Does your shipping partner have friends? Because when peak season chaos hits, relying on just one carrier won’t cut it.
The busiest time of year tests your entire shipping operation, and retailers that rely on single-carrier networks often learn the hard way that even strong relationships can’t overcome capacity limits or service disruptions.
That’s why smart retailers work with multicarrier shipping companies that can dynamically select the best carrier for each shipment. When one network hits capacity or the weather throws a wrench into transit times, they don’t panic; they pivot. And the businesses don’t have to manage that complexity themselves.
Now’s the time to get ahead of it, because waiting until your holiday orders are backed up at a distribution hub is too late.
In this post, we’ll dig into why top retailers depend on multicarrier shipping partners during peak season and how working with the right one can help protect your business, your customers, and your sanity, especially when powered by the right multicarrier shipping solutions.
What Is a Multicarrier Shipping Company?
A multicarrier shipping company is a logistics partner or platform that gives businesses access to various carriers, all through a single point of contact. These can include national couriers, regional delivery services, and international providers, and the multicarrier partner handles the carrier selection for you based on your shipping needs.
Instead of relying on one carrier for every order, a multicarrier shipping company uses technology and expertise to match each package with the best-fit carrier, factoring in shipping rates, delivery times, and destination coverage. The result is smarter, faster, more cost-effective shipping without the need for you to juggle multiple accounts or systems.
Some multicarrier partners also offer shipping software that integrates with your eCommerce platform or warehouse system. Not only do these tools automate decisions, but they also generate shipping labels, track packages, send customer notifications, and streamline the entire fulfillment process. It’s the difference between sending every order through the same old door and having a trusted partner who opens the right door for each shipment based on where it’s going and how fast it needs to get there.
The Benefits of Working with a Multicarrier Shipping Company During Peak Season
The benefits of working with a multicarrier shipping company during peak season go far beyond cost savings. A trusted multicarrier partner helps you navigate capacity issues, delivery timelines, and regional logistics challenges, ensuring your operation stays resilient when it matters most.
Here are the top benefits of partnering with a multicarrier shipping company during peak season.
1. Minimal Carrier Delays and Capacity Limits
During peak season, high-volume shippers often run into capacity caps and slower delivery times, even when everything is going according to plan. Major carriers may quietly pause service guarantees or limit daily pickups, leaving businesses with a backlog of unshipped orders. Relying on a single carrier in this environment is risky.
With the right multicarrier shipping partner, your shipments can be dynamically routed to the best available carrier based on current demand and service availability. This keeps your volume moving even when national carriers hit their limits. Regional and hybrid carriers often have more bandwidth, and your shipping partner can tap into those networks seamlessly, especially for last-mile delivery.
2. Reduced Risk of Service Disruptions
Not all disruptions come from high volume. Some are completely unpredictable. A winter storm, a driver strike, or a technical outage at a major carrier can throw your entire supply chain into chaos, especially if you’re relying on just one carrier.
A multicarrier shipping company acts as an insurance policy against these curveballs. When one carrier is sidelined, your logistics partner can reroute shipments through another provider with minimal delay. That kind of built-in agility is critical for maintaining customer satisfaction during peak season, when even minor delays can lead to lost sales, negative reviews, and overwhelmed support teams. With seamless integration between systems and carriers, your shipping partner helps you stay responsive, even when the unexpected hits.
3. Control of Shipping Costs and Avoid Surcharges
Peak season shipping can get expensive fast. Carriers often tack on extra fees for residential deliveries or during periods of high demand. If you’re relying on a single carrier, you’re more likely to get stuck with those added costs or have to pass them along to your customers.
Working with a multicarrier shipping company helps avoid that trap. Behind the scenes, your shipping partner can identify the most cost-effective carrier for each shipment by analyzing carrier rates, delivery zones, and service levels. One carrier might offer better pricing for local deliveries, while another may waive peak surcharges altogether. This kind of smart carrier selection helps control shipping costs without sacrificing speed or reliability.
When capacity limits or penalties kick in, your shipping partner can shift volume to alternative providers, keeping your costs in check and your orders on track. Multiply those savings across hundreds or thousands of shipments, and the impact on your bottom line can be substantial.
4. Improved Delivery Speed by Region or Route
Speed matters, especially when shoppers are counting down to the holidays. But not every carrier performs equally well in every region. One might be excellent in major metro areas but slower in rural zones. Another may be strong with last-mile delivery but less efficient for international handoffs. A multicarrier shipping partner takes the guesswork out of regional performance. They route each shipment through the carrier best equipped to deliver on time in that specific area, whether that means leveraging a regional provider for suburban drop-offs or using a specialty carrier for cross-border logistics.
This kind of intelligent routing helps ensure packages arrive when promised, which builds trust with your customers during a high-stakes time of year. And when your team isn’t scrambling to troubleshoot delays, your whole operation runs more smoothly.
5. Ability to Offer More Shipping Options at Checkout
Customers want flexibility, especially when it comes to how and when their orders arrive. With a multicarrier shipping partner, you’re not limited to one-size-fits-all delivery options. Instead, you can offer a range of choices such as same-day delivery, economy shipping, scheduled drop-offs, or local pickup points, powered by different carriers working behind the scenes.
Your shipping partner handles the logistics and automation required to support these options, including routing each shipment through the most appropriate carrier. The result? A smoother checkout experience for your customers, higher conversion rates for your business, and more time for your team to focus on fulfillment.
6. Enabling Global Reach with the Right Carriers
International shipping is especially tricky during peak season—except when you use a multicarrier shipping company. By matching each destination with a carrier that understands the local landscape—including customs procedures, last-mile handoffs, and regional regulations—your shipping partner helps reduce delays and improve delivery reliability. Whether you’re shipping to Canada, the UK, Australia, or beyond, your provider handles the complexity so that international shipping becomes a smooth extension of your supply chain and not a constant headache.
7. Scaling Operations Smoothly During Volume Spikes
When orders start pouring in, you don’t have time to reinvent your shipping process; you just need it to work. A multicarrier shipping partner gives you the ability to scale seamlessly, automatically assigning the best carrier for each order based on destination, weight, and required speed. No manual sorting, no label chaos. Just a system that flexes with demand. That operational stability makes all the difference during flash sales, holiday peaks, or promotional surges, ensuring your team stays focused and your customers stay happy.
How ePost Global Can Help
At ePost Global, we make multicarrier shipping simple, even during your busiest season, by doing the work for you behind the scenes.
Whether your business ships domestically, internationally, or both, we build and manage a multicarrier shipping strategy on your behalf that delivers on speed, cost savings, and customer experience. Our platform integrates seamlessly with your existing systems, ensuring compatibility with your tech stack and workflows, so you don’t have to juggle multiple carrier relationships.
From automatically selecting the best shipping method for each package to printing labels, managing carrier handoffs, and providing real-time tracking updates, ePost Global handles the logistics complexity for you. We also streamline international shipping by taking care of customs forms, taxes, and documentation, ensuring your cross-border orders arrive on time with minimal friction.
Need support during a volume spike or a last-minute holiday rush? Our platform scales with your shipping volume, and our team is here to provide hands-on support, backed by real-time metrics and performance insights.
With ePost Global, you’re gaining a logistics partner committed to helping you automate, optimize, and grow.
Multicarrier = Peak Season Peace of Mind
When holiday demand heats up, your shipping strategy can’t afford to crack.
Working with a multicarrier shipping partner like ePost Global gives you the tools to stay fast, flexible, and in control, without having to manage multiple carriers yourself. So if your current setup is putting all your packages in one basket, it might be time for a better way forward: one that works with you—not against you—when the pressure’s on. Ready to de-risk peak season and future-proof your shipping strategy?
Contact ePost Global today to build a custom multicarrier solution that scales with your business.
