mark for just one! However, these cases are designed to safely store high value items such aselectronics and computer equipment and components.

Damaged items will cost much more in the long run vs the investment in highquality, durable shipping cases.

7. ConsolidateFreight

Abig advantage of using a van line is the fact that you can stack crateswhich helps to consolidate your loads.

Common carriers do not allow this. Common carriersonly allow floor loaded freight. So, if you’ve always used two ormore trucks to haul all your exhibit freight with common carriers, then you canconsolidate it all into one van line trailer. Even though van lines can be moreexpensive per load, consolidation will save you a substantial amount, sometimes thousands.

Ourcustomer support specialists typically work with our clientsto come up withdifferent configurations that will fit best and be the most cost effective.

8: Fully Pack Crates

Makesure to pack all your boxes as full as possible. When possible, build yourpallets taller instead of creating another separate one. Use industrial plasticcellophane to wrap your freighttall and strong.

9. Rent Tables vs.Shipping Your Own

Tables are large and hard to pack. It can become unnecessarily expensive. Save the expense by renting tables from the trade show venue.

10. Transportation Booking(Exhibit House or Yourself)?

Sometimes having your exhibit housearrange transportation makes the most sense. It’s one less thing for you toworry about.

In exchange, your exhibit house willtypically add a surcharge ranging from 20-30 percent of your shipping costs astheir transportation service fee. If you want to maximize your cost savingsthen you should think about arranging the shipping yourself. If you do want tostick with your exhibit house to handle this, then make sure they are alsogathering competitive bids and passing on the savings to you.

11. ExpandShipping to Strengthen Leverage

If you can work with a carrier thatis open to offering discounts contingent on them shipping for other departmentsin your company, then that gives you great leverage. This can include productshipments and employee relocation programs.

13. Track Your Driver

Ifyour driver missesyour inbound targettime or does not have a currentcertified weight slip, chargescan add up quickly. In addition to material-handling penalties from the general servicescontractor (GSC) for being late (up to 25 percentof your totalmaterial-handling invoice), your truck will be sent to the end of the line tounload, which can start a domino effect of detentioncharges, overtime material- handling fees, and overtimecharges by your installation labor.

Download this checklist for easy reference here!

About Donovan Logistics

Donovan Logistics helps Trade Show Managers reduce their shipping costs while reducing the risk of delayeddelivery and damaged exhibit materials. We are different than most carriersbecause our vans are specifically designed to haul trade show exhibit booths.

Our clients tell us that we have helped them:

Reduced risk of costly damage tohigh value exhibit materials

Lower therisk of delays and late check- ins.

Our team consists of trade show logisticsexperts that build long term partnerships with our clients, where weproactively seek out all possible ways to reduce your shipping costs withoutcompromising service.