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Peak Season Multi Carrier Shipping: How to Handle It

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WeSupply shipments dashboard with multiple carriers

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Introduction to Peak Season

For ecommerce and retail businesses, peak season is both exciting and stressful. This period, often referred to as a busy time and the peak shipping season for ecommerce and retail, usually runs through major holidays, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and end-of-year sales. Customer orders skyrocket, warehouses get busy, and shipping networks reach their limits.

In 2023 alone, the National Retail Federation (NRF) reported that U.S. holiday sales hit $936.3 billion, with ecommerce making up a large share. That translates into millions of packages moving every single day. This surge in orders and shipping activity is driven by heightened demand and increased demand during this period. For businesses, the challenge is clear: how do you ship fast, keep costs down, and still make customers happy?

This is where multi-carrier shipping comes in. Instead of relying on just one carrier, you use a mix of carriers like UPS, FedEx, USPS, DHL, and regional delivery companies. By spreading shipments across several providers, you avoid bottlenecks, save money, and gain flexibility. With the right tools and planning, peak season doesn’t have to feel overwhelming.

Understanding Peak Season Challenges

Peak season magnifies every weakness in your shipping process. Demand goes up, but carrier capacity doesn’t always keep up. That’s why delays and surcharges become common. During high volume periods, carriers often implement peak season surcharges, which significantly increase shipping expenses for businesses handling high shipping volume.

Here are the main challenges businesses face:

  • High order volumes and high volume shipping put stress on warehouses and fulfillment staff, especially during higher volumes in peak season.

  • Capacity shortages lead to some carriers refusing new shipments or charging extra.

  • Rate hikes and surcharges, including peak season surcharges, increase costs when demand exceeds supply and shipping expenses rise.

  • Delivery delays frustrate customers and hurt brand trust.

  • Managing shipping volume becomes critical for cost efficiency and operational success during high volume periods.

During the 2022 holiday season, ShipMatrix estimated that 5.7 million packages per day were at risk of delays due to limited capacity. Relying on a single carrier in these conditions is risky. If that carrier struggles, all your orders get delayed. Multi-carrier shipping supports risk mitigation by giving you options when one provider is maxed out.

Prepared businesses with modern, scalable systems are better able to handle these challenges, manage higher volumes, and avoid delay caused by outdated or sunsetting software.

The Importance of Multi-Carrier Shipping

Multi-carrier shipping is about flexibility. Instead of being locked into one provider’s schedules, prices, and rules, you can choose the best carrier for each order. Modern multi carrier shipping solutions provide the flexibility to select from multiple carriers, helping you control costs and adapt quickly to changing shipping demands.

The benefits are clear:

  • Flexibility and scalability: You can adjust quickly if one carrier is overloaded.

  • Risk reduction: No single failure can bring your shipping to a halt.

  • Cost control: You can compare rates and avoid paying more than necessary.

  • Customer satisfaction: Faster delivery and more options mean happier customers.

These solutions empower businesses to make better shipping decisions, improve operational outcomes, and confidently manage complex logistics challenges.

For example, USPS is often cheaper for lightweight packages, while UPS or FedEx may be better for heavier or urgent shipments. Regional carriers can sometimes deliver faster in local markets. Having all of these choices gives your business the edge.

Benefits of Multi-Carrier Shipping Software

Managing multiple carriers by hand is almost impossible at scale. That’s why many businesses use multi-carrier shipping software. These platforms centralize everything in one place, making operations smooth and less stressful.

Key benefits include:

  • Rate shopping: Instantly compare carrier prices for each order and quickly identify the best shipping options.

  • Automation: Print labels, schedule pickups, and process shipments without manual work.

  • Tracking: See where all packages are in real time, across different carriers, helping you manage the delivery process and improve visibility.

  • Analytics: Understand which carriers are most reliable and cost-effective.

Platforms like EasyPost, ProShip or ShipERP integrate with ecommerce systems such as Shopify or ERP tools. This ensures your orders move seamlessly from checkout to delivery. During peak season, automation alone can save hours of manual work and prevent costly mistakes. Adopting multi-carrier shipping software also helps future proof your shipping operations, ensuring adaptability and resilience as your business grows.

Carrier Performance and Selection

Not all carriers are the same. Some excel at last-mile delivery, while others focus on international shipments. Choosing the right mix of carriers is critical. It’s also important to consider carrier preferences, allowing customers to select their preferred delivery option, which can enhance customer experience and satisfaction.

When selecting carriers, consider:

  • On-time delivery rates: Are they reliable during busy periods?

  • Coverage: Do they deliver to rural or hard-to-reach areas?

  • Specialization: Do they handle fragile, oversized, or international shipments well?

  • Pricing: How competitive are their rates compared to others?

  • Major carriers vs. other carriers: Evaluate leading shipping companies like UPS, USPS, and FedEx, but also compare them to other carriers to find the best fit for your needs and manage costs effectively.

Monitoring carrier performance is just as important. Multi-carrier software often includes scorecards that show how each carrier is performing. This lets you refine your shipping strategy on the go.

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Managing Order Volumes Effectively

Handling spikes in orders is one of the hardest parts of peak season. Businesses that fail to prepare often face delays and upset customers.

  • Here are ways to manage volumes better:

    • Forecast demand: Use sales data from previous years to predict peak needs. For example, if sales doubled during last year’s Black Friday, plan for at least the same increase.

    • Secure capacity early: Carriers set volume limits, so book your slots in advance.

    • Use multiple warehouses: Storing inventory closer to customers shortens delivery times.

    • Leverage 3PLs: Partnering with third-party logistics providers expands capacity and reach.

    • Consolidate shipments: Combine smaller shipments into larger ones to reduce costs.

    • Consider fuel costs when selecting carriers: Comparing carrier options helps you adapt to fuel cost fluctuations and optimize shipping margins.

By spreading orders across carriers and warehouses, you reduce strain on your main facility and make sure packages get out the door faster.

Effective planning and the right shipping strategy can make all the difference during peak season.

Key Strategies for Peak Season Preparedness

Peak season success comes down to preparation. Businesses that start early have fewer problems when demand spikes and can avoid delays caused by high order volumes.

  • Some strategies include:

    • Streamlining fulfillment: Organize warehouses for faster picking and packing. Place best-selling items near packing stations.

    • Training staff: Make sure seasonal workers know your processes before the rush.

    • Testing systems: Check that your shipping software, website, and carrier integrations work smoothly.

    • Validating data: Incorrect addresses lead to failed deliveries and extra fees. Clean up your data before peak season.

    • Backup planning: Have contingency carriers or 3PLs ready in case of disruptions.

The earlier you prepare, the more confident you’ll feel once orders start piling up and the better you can avoid delays during peak season.

Carrier Shipping and Delivery Options

Carrier shipping and delivery options are at the heart of overcoming peak season shipping challenges. When order volumes surge and customer expectations are high, relying on multiple carriers gives businesses the flexibility to keep shipping operations running smoothly. By building a diverse carrier network, you can access a variety of shipping options ranging from express to economy services ensuring you always have a cost-effective carrier available, even during the busiest times.

Multi carrier shipping software empowers businesses to compare rates, delivery times, and carrier performance in real time. This means you can make informed decisions for every shipment, choosing the best carrier for each order based on cost, speed, and reliability. Whether you’re shipping across town or across the country, having multiple carriers at your disposal helps minimize costs, reduce delays, and boost customer satisfaction.

During peak season, the ability to quickly pivot between carriers is crucial. If one carrier faces delays or capacity issues, you can seamlessly switch to another, keeping your shipping strategy agile and your customers happy. Ultimately, leveraging a multi carrier approach ensures your business can handle high shipping volumes and meet customer expectations, no matter how intense the demand.

Implementing a Multi-Carrier Shipping Solution

Implementing a multi-carrier shipping solution is a game-changer for businesses looking to thrive during peak season. With multi carrier shipping software, you can streamline your shipping operations by integrating all your carriers major, alternative, and regional into one centralized platform. This not only simplifies the shipping process but also gives you the flexibility to select the best carrier for each shipment, based on real-time rates and service levels.

A robust multi carrier shipping solution helps you mitigate the risks associated with relying on a single carrier, such as unexpected service disruptions, fuel surcharges, and peak surcharges. By diversifying your carrier options, you can avoid costly delays and maintain consistent service, even when demand is at its highest. This adaptability is key to achieving long-term success and staying ahead of the competition.

Moreover, a multi carrier shipping solution future-proofs your shipping operations. As market conditions change and new challenges arise, you’ll have the tools and flexibility to adjust your shipping strategy quickly. This ensures your business remains resilient, cost-effective, and focused on delivering exceptional customer satisfaction throughout every peak season.

Best Practices for Multi-Carrier Shipping

To maximize the benefits of multi-carrier shipping during peak season, businesses should adopt best practices that drive operational efficiency, enhance the customer experience, and minimize costs. One of the most effective strategies is to use a centralized platform for all shipping operations. This allows you to manage carrier selection, rate shopping, and delivery tracking from one place, giving you full control over your shipping workflows and enabling you to make informed decisions quickly.

Regularly reviewing and updating your carrier options is another essential best practice. By staying proactive, you can ensure you’re always accessing the best rates and services available, which helps minimize costs and reduce the risk of delays. Additionally, monitoring carrier performance and adjusting your shipping strategy as needed will keep your operations running smoothly, even during the busiest times.

Focusing on operational efficiency and customer experience will keep your customers happier and your business more competitive. By following these best practices, you’ll be well-equipped to handle peak season shipping challenges, maintain high service levels, and achieve long-term success.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Multi-Carrier Shipping

While multi-carrier shipping offers significant advantages, there are common pitfalls that can undermine your peak season shipping efforts. One major mistake is falling back on a single carrier, which exposes your business to service disruptions, fuel surcharges, and peak surcharges especially when shipping volumes are at their highest. Diversifying your carrier network is essential to avoid these risks.

Another frequent error is neglecting to regularly compare rates and monitor carrier performance. Shipping costs can fluctuate rapidly during peak season, and failing to rate shop or assess carrier reliability can lead to unnecessary expenses and reduced customer satisfaction. It’s also important not to underestimate the impact of delivery times and customer expectations; delays or missed delivery windows can quickly erode trust and loyalty.

To stay ahead during the busiest times, use multi carrier shipping software to automate rate comparisons, track carrier performance, and adjust your shipping strategy as needed. By avoiding these common mistakes, your business can achieve long-term success, keep costs under control, and deliver a superior customer experience throughout every peak season.

Avoid Peak Season Shipping Mistakes with the Right Carrier mix

Book a quick call to see how WeSupply streamlines multi-carrier shipping with automated rates, tracking, and flexible options that cut costs and prevent delays.

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Enhancing the Customer Experience

Shipping isn’t just about moving packages. It’s about delivering on customer expectations. A poor delivery experience can undo the positive feelings customers had about your product.

To keep customers happy:

  • Be transparent: Share shipping cutoffs and potential delays at checkout.

  • Offer multiple delivery options: Let customers choose between fast, standard, or eco-friendly shipping.

  • Provide tracking updates: Real-time notifications reduce customer anxiety.

  • Communicate proactively: If delays happen, tell customers right away and offer alternatives.

A 2023 survey by Metapack found that 70% of online shoppers consider delivery speed and convenience as the most important part of their shopping experience. This shows how closely customer loyalty is tied to shipping performance.

Combat inconvenience with proactivity & self service

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Managing Costs and Surcharges

Peak season often brings higher costs. Carriers add surcharges for things like extra handling, oversized packages, or high demand. If you don’t manage these costs, profits can shrink fast.

Ways to manage costs:

  • Rate shopping: Use software to automatically pick the lowest-cost carrier for each order.

  • Seek competitive rates: Regularly compare carrier options to secure competitive rates and keep shipping expenses under control.

  • Contract negotiations: Work with carriers early to lock in favorable rates or discounts.

  • Pricing buffers: Factor in seasonal surcharges when setting product or shipping prices.

  • Smart routing: Choose the right carrier based on distance, weight, and urgency to balance cost and speed.

By planning ahead, you avoid nasty surprises and keep margins intact during the busiest time of year.

Handle Peak Season Multi-carrier Shipping with WeSupply

Handling shipping during peak season with multiple carriers can feel overwhelming. Orders may split, deliveries may stall, and customers want constant updates. WeSupply helps you manage it all from one platform so you can ship faster, save money, and keep your customers happy.

Here’s how WeSupply makes multi-carrier shipping simple:

JMcLaughlin Zavi Evereve using WeSupply Order Tracking
WeSupply Dlivery Delay Email and SMS Notification - used by Greenworks Tools

  • Detect stalled shipments – Some packages get stuck in warehouses. WeSupply helps you identify them quickly and contact the carrier or customer to fix it.

  • Multi-shipment support – Even when one order is split into multiple boxes, customers see clear updates for each part of the delivery.

WeSupply Split Delivery Email Notifiaction - used by London Drugs

  • Bulk customer communication – Send SMS or email updates to many customers at once. Keep everyone informed about delays, backorders, or shipment status.

  • Discounted shipping rates – Save up to 83% with pre-negotiated discounts through EasyPost, without contracts or volume requirements.

WeSupply Discounted Shipping Labels powered by EasyPost

  • Shipping insurance – Protect packages and your profits with built-in insurance for lost or stolen items.

WeSupply shipping insurance

  • Automated shipping labels – Generate labels instantly with synced order data. No copy-paste, no mistakes, just fast processing.

Generate Return Labels Automatically with WeSupply

  • Reports and insights – Track costs, shipping performance, and carrier efficiency to make smarter business decisions.

  • Flexible workflows – Customize how your team handles shipments and notifications, making your process smoother during the busiest times.

With WeSupply, you get speed, savings, and full visibility across every carrier. Your customers get peace of mind, fewer surprises, and clear updates from checkout to delivery.

👉 Ready to simplify peak season shipping? Schedule a demo today!

The Future of Carrier Shipping

The way businesses ship is changing fast. Technology, customer expectations, and sustainability goals are shaping the future of logistics.

  • Automation and AI: Smarter tools can predict demand, optimize routes, and reduce manual work.

  • Customer-centric delivery: Flexible options like same-day delivery or pick-up points are becoming standard.

  • Sustainability: More businesses are choosing carriers with greener fleets or offset programs.

  • Increased visibility: Unified dashboards and predictive tracking will become the norm.

  • Supply chain transformation: Technology and innovation are revolutionizing the supply chain, enabling businesses to better handle demand surges, delivery challenges, and maintain efficient operations.

Businesses that adapt to these changes will be better prepared not only for peak season, but for the future of ecommerce as a whole.

Conclusion: Turning Peak Season into a Competitive Advantage

Peak season doesn’t have to overwhelm your business. With WeSupply, you can manage UPS, FedEx, USPS, DHL, and 100+ carriers in one dashboard, track every order in real time, and fix issues like delays, stalled shipments, or failed deliveries before they hurt customer trust.

You save money with discounted rates, protect profits with insurance, and handle lost or stolen packages quickly. Even split orders stay clear with multi-shipment support, while bulk SMS and email updates keep customers informed without extra work. Automated label generation and detailed reports reduce errors and give you insights to stay in control.

Instead of stressing over the rush, you can focus on building loyalty, improving satisfaction, and growing your brand. In 2025, WeSupply makes multi-carrier shipping simple, cost-effective, and customer-first turning peak season into an opportunity, not a burden.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why is multi-carrier shipping important during peak season?
Multi-carrier shipping reduces risk, saves costs, and improves flexibility. If one carrier is overloaded, you can switch to another, ensuring faster deliveries and happier customers.

2. How do businesses handle shipping delays during peak season?
Businesses manage delays by diversifying carriers, booking capacity early, and using shipping software for real-time tracking and proactive communication with customers.

3. What are peak season surcharges in shipping?
Peak season surcharges are extra fees carriers add during high-demand periods. They cover higher operational costs and limited capacity. Businesses often use rate-shopping software to control these costs.

4. How does WeSupply help with multi-carrier shipping?
WeSupply connects 100+ carriers in one dashboard, offering live tracking, delay alerts, automated labels, and discounted shipping rates to simplify peak season logistics.

5. Can WeSupply reduce “Where is my order?” calls?
Yes. WeSupply provides real-time tracking and proactive notifications. Customers always know their package status, which reduces support calls and improves satisfaction.

6. Does WeSupply offer shipping discounts?
Yes. WeSupply utilizes EasyPost’s Luma AI to provide pre-negotiated discounts of up to 83% on major carriers like UPS, USPS, FedEx, and DHL.

7. Does WeSupply have an Official Shopify App?
Yes. WeSupply has an Official Shopify App. You can download it and start integrating with your Shopify Store.

8. Does WeSupply have an official Magento extension?
Yes, WeSupply has an official extension for Magento. The WeSupply x Magento integration allows for automating order tracking experiences, reducing customer inquiries, automating shipping email and SMS notifications, and providing a fully branded order tracking experience

9. Does WeSupply have an official BigCommerce App?
Yes, WeSupply has an official BigCommerce App. You can integrate WeSupply with your BigCommerce store to improve your post-purchase customer experience.

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To stay ahead during the busiest times, use multi carrier shipping software to automate rate comparisons, track carrier performance, and adjust your shipping strategy as needed. By avoiding these common mistakes, your business can achieve long-term success, keep costs under control, and deliver a superior customer experience throughout every peak season.

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