Member Benefits

Save money! Ship smart! Ship inbound collect!

Did you know that you could save money on the shipments you receive as well as the shipments you send? All you need to do is join the free VDTA Freight Savings Plan. The freight program offers discounts on inbound as well as outbound shipments.

If you are the payor of the freight charges, you have the right to choose how your order is shipped. If you do not specify “Collect,” the vendor will normally include shipping in the invoice total, giving you no choice in carrier and possibly charging you at full rate. By asking your supplier to ship “Collect,” you could significantly reduce your shipping costs. A Collect shipment is not Cash on Delivery (COD).

No money is collected at the time of delivery. Collect shipments are invoiced in the normal way but you are billed at the VDTA Freight Savings Plan discounted rate.

What if your shipping is free? That’s great, but are you forced to order in bulk to get this free shipping? And if so, do you really want to tie up your capital in inventory that may sit around for months on end? Perhaps you should consider ordering less, shipping “Collect” at your discounted rate and then putting your capital to better use.

For fast, reliable delivery of time-sensitive shipments, choose FedEx Express. Have the supplier ship “Bill to recipient” using your FedEx account number. VDTA Freight Savings Plan members can save up to 24 percent on select FedEx Express® services.

For cost-effective delivery of shipments that don’t need the speed of express shipping, ask your supplier to ship via FedEx Ground® Collect. You can save up to 20 percent on select FedEx Ground® shipping. In order to process the shipment, the supplier will request your nine-digit FedEx account number. Just remember to emphasize that you would like the package to be shipped via FedEx Ground rather than FedEx Express.

Discounts are also available on inbound less-than-truckload shipments to your store. Just tell your supplier to ship with one of the freight program carriers and to check the “Collect” option on the Bill of Lading. The freight charges are paid by the receiver of the goods so you’ll get up to 62 percent discount!

Shipping inbound collect to your store is a great way to boost your bottom line. For more information or for free enrollment in the VDTA Freight Savings Plan, call Siriani & Associates at 1-800-554-0005.

Reprinted from SQE Professional, January 2007