Do You Know When Is The Best Time To Ship Your Medical Supplies?

Updated on January 22, 2022

In the medical supplies industry, nothing is crucial than on-time delivery. Running late is one of the worst things that can happen to a global logistic organization and its customers. 

When it comes to cold shipping, delays not only cause huge losses in terms of potential sales but may also result in additional problems for clients and partners involved. So what is the best time to ship your medical supplies?

Arctic temperatures, whistling winds, and snowdrifts make it seem like the ideal time for shipping medical supplies. But there’s much more to consider in determining the best time to go global with your inventory.

This blog post will help you know when to ship your medical supplies and other fundamental tips.

But first…

Let’s look into some factors that often get overlooked when determining a suitable shipping period. These are just a few of the most crucial points to consider before shipment:

1) Different Shipping Seasons

While you might be seeing winter everywhere, different parts of the country have different shipping seasons. To give you an example, the Pacific Northwest may only ship twice a year – both times during the summer months.

When choosing your best time to go global, consider all of the shipping seasons for various parts across the country or even around the globe. Doing that will ensure not only on-time delivery but also reduced shipping costs.

2) Peak Seasons for Medical Supplies Industry

Medical supplies are on-demand year-round, thus creating peak seasons that vary depending on the nature of the product.

For example, if your business deals with pharmaceutical products, your peak season will be around December to February. Therefore, you need to know the seasonal nature of your medical supplies so that you can ship them accordingly.

3) Keep Track of Holidays or Events

Don’t forget that holidays and festivals can have a huge impact on shipping your medical supplies around the country.

For example, if you want to go where everyone is celebrating Independence Day in July, package goods may need to get shipped by June. In addition to this, keep track of events like elections, political changes, religious holidays, and the like.

4. High-Risk Areas

Finally, when it comes to the best time to ship your medical supplies, you should also consider high-risk areas or countries. It is ideal to avoid such territories during times of instability.

 Likewise, if you know that there are certain weather conditions in these regions at a given time of year, give consideration where possible.

The Time to Start Shipping Medical Supplies

Here are the best time to ship your medical supplies:

1. Late Winter and Early Spring

This is when demand for pharmaceutical and reference products is at its lowest. Although it may be a little harder to find consistent cargo, shipping during this period will ensure that you don’t run into any delays or problems later in the year – especially in terms of peak seasons.

2. Late Spring

Late Spring is an ideal time to ship your medical supplies if you want an on-time shipment. Medical facilities are not yet in full swing when it comes to their inventory, thus allowing you more flexibility when choosing when to go global.

3. Late Summer and Early Fall

The spike in demand among medical supply providers reaches its maximum during the summer months. Because of this, it is best to supply your products early – allowing you enough time to ensure a prompt shipment. This also gives you a risk-free alternative should there be any delays in transporting your goods later in the year.

4. Late Fall

It may be a little late, but this is the time to ship your medical supplies if you’re looking for a cost-effective and risk-free shipment. This is also the case if you need any emergency medical items or equipment to get supplied immediately.

3 Tips on How You Can Make Your Medical Supplies Last Longer

Having the right shipping period is just the start to ensuring your medical supplies get delivered on time. There are also some other tips that you might want to consider to maximize their shelf-life in transit.

1. Reduce Temperature Variation

The difference between storing goods in a warehouse and getting sent worldwide is huge. In the warehouse, your supplies will be in a climate-controlled environment during shipping, but it’s still best to reduce as much temperature variation as possible.

2. Keep All Your Medical Supplies Dry and Away from Moisture

When it comes down to it, moisture is the last thing you want to have in a medical supply. Moisture can cause rusting, which will shorten the life of your equipment and lower its performance levels.

3. Choose Your Medical Supplies Carefully

Don’t just think about when to ship the different types of equipment you want to send overseas- consider the ones that are more difficult to replace. You can even have a “dummy box” like those used by large global logistic companies and fill it with extra supplies or apparel for the sake of bulk and security.

In Summary

When choosing the best time to go global with your medical supplies, ensure you do your homework. For more information on saving costs and maximizing efficiency when shipping your inventory, be sure to contact a logistics provider.  They can guide you on how to choose the best time to ship your medical supplies.

The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.