Shipping’s High-Stakes Season

Every year, eCommerce brands brace for the same challenge: surviving the surge.

But for Tim Thorn, Head of Sales and Business Development at Shippo, winning peak season isn’t about luck — it’s about preparation.

“You don’t need to gamble going into shipping season,” he quips. “You just need the right tweaks.”

At DELIVER America, Thorn broke down five powerful — and surprisingly simple — ways to optimize performance before the rush hits.

1. Make Branded Tracking Work for You

Nearly one in five customer service calls comes down to a single question: “Where’s my order?”

Each “WISMO” call costs brands between $2.70 and $5, adding up to thousands during peak season.

“If you’re sending your customers to a UPS or FedEx tracking page, you’re giving away the relationship,” Thorn explains.

Instead, branded tracking pages:

• Reduce customer service costs

• Reinforce brand trust

• Create new engagement and upsell opportunities

• Deliver a seamless, consistent post-purchase experience

“Your customers check tracking multiple times a day — that’s five extra chances to engage them,” he says.

2. Build a Multicarrier Strategy

In a world of unpredictable strikes, weather, and surcharges, carrier dependency is risk.

Between 2021 and 2024, shipping disruptions rose by over 24% annually.

“It’s not if disruptions happen — it’s when,” says Thorn.

A multicarrier setup means you can:

• Avoid rate spikes and delivery delays

• Pivot quickly between carriers during outages

• Extend shipping hours by overlapping pickup times

Shippo’s platform enables instant carrier activation, giving shippers the agility to switch routes or services without downtime.

3. Rethink Your Checkout Experience

Contrary to the myth, shoppers don’t just want speed — they want choice.

• 95% of consumers prefer free standard shipping to paid express options

• 80% will accept 4–7 day delivery if it’s free

• 50% value being able to schedule deliveries

Thorn’s advice:

• Label delivery options clearly (e.g., “Most Popular” or “Free & Reliable”)

• Show specific delivery dates, not vague ranges

• Simplify options — “Economy,” “Standard,” “Express” beats a list of carrier names

• Offer sustainable or slower options with small incentives

“Clarity beats complexity. Customers don’t want to choose between six carrier codes.”

4. Walk Your Warehouse

Thorn’s most low-tech — but high-impact — tip? Go see what’s happening on the floor.

“Watch how your team packs boxes. You’ll find margin leaking right in front of you.”

Common cost killers include:

• Oversized packaging (the “chapstick in a kayak box” problem)

• Inconsistent box selection

• Poor workstation layout and long walking paths

• Lack of quality checks before sealing

Simple fixes:

• Post visual packing guides

• Right-size boxes for top SKUs

• Add extra label printers and scales

• Pre-kit fast movers to save time and reduce errors

A single example from Thorn’s slides:

An 8-ounce parcel in a small USPS box costs $5 — the same parcel in a large box costs $38.

5. Use Data to Drive Decisions

The final tweak: get visibility into your shipping data before it’s too late.

Many shippers only discover performance issues when the monthly invoice arrives. Shippo’s new Shippo Intelligence platform changes that — offering real-time visibility across labels, shipments, and spend.

Metrics that matter:

• Carrier on-time rates and exceptions

• Late delivery percentages

• Premium service overuse (e.g., UPS 2-Day vs. cheaper options)

• Surcharge tracking — especially address correction fees

• Shipment volume trends to predict bottlenecks

“If you’re not auditing your carriers, you’re leaving money on the table,” Thorn says.

Shippo Intelligence helps businesses audit spend, benchmark carrier performance, and negotiate better contracts for next season.

Small Tweaks, Big Wins

Thorn’s closing message was simple:

“The smallest tweaks often make the biggest impact — especially when everyone else is too busy to make them.”

From branded tracking to data-driven carrier management, these optimizations help shippers protect profit margins and elevate customer experience, no matter how unpredictable the season ahead.