Urgent transport

What is urgent transport?

Urgent transport, most often referred to as express transport, consists in delivering a package, within a few hours after loading, anywhere in the world.

Urgent transport includes the conveyance of letters and packages, weighing from a few ounces to several tonnes - both in France and abroad. The furthest destinations are reached by airmail, and any letters delivered within a few hours only are considered as urgent transport. What makes a real difference is how delivery times are contractualised, leading to a price that often includes an insurance premium.

Urgent transport options offer varying levels of service: half-day delivery, sometimes even within the hour, etc. For far-away destinations, next-day delivery is frequent. Specialised service providers exist when extremely urgent transport is required, such as for organ transport. The difference between urgent transport and a courier service is quite subtle. In a lot of companies’ minds, postal services that ensure delivery before midday the next day (in France and Europe) are considered as urgent transport. Of course, it all depends on the item transported, loading and delivery sites, and the price.

Specificities of urgent transport

Urgent transport includes the following services, for quicker operations overall:

• Collection and delivery are done directly from the sender and recipient’s doorstep;
• Delivery is most often ensured before midday, if the package or letter was collected the previous evening;
• The transporter is in charge of all administrative and customs formalities;
• The package is traced during the entire transport route;
• Transporters avoid any bulk breakages, to shorten delivery lead times;
• All kinds of transport means will be studied, especially motorised two-wheeler vehicles, to ensure delivery over the last few miles;
• The logistician is in charge of managing the whole back-office part, to avoid the sender losing any time.

Examples and practical applications

Has urgent transport become too normal?

It would seem that the competitive war in Europe has turned urgent transport into something quite commonplace. Quick deliveries meet end customer expectations, and enhance loyalty. This boosts market shares for the logisticians in charge of the market. The only requirements are for the service to be reliable and on par with the price - often increased due to the exceptional nature of the delivery and human and material means needed. This all leads to a service that truly is much quicker than “standard” deliveries.

Simple dispatch procedures

Urgent transport companies are called upon often because of the ease with which they handle postage. Customers do not need to go anywhere, there are no customs to deal with for deliveries abroad, etc. All they need to do is list the characteristics of the package to be transported, and note the imperative time of delivery. The sender may want to approve the quotation made. That way, they will know their package has arrived at the recipient’s. The latter will be informed of every step in the conveyance process.

Urgent transport in figures

• The express transport sector counts over 40,000 specialised companies in France.
• A large majority of them count fewer than 10 employees. [1]

Regulatory cornerstones

• Registration within the transporter registry is required, managed by the DREAL in France (Regional Division for the Environment, Urban Planning and Housing);
• Law dated 30 December 1982 on the guidelines for internal transport, known as “LOTI” in France;
• TIR Convention, Maritime Code, Customs Code.

[1] Source of the figures: www.expedeasy.com/blog/le-marche-du-transport-express-en-france-et-dans-le-monde-436/