Why Choosing a Local Shipping Company Matters When Amazon Comes to Town
An announcement of an Amazon facility setting up shop in your town is undoubtedly a game changer. The Amazon Effect is defined as the disruptive effect of e-commerce on the global retail industry. For small businesses in the shipping sector, the competition may cause some to cower in a corner and wait for impending doom. However, established delivery companies like Impact-Intermodal welcome the challenge and will continue offering trademark customer service that has kept the business booming for nearly 20 years.
As businesses and consumers gear up for increased activity, one crucial consideration emerges—the choice of a shipping partner for your company’s needs.
While major carriers may seem like the default option, there's a compelling case for opting for a local shipping company. From faster delivery times to community engagement, the local touch brings a host of personalized shipping solutions that extend beyond mere logistics; smaller teams pack a big punch.
Impact-Intermodal offers full-service solutions if you're looking for a partner to transport items between Norfolk and Hampton, VA, or anywhere else in the Virginia Beach shipping area.
Here, you’re not just another account number.
Before you sign up for service with one of the big-box shipping vendors, find out more about the numerous advantages local shipment partners offer.
Quick Local Shipping Options
All delivery companies are subject to the same traffic and delivery laws, which means once a package is in transit, every driver must follow the same rules. However, local Virginia Beach shipping services have a distinctive edge over global companies, like Amazon, because of their familiarity with the region's geography.
This pertinent knowledge translates into streamlined and efficient routes that significantly reduce transportation times. Here are a few other ways local coordinators have an advantage over dispatchers operating from afar.
Efficient Routing — An intimate familiarity with the layout of streets, neighborhoods, and traffic patterns in the area helps plan more efficient delivery routes.
Real-Time Adaptability — Local carriers execute live adjustments for pop-up construction sites, road closures, and traffic conditions. Valuable knowledge helps expedite delivery reroutes and avoid delays in dynamic urban areas where road conditions change unexpectedly.
Optimized Last-Mile Delivery — The final leg of a package's journey is the most essential for the customer experience. Repeat business is gained by last-mile delivery successes of expertly navigating specific neighborhoods, apartment complexes, and gated communities.
Understanding Local Regulations — Nothing delays a package like a shipping company misunderstanding local legalities. Expert Virginia Beach shipment partners are well-versed in these rules, ensuring items comply with local ordinances.
Local shipping companies in Virginia Beach can also provide customized delivery strategies to coincide with the unique characteristics of their town. Whether choosing optimal delivery windows or leveraging alternative transportation modes like bikes or electric vehicles in pedestrian-friendly areas, these personalized approaches enhance efficiency.
Shopping Small Business Boosts Your Local Economy
Shipping with a local company in your area is an excellent way to ensure your community’s economy is thriving. When you choose a Virginia Beach small business like Impact-Intermodal, you’re contributing directly to its home base of Chesapeake, VA and the surrounding areas.
Substantial income is circulated throughout the community by developing more jobs, which creates more local tax revenue. Strong local businesses, like shipping companies, are essential for nurturing and growing the area's overall economic health by improving the quality of life and attracting investment opportunities.
Choose a Virginia Beach Shipping Company With Flexible Services
Not all delivery scenarios are created equally. Working with a local Virginia Beach shipping company helps you adapt to specific situations your shipments require. By offering hot-shot trucking services, customizing packaging solutions, following special handling instructions, and adapting last-mile delivery techniques, local partners are more equipped to accommodate unique requirements than global carriers that take a one-size-fits-all approach.
Smaller shipping companies also have shorter decision-making chains. These local teams can quickly adapt to customer concerns and market needs without waiting on input from the corporate ladder.
Build Stronger Local Relationships
Unlike companies like Amazon, small businesses thrive on their reputations rather than public popularity. Building solid relationships and word-of-mouth referrals from customers after seamless experiences opens the business to an audience that advertising dollars will only sometimes reach.
As a consumer, you can expect your locally owned Virginia Beach shipping company to go above and beyond to create the best possible outcome for your shipment.
With vast experience in the industry, Impact-Intermodal has learned how to focus on personal connections to build better communication and understanding of its customer's expectations and execute its strategies flawlessly.
Will the Amazon Effect Impact Local Shipping Companies in Virginia Beach?
Of course, introducing two Amazon facilities in Virginia Beach will create challenges for local shipping companies. CNBC reports that over the last few years, Amazon has been on a spending fee to grow its shipping business and expand as a carrier for delivering products for other retailers. In the first six months of 2023, Amazon's branded fleet includes 40,000 semi trucks, 30,000 vans, and over 110 aircraft for worldwide transport.
The Port of Virginia is about to get a lot busier.
However, thanks to Impact–Intermodal's extensive experience in the shipping sector, the 20-year veteran will go on with business as usual. The team has developed long-standing relationships with local consumers because of its dedication to customer satisfaction and seamless logistics.
If you're ready to become a customer of Hampton Roads, VA's largest full-service local pickup and delivery freight company, reach out for a free, accurate quote today. We can't wait to get in touch and show you how global shipping companies like Amazon are no competition for the personalized support we offer at Impact-Intermodal.
