Combined with tightened political relations, Covid-19, Brexit, and seasonal rushes, parcel delivery companies suffered a complete disruption within the last couple of years. However, because of the changes, the industry started relying more on flexibility, technical innovation, and customer service. Considering these and more factors, this article outlines the top 40 international package shipping companies.
A couple of crucial factors should be considered when ranking the best international shipping services. In this section, we outline the criteria through which we categorized the placement of each international shipping company within the rank.
Track and Trace - Because of the disruptions mentioned above, lately, parcel tracking has become a demanded part of the customer service of these companies.
Speed - Customer satisfaction is greatly influenced by the delivery speed, and the service level should be in line with the estimated delivery time.
Quality-Price - The quality-price ratio should be as well taken into account as outlining how the size and weight of the package correspond to the service fees of the delivery company.
Competence - Shipping solutions are available for specific items, including perishables. It is vital for shipping companies to possess specific knowledge and experience in transporting perishables.
Prior to selecting a parcel delivery company, it is important to take all of these factors into consideration.
The competition within the international package shipping industry is extremely high, and especially after the lockdowns that the world experienced, delivery services have been increasingly in demand. With them, however, customer expectations and requirements have jumped highly, pressuring the shipping industry toward innovative solutions and better services with higher quality. Here we outline the responses to these demands of the companies through a rank of the top 40 international package shipping companies.
Founded in Germany in 1969, DHL has 50 years of professional logistical experience, which transformed the company into the number one actor within the international package shipping industry. The rich knowledge and experience of the company enable accomplishing a golden balance between low-cost services on good quality. DHL provides a range of transportation options, including standard international shipping services via air and ocean, as well as road and rail freight services.
Despite its ubiquitous usage within the US, UPS (United Parcel Service) provides exceptional quality services worldwide, which is one of the reasons it is ranked among the best shipping companies for packages. UPS is a highly preferred choice for the delivery of bulky and weighty items such as furniture since the maximum weight limit of the company is 150 pounds. Further, the services of the company are suitable for shipping domesticated animals. In addition to all this, UPS provides an advanced tracking system to its customers.
Founded in 1971, FedEx reaches 220 countries and provides excellent quality services when it comes to temperature-controlled shipping for perishable products. Headquartered in Tennessee, USA, FedEx provides a variety of package shipping options, including but not limited to Overnight Shipping, Same-Day Delivery, 2-Day Delivery, and 3-Day Delivery. FedEx offers specific insurance coverage for packages, with $100 available for each package when using their Express, Ground, or Home Delivery services. For fragile items or items with an unknown value, the insurance coverage is $1,000.
Headquartered in Dubai, Aramex has specialized in express shipping and is the first company to be registered on the NASDAQ stock market. Founded in 1982, Aramex today delivers to more than 220 countries worldwide. Within their express export service, there are two options available: priority and value express. The value express alternative is a rapid shipping solution offered at affordable prices.
Launched 40 years ago, Blue Dart is renowned for its reliable electronics, medicines, jewelry, automotive parts, and clothing transportation. Further, Blue Dart has built an image of a punctual and reliable parcel delivery company. Blue Dart has become the top distributor for express packaging and courier services in South Asia and is currently India's most widely used courier service company.
Delhivery is another Indian package shipping company that has conquered the package delivery industry. Launched in 2011, the company provides a wide variety of shipping options at affordable prices. Delhivery has experienced significant growth since its establishment and currently caters to 90.6% of India's pin codes, with 122 gateways. One of the company’s main strengths is its innovative integrated system that enables Delhivery to offer affordable international courier services via air and sea freight.
With a rich and long history, PostNL handles an impressive volume of deliveries, sending out around 900,000 parcels every day throughout the Benelux region. Additionally, the company also covers the countries of the Eurozone and is one of the highly recommended delivery companies within Italy, the UK, and Germany. PostNL provides rapid and efficient delivery for small parcel delivery service packages and eCommerce.
With expanded knowledge and rich history, DB Schenker is a globally renowned shipping company headquartered in Germany, with a presence in more than 2000 facilities across the world. Founded in 1872, DB Schenker offers an extensive range of international air and ocean freight services, integrated logistics solutions, and global supply chain services. Further, the company provides an online end-to-end tracking option for its deliveries.
Headquartered in Shanghai, ZTO Express offers delivery services to Europe, North America, and South America within a timeframe of 5-8 days and 8-10 days. The company is a preferred choice due to its high competence and professionalism in the transportation of lithium batteries, cosmetics, appliances, and electronic devices. ZTO Express offers affordable door-to-door delivery and fast mailing services for packages weighing up to 1g. The company delivers shipments to 45 countries across the globe.
Founded in 1990 in India, DTDC is a leader in the Indian delivery industry. DTDC delivers goods efficiently to more than 3700 locations in India and 240 international locations. Further, the company is a trailblazer in the franchise business model. DTDC delivers around 10 million parcels every month, for each of which it provides an online tracking option.
With more than 80 years of experience in the industry, Nippon has its own motto, “on time, every time.” And the motto does not mislead the company’s customers. Nippon Express is a dominant player in Japan's courier delivery services market and worldwide. The company provides speedy international door-to-door delivery services to over 200 countries and regions. The strength of the delivery company is constituted in the delivery of printed materials and urgent documents. Also, Nippon Express is also known for its comprehensive one-stop business solutions that integrate various modes of transportation globally.
Royal Mail, an international powerhouse, leads the pack with its modern and optimized delivery network service. Operating across 40 countries, including 36 in Europe, Royal Mail serves nearly 31 million addresses with a diverse range of letter and parcel services. Royal Mail’s commitment to efficiency and innovation remains unwavering, with over 160,000 employees globally.
TNT is a highly chosen delivery option because the company offers frequent shippers customized pricing. The company covers various countries, including China, the Netherlands, India, Italy, Canada, Germany, the United States, and Australia. TNT offers a range of services in India, including fast shipping, customs clearance, and doorstep pickup.
Established in 1976, Dynamic Parcel Distribution is flexible in its services and provides solutions to companies, individual customers, and communities. The company delivers packages worldwide with local and international tracking options anytime. DPD counts on air express services for global logistics. Further, DPD is a leading player in promoting carbon-neutral parcel delivery. The company is dedicated to ensuring that every package delivered by DPD is carbon neutral without any additional fees.
Bombino is a crucial leader in the delivery of documents and packages door-to-door between India, the USA, the UK, and the Middle East. Founded in 1995 in India, the company follows three key factors when providing its shipping services – safety, security, and speed. Bombino Express provides diverse logistics solutions covering various aspects of the transportation and supply chain process, including port-related operations, shipping services, freight forwarding, customs clearance, inland transportation, warehousing, and supply chain management.
Established in 1974, StarTrack is a dominant player in the package logistics and freight industry in Australia. It has collaborated with Qantas cargo flight to ensure its customers receive their shipments accurately and promptly. The company provides affordable as well as rapid same-day delivery options. StarTrack's parcel delivery services extend beyond Australia, covering 190 countries worldwide.
Pickrr is a platform that combines various courier services and offers delivery options to all pin codes in India and more than 200 international locations. By collaborating with multiple courier partners, Pickrr provides its customers with a range of customizable courier options at highly competitive prices. Additionally, with the company’s Returns Management options, businesses can efficiently manage the return of products and merchandise from customers by automating the process, thus saving time and effort.
Founded in 2006, Fastway Worldwide Express’ services perfectly correspond to the company’s name. Both the domestic and international services of the Indian company include features such as insurance coverage and customs clearance. Further, the company offers the convenience of online tracking, allowing customers to keep track of their shipments in real time. Fastway Worldwide Express provides one of the quickest transit times, with goods typically reaching their destination within 5-6 working days.
Based in New Zealand, Freightways specializes in express packaging services, business mail, and courier solutions. In 2020 alone, the company delivered an impressive 38M mail items, and transported 32.4M kilos of packages by air freight, both domestically and internationally. With a strong presence in New Zealand and Australia, Freightways continues to set the standard for reliable and efficient parcel delivery services in the region.
Founded in 1965, R+L Carriers is a worldwide transportation company that offers a range of shipping services, including less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping, truckload services, and international air delivery to destinations in Canada and the USA. R+L Carriers are an ideal option for shipments that are high in value or high risk, as well as temperature-controlled shipments and less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments.
Yamato Transport Company is one of Japan's prominent door-to-door shipping service providers and the main competitor to Nippon. In fact, the company holds a 41% market share, which is not a surprise since the company constantly pursues growth and development. Yamato utilizes IT services, such as an EDI system, to enhance the effectiveness of its shipping, pickup, and return operations. By leveraging these technologies, Yamato can streamline its logistics processes, resulting in increased efficiency.
Kuehne + Nagel is a logistics company headquartered in Switzerland, with a primary focus on providing air and sea freight services and land transport solutions. In fact, in 2010, the company was the world's largest freight forwarder, with almost 15% of the global air and sea freight business revenue under its purview. The company employs optimal transit times and transportation modes to ensure maximum efficiency in the transportation of products.
MRW is a courier company based in Spain that operates directly in Andorra, Spain, Gibraltar, and Portugal and works with logistics partners to cover international destinations. MRW offers urgent courier and e-commerce services to both businesses and individuals and has the capability for API integration. The company provides customers with 22 distinct delivery services, which encompass a wide range of delivery options, including regular deliveries for urban, national, European, or international destinations.
Headquartered in Milton Keynes, Parcelforce is a leading courier company in the UK that specializes in providing domestic and international shipping services. The company provides customers with various payment options, including Paygo, which allows for payments to be made as the parcels are sent, as well as the option of setting up a credit account, which is billed on a monthly or weekly basis.
Established more than 75 years ago, SEUR is a global shipping company that is a member of the DPD Group, which includes Chronopost in Portugal and BRT in Italy. SEUR is committed to environmentally responsible shipping services and reduces to a minimum its CO2e emissions. The company’s reach covers 180 countries around the world, of which 26 are European.
Tuffnells is a UK-based company that offers courier services, with a particular emphasis on the transportation of large parcels and other types of freight. Recently, one of the company’s main objectives has been significantly improving its route optimization technology. This upgrade is expected to increase the efficiency and visibility of their collection and delivery rounds while also reducing emissions.
Whistl operates an International Gateway close to Heathrow airport and provides clearance services for mail and parcels entering the UK on three levels - air, sea, and road transport. With its in-depth understanding of the market and robust relationships with significant network providers, Whistl assists many businesses in devising effective delivery solutions in this sector.
Evri, formerly known as Hermes Europe, has been a key leader in the parcel delivery industry for years. Whilst its headquarters are in Hamburg, Germany, the company provides domestic and international shipping solutions throughout Europe and globally. Evri provides efficient and high-quality services to businesses, including lowered costs, comprehensive tracking capabilities, and seamless integration with popular platforms.
General Logistics Systems is a package delivery company that operates throughout Europe, parts of the USA, and most of Canada. GLS is focused on services for both B2B and B2C. General Logistics Systems' delivery solutions are sophisticated and standardized yet flexible enough to meet any customer need. Business solutions offered by GLS include parcel delivery, freight, groupage, and warehousing.
Based in Poland but with a worldwide reach, InPost is a leading package delivery company with an aggressive expansion policy designed to increase efficiency and speed while reducing environmental impact. To a minimum extent, the company attempts to reduce emissions and traffic jams by delivering packages to particular devices, not to the receiver’s door.
Headquartered in Greece, ELTA provides package shipping services within and outside the country. It includes a next-day delivery, expanded tracking features, and a wide selection of benefits. An inseparable part of Hellenic Post, ELTA has conquered most of its customers by creating a user-friendly pricelist allowing the company to provide its services at affordable prices worldwide.
Chronopost is a well-regarded logistics company based in France, however, with expanded operational services worldwide. The company has the strongest reputation and recognition in France, Spain, and Portugal. The company provides customers with all-in-one packaging solutions to ensure the safe and hassle-free delivery of their items. Chronopost offers a range of pre-paid, resilient packaging options designed to accommodate various shipment sizes and formats.
Colissimo is a division of La Poste that specializes in providing fast delivery services both domestically in France and internationally. Further, the company is a leading provider of CO2-neutral delivery services for shipping and returning parcels in France and worldwide. Sending parcels with Colissimo is a straightforward process, made even easier with their flexible drop-off options.
Established in 1998 in Greece, ACS is one of the top parcel and document delivery service providers in Cyprus and its neighboring areas. The company provides easy and efficient tracking services through a mobile application, enabling its customers to follow the location of their packages anytime. Further, the application allows ACS’ clients to schedule package pick-ups online.
Established in 2012, Asendia is an international package delivery company that focuses primarily on eCommerce. The company is part of Easyship's expanding network of courier services and offers more than 250 courier solutions. Asendia Shipping provides several services to select from, depending on various factors such as the parcel's origin and destination countries, size, and the desired delivery speed.
Yodel is a UK delivery company focused on shipping solutions within the country and internationally. Yodel’s exceptional service Xpect provides customers with comprehensive tracking features and allows them to manage their delivery preferences through seven inflight options, offering an enhanced service experience. The company delivers six days a week with options of next day as well as two-days services.
Founded in Canada, Purolator’s core characteristic is flexibility. The company offers Purolator Quickship, a shipping solution designed specifically for businesses, with the option of late-night or early-morning pickups to suit their needs. Further, in contrast to other courier services that are privately owned and operate globally, Purolator is a government-operated courier service. Nevertheless, the company provides international as well as domestic deliveries.
The United States Postal Service (USPS) is an autonomous federal organization aiming to operate self-sufficiently and to provide affordable, dependable, and secure mail and package delivery services to nearly 165 million addresses. The package delivery organization provides services six or seven days a week across every American community. USPS is implementing a 10-year transformation strategy to modernize the postal network, ensure long-term financial stability, significantly enhance service in all mail and shipping categories, and maintain its status as one of America's most valued and trusted brands.
Founded in 1998, EMS is a worldwide Express Mail Service offered by postal operators under the Universal Postal Union (UPU) to transport documents and commodities between 175 countries and territories. The company provides key services and features like end-to-end online tracking, express shipping, airfreight services, moving solutions, and priority handling. EMS has a strong presence in 200 countries and covers every town and city in China.
With an extensive distribution and warehouse network that spans across the globe, Deutsche Post earns the right to be a driving force in the parcel delivery industry. Headquartered in Bonn, Germany, Deutsche Post gets help with its subsidiary DHL in leading the charge in e-commerce shipping innovation.
The last couple of years represented a great reminder to the parcel delivery industry that stability and predictability are illusions within the world outside the field. Numerous unpredictable factors influence the industry, directly and indirectly, leaving permanent traces on the speed, quality, and costs of delivery services.
Shipping companies for packages have evolved, adapted, and become more flexible due to the ruptures within the last couple of years. With today's delivery services, we are able to receive products quickly and in a more environmentally friendly manner. The competition within the industry is high. However, as outlined by the progress, it awakens innovation.