PartnerShip customers are now able to obtain a free membership in the new My FedEx Rewards program. In addition to the small-package discounts they enjoy through a PartnerShip-managed shipping program, My FedEx Rewards lets them earn gift cards and brand-name merchandise when they ship.

Join for free
Enjoy all the benefits of being a My FedEx Rewards member.

Earn
Take advantage of exclusive offers and earn rewards for shipping with FedEx.

Get rewarded
Choose from gift card favorites for music, restaurants and stores. Or, redeem for a variety of brand-name merchandise.

Click here to join the My FedEx Rewards program, and you’ll receive exclusive offers that typically run for eight weeks. After you activate an offer, you can easily track your progress; and once you reach an offer goal, you get to pick out your reward.

PartnerShip works with over 120 major trade associations, across many industries, to provide their members with time- and money-saving tools to help them be successful in all facets of shipping and logistics. If you belong to an association we work with, take advantage of our free shipping benefits today and get in on My FedEx Rewards. If you're not sure if you qualify for one of our association shipping programs contact us and we'll find the solution that's right for you.

PartnerShip customers recently had the chance to participate in the FedEx 2015 Pro Bowl Package sweepstakes, sponsored by FedEx. By enrolling and shipping through a PartnerShip-managed shipping program, association members had the opportunity to win a number of great prizes. PartnerShip would like to thank the customers that participated in this promotion and congratulate our winners.

Congratulations to the following PartnerShip customers who won one of the fabulous prizes:

• Art from National Shrinkwrap 
• Kevin from Prestige Mold Inc
• Nelson from Helmuth Repair Inc
• Troy from Gardners Books Service Inc
• Richard from House of Shoes

Throughout the sweepstakes, PartnerShip customers who participated also received significant discounts on select FedEx^® services. Even though the sweepstakes is over, our customers are still saving money, and association members who qualify for a PartnerShip-managed shipping program can also take advantage of these savings. If you’re not sure if you qualify for one of our small package shipping programs, contact us and we’ll find the solution that’s right for you.

Association members participating in a shipping program managed by PartnerShip® can now take advantage of FedEx One Rate. This pricing option has all of the convenience and reliability of FedEx Express® shipping at a predictable, flat rate. With FedEx One Rate, there’s no weighing or measuring of shipments under 50 lbs.¹, so you can add to the box without adding to the price. Your flat rate includes free packaging options², time-definite 1-, 2- or 3-day delivery, and even some common surcharges.

Shipping made simple
When your shipping process is streamlined with the predictable pricing of FedEx One Rate, you can spend more time on the things that matter, like growing your business. With FedEx One Rate, you can take advantage of the following:

• Manage, plan and communicate shipping costs efficiently with predictable rates that include residential, delivery area and fuel surcharges.³
• Save time by not having to weigh packages or purchase packaging materials.
• Experience FedEx reliability with a money-back guarantee⁴, free packaging in more shapes and sizes and up to $100 in declared value for free.

Getting started
Find your flat rate at fedex.com/tryonerate. You can order your free packaging at fedex.com or by visiting a staffed FedEx location. There you’ll be able to choose from 12 package sizes including unique extra large and small boxes.

Through an association shipping program managed by PartnerShip, you can receive exclusive discounts on select FedEx® services. If you belong to an association we work with, take advantage of our free shipping benefits today. If you’re not sure if you qualify for one of our FedEx small package shipping programs, contact us and we’ll find the solution that’s right for you.

¹Up to 50 lbs. in FedEx paks, boxes and tubes. 10 lbs. in FedEx® Envelopes.

²Quantity restrictions may apply based on your FedEx Express shipping history.

³Value-added services are available for a fee when shipping using FedEx One Rate pricing, such as on-call pickup, Saturday delivery, Saturday pickup, signature service options, and additional declared value over $100. Additional surcharges may include address/account corrections. See fedex.com/fedexonerate for details.

⁴For details on the FedEx Money-Back Guarantee, see Our Services at fedex.com.

Terms, conditions and weight limits apply. Proper packing required.

Every small business has a story. What’s yours? It could be worth $25,000.The third annual FedEx Small Business Grant Contest is accepting entries from Jan. 12 to Feb. 12, 2015, and the winners will split $75,000 in grants. Share your compelling business story for a chance to win one of 10 grants: 

• A grand prize of $25,000 
• One grant of $10,000
• Eight $5,000 grants

FedEx reviews every entry and chooses the winners based on several elements, including the number of votes received, compelling business story, social presence to develop your brand voice and how the grant money would be used in your business. That could mean any number of things: Do you have an innovative product unlike any other? A unique business structure, such as a family-run operation or a supply chain that empowers impoverished communities? If so, you could find yourself in the winner’s circle.

Here’s what you do: 

• Start preparing now! Write a brief profile of your business, describing what you do, sell or offer; what inspired you to get into this business; what makes your business stand out; how it impacts you, your community or the environment; and how you would use the grant money.
• If you like, you may put together a one-minute elevator pitch video about your business.
• Enter online and upload your story, along with four photos, including one of your company logo, and the (optional) video, at fedex.com/grantcontest.
• After your entry is approved and the voting period begins, go to your profile page in the gallery and vote for your business by clicking the Facebook, Twitter and Instagram links. You can vote once per 24-hour period on each social platform.
• Encourage your friends, customers and associates to vote for you, too. The number of votes you receive is one factor FedEx will consider when selecting finalists and winners.

Remember these important dates
Mark these dates on your calendar so you don’t miss any deadlines or important news:

• Jan. 12–Feb. 12, 2015: Contest entry period
• Feb. 13–March 17: Voting period
• March 31: Top 100 finalists announced
• April 21: Winners announced

Learn more about the contest online, and return when you're ready to enter.

Get ideas and tips
Watch a short video featuring four contest winners and how they used the grant to grow their businesses. 

Learn more about other past winners at the FedEx® Small Business Center. You can watch videos about the businesses, read about their biggest successes and lessons learned, and more. 

And for help crafting a great entry for your own business, you can download a sample entry.

Vote for your favorite candidates
Even if you don’t enter the contest, you can still have fun with it. Read about and vote for businesses in the running, and see who wins, by going to fedex.com/grantcontest.

FedEx helps small businesses every day
You don’t have to enter a contest to enjoy savings. PartnerShip offers association members discounts on select FedEx® services. If you're not sure if you qualify for one of our small package shipping programs contact us and we'll find the solution that's right for you.

Efficiently managing your freight costs is key to keeping your bottom line in tip-top shape. One of the more common ways your freight costs increase is by the reweighing or reclassification of your freight. Carriers have the right to inspect your shipment if they deem necessary and these incidents can trip up even the most experienced shippers.

When it comes to avoiding reweighs and reclassifications, the best defense is a good offense. Doing your homework on best practices for shipping your freight and closely following these practices will give your freight the best chance of getting to it’s destination without being hit with unexpected charges.

Below we have some points of emphasis to remember before shipping your freight:

Know your freight classes: Less-than-truckload Freight Class refers to the National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) and it is the category of your LTL freight as defined by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA). Your shipment's LTL freight class determines the carrier's shipping charges. It identifies the size, value and difficulty of transporting your LTL freight.

We know determining your freight class is one of the more cumbersome aspects of freight shipping, and that's why we've developed an entire ePaper on the subject, and a helpful Find Your Freight Class' tool for our customers. We ask a few simple questions about your commodity and point you in the right direction.

Stay up-to-date on industry changes: Like any industry, the freight industry is constantly changing and adapting. For example, NMFC changes evolve to accurately reflect a commodity's “transportability.” The NMFTA will post any changes on their website - regularly reviewing these types of resources will keep you in the know on the important changes that affect your freight.

Pay close attention to your shipment’s weight: Obviously very important to not being hit with a reweigh is getting it right the first time.

• All weights on the BOL should be exact weights, not approximations!
• Remember to include the weight of the pallet and other packaging in the final total weight
• Have your scales tested and calibrated often – we would recommend annually, but there’s no harm in more frequent fine tuning.

Work with an experienced partner you can trust: Even after doing your homework and following guidelines, the freight industry can be a complicated world to navigate. Working with a 3PL partner like PartnerShip allows you focus on your company and us to focus on the freight. We have a team of dedicated freight specialists that can guide you to provide accurate shipment information that will avoid reweighs and reclassifications. As a free service, we even audit your freight bills for errors or unnecessary charges that sometimes arise, and we have the industry knowledge to fight to correct any discrepancies.

Keeping the above tips and advice in mind when shipping your freight will help you stay ahead of the curve and eliminate any unwanted billing surprises. If you have additional questions about reweighs or reclassifications, or would like to learn more about PartnerShip, contact us today at 800-599-2902 or email sales@PartnerShip.com.

Earlier this year, FedEx opened a new package laboratory to better serve their customers. With more than 30,000 square feet of space, this facility allows FedEx to test and design packages for a wide variety of products that their customers may ship – perishables, glass, electronics, and any other items that require special attention.

This new industry-leading facility is the result of three years of design and development work. It uses the latest technology and testing protocols, including equipment that drops, squeezes and shakes various forms of packaging to test their strength and effectiveness.

The facility’s advanced environmental controls maintain the temperature and humidity in the laboratory’s preconditioning room and materials testing room. In fact, they can simulate any place FedEx ships, from the desert to the rainforest to the Arctic.

The lab’s unique features include:

• Altitude chamber  (Site level to 100,000 feet)
• Temperature chamber (-90°F to +350°F)
• Humidity chamber (within 2% tolerance)
• Two drop testers
• Three vibration tables
• Compression table
• Automated sample table
• 5-ton crane for testing skidded freight
• Forklift course for testing skidded freight
• Material testing laboratory
• Wood shop
• Other specialty design and testing equipment

You can take advantage of this new facility by submitting a sample of the packages you currently use for a variety of performance tests; or you can even request package-design assistance by downloading and completing the FedEx Packaging Design Application.

PartnerShip customers come from a wide variety of industries and this new package lab has the versatility to meet the needs of customers of all shape and sizes. Through an association shipping program managed by PartnerShip, you can benefit from these services and receive exclusive discounts on select FedEx^® services.  If you belong to an association we work with, take advantage of our free shipping benefits today. If you’re not sure if you qualify for one of our FedEx small package shipping programs contact us and we’ll find the solution that’s right for you.

https://www.partnership.com/Quote/public_free_quote_ltlPartnerShip has secured another carrier alliance, with Estes Express Lines- the 6th largest LTL carrier in the United States - to provide our customers with an additional option for less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments. Estes brings reliable, first-class LTL freight shipping services and additional solutions to PartnerShip customers.

Estes, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, was established in 1931 and has provided top-quality transportation solutions ever since. Throughout the years, high integrity and an unwavering commitment to customers have guided their growth from a small, one-man operation to one of the top carriers in the industry. Today, Estes has almost 15,000 employees and over 24,000 trailers making them the largest privately held LTL carrier in North America.

Estes offers a full spectrum of shipping and supply management services for virtually any destination in the world. PartnerShip customers now have access to Estes world class services, including:

• LTL Freight – Fast, reliable services to regional, national, offshore and international destinations throughout North America and beyond
• Time Critical – Guaranteed, expedited, or time- and date-definite service
• Volume and Truckload – cost-saving volume LTL and full truckload services

If you have any questions about shipping with Estes through PartnerShip, contact us today at 800-599-2902 or email sales@PartnerShip.com. If you're ready to ship now, click the button below for a FREE rate quote on an upcoming LTL freight, truckload, expedited, or tradeshow shipment.

As your shipping connection, PartnerShip is always looking for ways to improve our service and offer you options for your shipping needs. We continue to bring on new and reputable carrier partners like AAA Cooper Transportation to accomplish that goal.

With its headquarters located in Dothan, Alabama, AAA Cooper Transportation has a rich history of providing quality shipping solutions to customers in the southeast United States. Today, AAA Cooper Transportation is a multi-regional transportation solutions provider offering less-than-truckload, truckload, and international services. With directly operated facilities in the Southeast, Southwest, Midwest, and Puerto Rico along with partner carriers with coverage into Canada, Mexico, and across the globe.

PartnerShip customers located in the southeast now have access to competitive rates with AAA Cooper Transportation. Along with these rates, AAA Cooper Transportation offers guaranteed freight services, specialized equipment, and port/cross-boarder International services through PartnerShip to fully support your shipping needs.

If you have any questions about shipping with AAA Cooper Transportation through PartnerShip, contact us today at 800-599-2902 or email sales@PartnerShip.com. Or simply click the button below for a FREE rate quote on an upcoming LTL, truckload, expedited, or tradeshow shipment.

FedEx recently announced that dimensional weight pricing will apply to all FedEx Ground shipments, effective January 1, 2015. This is a significant change from the rating structure in place today. Currently only FedEx Ground packages measuring at least three cubic feet (5184 cubic inches) are subject to dimensional weight pricing. 

UPS is likely to make the same changes, as FedEx and UPS have a history of matching one another's pricing strategies. Both of their general rate increases (GRI) have matched over the years, including similar accessorial fees and special handling charges.

Even though this change is still several months away, it's important to determine what this will mean for you and your business for future planning. So what can you do?

Educate yourself
Dimensional weight pricing is a common industry practice that sets the transportation price based on package volume, in relation to its actual weight. Carriers use dimensional weight in order to account for the space packages take up on their trucks and planes. This allows for a more precise way to charge for their services.

According to the 2014 FedEx Service Guide, FedEx Express calculates dimensional weight for shipments within the U.S. by multiplying the package length by width by height (in inches) and dividing the total by a DIM Factor of 166 (the DIM Factor represents the volume of a package allowed per unit of weight). Dimensions that measure one-half inch or greater are rounded up to the next whole number, dimensions less than one-half inch are rounded down, and the final number is rounded up to the next whole pound. If the dimensional weight exceeds the actual weight, the former becomes the billable weight. It is likely that the new FedEx Ground dimensional weight pricing will follow the same guidelines.

Determine the impact
Start by looking at the FedEx Ground packages you typically ship and their box sizes. For example, if you tend to ship 24x12x12 boxes, the dimensional weight is 21 lbs. Here is how that is calculated:

length x width x height = volume
24 in x 12 in x 12 in = 3,456 cubic inches

volume/dimensional divider = dimensional weight
3,456/166 = 21 lbs.

You then compare the dimensional weight to the actual weight, and the higher of the two becomes the billable weight. In this example, if your actual package weight is 15 lbs., you will instead be billed at the dimensional weight (21 lbs.).

The change in dimensional weight pricing for small package ground shipments is only part of the impact you'll see on your budget for 2015, but it will be an important one. Keep an eye out around the New Year for the PartnerShip Small Package Rate Increase white paper that will come out after all of the general rate increases are announced by the carriers.

Find ways to offset the rate increase
Be mindful when you select the packaging for your small package ground shipments. Make sure you're not using unnecessarily large boxes for lighter shipments.  If you don't currently have one, investing in a scale can be helpful when determining how to ship out your small packages and selecting box size, so you know exactly what you're working with and how much you can expect to pay.   

Securing discounts for your small package shipments is one of the best ways to offset this rate increase. PartnerShip offers association members discounts on select FedEx services. If you're not sure if you qualify for one of our small package shipping programs Contact Us and we'll find the solution that's right for you. Also, if you click the button below, we can provide you with a free, no-obligation shipping analysis to determine how much we can help you save on your small package shipping.

Through the vision of artist Anita Miller, The Eyes of Freedom: Lima Company Memorial was created and is traveling the country with the help of PartnerShip carrier, R+L Carriers. This powerful and moving exhibit contains 23 portraits that depict the fallen Marines from Lima Company 3/25, one of the hardest hit units in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Back in 2005, the Marine Corps deployed Columbus-based Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Regiment. Within the first two months overseas, Lima Company faced its first wave of causalities, including eight Marines who were killed as a part of seizing Al Qaeda weapons and explosives. On August 3, 2005, the largest IED blast ever recorded happened, devastating the unit.

Miller was understandably moved by their story and spent two and half years to create this memorial in their honor. In 2008 it was unveiled at the Ohio Statehouse Rotunda and viewed by one of the Lima Company survivors, Mike Strahle. Strahle became involved with the project and vowed to make it available to all in need of remembrance and healing. Working with R+L Carriers, Miller and Strahle are now able to share this memorial and the story of Lima Company 3/25 with people all over the country.

R+L Carriers is an alliance partner with PartnerShip, providing a variety of domestic and global shipping solutions, including LTL freight, tradeshow, truckload, and freight forwarding services.