If you frequently ship supplies overseas and often find that mailing can take months thanks to containment points, you might consider shipping APO/FPO. This system is designed for the military and can be utilized to ship supplies more efficiently and securely.
What is APO/FPO Shipping?
Army, Fleet, Military, and Domestic (APO/FPO/MPO/DPO) shipping is the system of mailing your packages to a military destination box. These boxes exist for the use of military and government personnel to ship and receive items from overseas. Each box is assigned to service personnel as a domestic address.
This system allows those serving in the military to receive the items they need, and care packages from loved ones, more efficiently. For our GSA customers, the APO/FPO system also cuts costs and can be a big timesaver. This is especially true if you often ship supplies overseas, and encounter the time obstacle of containment points (see below).
Why ship APO/FPO?
Shipping to APO/FPO addresses can be considerably less expensive than priority overseas mail
Having an APO/FPO/DPO/MPO address makes it simple to ship directly to these military post offices
Packages labeled for military destinations can bypass CCPs (Consolidation and Containerization Points) and use the system designed for military mail to save overall shipment time for GSA mailing.
Using a special mailbox with a military address code, in order to skip CCPs, will save considerable time and money on shipping.
What Are Containment Points, and Why Try to Bypass Them?
In the supply chain, CCPs work like holding zones, where your package bound overseas ends up, along with other mailed freight, to await transport via a freight carrier.
It is often necessary for freight going overseas to be contained in these consolidation points. They must wait to fill the boats transporting them, before they can be sent off to their destinations.
If you have had to ship your supplies using this process, you know it is not a timesaver in any way.
Pitfalls of the CCP
The unfortunate truth is that CCPs back up the process. Often, packages in these consolidation points are kept waiting for a carrier for months at a time, in order to fill a ship with enough freight, before taking their slow journey over sea.
Even once the ship has reached the shore for pickup, the freight still must be sorted and sent to their final destination. Overseas mailing of your supplies can often mean:
Extensive waiting for a package to be sorted, before embarking on its actual shipment
Additional time spent for further carriage once it has arrived
Waiting for the package to be sorted and sent to its final destination
No wonder this system can feel like the true meaning of snail mail. But we’re here to let you know that shipping your supplies APO/FPO can save months of freight sitting in limbo, or even being permanently halted on the supply chain.
How APO/FPO Shipping Works
It helps to visualize the military mailing system as a hub. Freight is shipped from three main points, from which routes flow outward to many bases. Mail shipped APO/FPO will first arrive at one of three bases in California, Florida, or New York, before being shipped out to one of many overseas military post offices.
These hubs are located in cities that are conducive to getting mail to and from the overseas region of the respective Military State.
From these locations, mail then flows outward to three types of “City” equivalents.
Important: Carriers like FedEx and UPS offer delivery to countries where military personnel can be stationed, but the USPS is the only carrier that can deliver mail and packages to APO/FPO/DPO locations. Due to security restrictions, military boxes cannot accept mail or packages from any other carrier.
The USPS offers an amazing resource for shipping using this system on this guide.
Ready to use the system? Check out the second in our series, on APO/FPO labeling and packaging, to find out how and start mailing!
Summary
So much time and money can be saved if this option is available to you. Shipping to APO/FPO boxes has many benefits for GSA shipping over long distances or overseas. Just imagine a package left sitting at a CCP for months, awaiting a boat to slowly ship it to its destination, and it’s clear that an alternative is needed. If you are able to ship supplies to military destinations for pickup, it seems that this is the way to go, to save time and to avoid frustrated freight.
Read our second article in the series for how to label and package APO/FPO items a critical guide for using this system. Also, watch for our next article for a more thorough exploration of these restricted items, and what constitutes hazardous freight, in order to avoid any further delay.
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