Zone Skipping
Also known as: Zone Skip, Bypass Shipping, Presort
Definition
Zone skipping moves packages by truck to a carrier facility closer to the destination before handing off for final delivery. It skips the most expensive zones in parcel pricing.
How Zone Skipping Works
- Collect packages for a region
- Truck to destination-area carrier hub
- Inject into carrier network locally
- Carrier delivers as “local” zone
- Pay zone 1-2 rates instead of zone 6-8
Zone Skipping Economics
| Without Zone Skip | With Zone Skip |
|---|---|
| Zone 7-8 rates | Zone 1-2 rates |
| Carrier trucks everything | You truck to hub |
| Higher per-package cost | Lower per-package cost |
| Faster transit | Adds 1-2 days |
When Zone Skipping Makes Sense
- High volume to specific regions
- Price-sensitive shipments
- Flexible transit time
- Dense destination areas
- Established regional flow
Zone Skipping Methods
Postal injection: USPS destination entry Carrier consolidation: FedEx/UPS SmartPost Regional carrier handoff: Final mile specialists Freight + local parcel: LTL to hub, then parcel
Cost Savings
Typical savings:
- 15-30% off standard zone rates
- Break-even at ~500-1000 packages per lane
- Offset truckload cost with package savings
Considerations
- Volume requirements
- Transit time trade-off
- Complexity in operations
- Carrier relationships
- Tracking visibility
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