Small parcels, bulky orders and home delivery from one platform
Online sellers end up with a parcel account, an LTL carrier for anything too big for a box, a separate final-mile vendor for furniture and appliances, and a forwarder for inventory coming from overseas. GetShippingRates quotes every one of those modes from one screen, so you choose how each order ships without logging into four places.
Using multiple carriers, portals or transportation providers? See how you can simplify quoting, booking, tracking and shipping management through one platform.
Short answer: Retail and e-commerce shippers typically use parcel for small orders, LTL for bulky items and store or warehouse replenishment, white glove final mile for large items delivered into homes, and ocean or air for imported inventory. In the GetShippingRates platform you rate 50+ LTL carriers and book online, and parcel, white glove and international are priced instantly for Armstrong's team to confirm and book.
How retailers and online sellers ship
LTL rates 50+ carriers and books online. Every other mode is priced instantly in the platform, and Armstrong’s team confirms the carrier and books it.
Parcel
Everyday orders that ship in a box, priced in the same screen you use for freight.
Parcel shipping →LTL
Bulky items over parcel limits and replenishment to stores, a 3PL or fulfillment centers. Rate 50+ carriers and book online.
LTL shipping →White glove and final mile
Furniture, appliances and fitness equipment delivered by a two-person crew, from curbside to room of choice with assembly, in one all-in price.
Final-mile delivery →International air and ocean
Inventory from overseas suppliers by ocean or air, priced alongside your domestic shipping.
International freight →Where e-commerce shipping gets complicated
Orders that outgrow a parcel box
When an order crosses parcel size or weight limits, someone has to leave the parcel system and go find an LTL quote somewhere else.
With the platform: Parcel and LTL quote from the same screen, so the team can price an order both ways and pick the one that makes sense.
Residential LTL deliveries
Home deliveries by LTL need residential service and often a liftgate or an appointment, and a missed accessorial turns into an extra charge later.
With the platform: Choose residential, liftgate and appointment services when you quote, so the rate you book matches how the order will be delivered.
White glove through a separate vendor
Large items need an LTL quote to the delivery area plus a separate final-mile quote, added up by hand before you can tell the customer a price.
With the platform: White glove quotes combine LTL to the local delivery hub with the final-mile service in one all-in price, with door-to-door transit time shown up front.
Imported inventory tracked in email
Ocean and air shipments from suppliers are quoted and tracked through a forwarder's emails, separate from everything shipping to customers.
With the platform: International air and ocean prices come back in the platform, and Armstrong's team confirms and books the shipment.
Customers asking where their order is
Support checks a different carrier site depending on whether the order went parcel, LTL or white glove.
With the platform: Every shipment's latest status is in one list, with shareable tracking links you can send to the customer.
Shipping in several modes? The Control Tower shows every open load across all of them on one screen.
One login for every mode you ship
Get a quote for your next shipment, see how the platform handles quoting, booking and tracking across modes, or send us a look at how you ship today and Armstrong’s team will show you what one platform would consolidate. There’s no separate software fee: the platform comes with your shipping account.
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Questions from retailers and online sellers
Can we quote parcel and LTL for the same order?
Yes. Parcel and LTL quote from the same screen, so for an order near parcel size or weight limits you can compare both and ship it the way that makes sense. LTL books online; parcel is priced instantly and Armstrong's team confirms and books it.
How does white glove home delivery pricing work?
Enter the origin, the delivery ZIP and the service level, from curbside through room of choice to white glove with assembly. The platform returns one all-in price that combines LTL to the local delivery hub with the final-mile delivery, plus the total transit time to the customer's door. Armstrong's team confirms and books it.
Can we ship replenishment to a 3PL or fulfillment center?
Yes. Replenishment usually moves as LTL or truckload. LTL rates 50+ carriers and books online, and truckload is priced instantly with fuel included for Armstrong's team to confirm.
Is there a software fee for the platform?
No separate software fee. The platform comes with your shipping account, and you pay for the freight you move. Accounts are opened after a quick credit check, and there is nothing to install.