Daleys Fruit Tree Blog: Advanced Freight Options: Which Freight Company should you Choose?

Summary of page: Choose the delivery company that you know and trust.

Do you know your courier companies driver?
Is one company quicker or more careful?

The difference between each carrier

Aramex: is usually the fastest option to urban addresses

Couriers Please is usually the cheapest option but the delivery can take a little longer. Remote Customers and first time users please be aware: Couriers please often works with Australia post so they will deliver to the closest depot to your address and then they will onforward ( pass it on to ) Australia Post who will then either deliver it to you or leave it in the Australia Post office for you to pick up there. You need to expect this to happen if you have not seen a couriers please van delivery in your area.
Australia Post Is the only courier that allows PO BOX, PARCEL LOCKER, PARCEL COLLECT etc.. Is tried and tested but often leaves plants at their post office regardless of the delivery instructions to leave at your address. It all depends on your local postman if they usually deliver to your home you can expect this parcel to be delivered in the usual way as well. The max parcel size is 90cm so plants are always cut back to this size unlike the other courier companies.
Startrack - is usually more expensive but they do more remote regions. They do however have a close relationship with Australia Post and often use their Post offices.

Which one should you choose

Choose the courier company that you have used before and are happy with their service. If you choose the cheapest one please understand there may be delays especially if you live in a remote area.

Priority and Express Orders

For orders that are urgent we offer 2 services. Priority and/or express. Please understand that these are not overnight services.

Priority: When choosing a Priority service it means that your order goes straight to the front of the queue and is usually dispatched within 1 business day^ (^sometimes more in busy times, ^Dispatch is not done on Friday). In some busy times it may take us up to 2 weeks to get to your order to the top of the queue and be dispatched. By choosing a priority dispatch option we know that it is important for us to dispatch as soon as possible. Please understand that Priority does not mean that the courier company chosen uses a faster service. It is just that your order is dispatched with the highest priority by our staff.

Express: This is related to the freight service and the time in transit. It is often ( not always ) an overnight service to metro areas. Startrack is a good example of an express service.

Express and Priority: This is the all round fastest choice. It jointly forces your order to be dispatched with Priority and also uses an Express courier company like Startrack.

PO BOX and PARCEL LOCKERS/COLLECT

If you choose a courier that does not deliver to you an example is Parcel Locker, PO Box or address that this courier does not visit and is returned to us you will need to cover the cost of this freight plus the cost of re-delivery even though the delivery did not arrive at your address. This is another reason why it is so important to only use a courier you know and trust.

Note to Rural and Remote Customers

If you just use the default cheapest courier you might find that your plants are held up in a depot location vastly further away than others. The safest option is to select a courier company that has delivered to you in the past that way you know how they operate and where they leave your parcel. For example you might know that Australia Post leave it at a post office that you visit so it is better to choose them than another courier company you have never used before. Please understand that even though you have entered delivery instructions the courier company may not drive to your rural or remote address and they will likely handle your delivery in the same way they do other deliveries to your address.

How To Choose the Delivery Company

1. Add plants to your shopping cart.

2. Enter your postcode and select your suburb.

3. Under Advanced Freight Options select the appropriate courier. ( See picture below )

Delivery Instructions:

We try to get all our couriers to leave the package at your address if possible to reduce them going back to a depot or post office. Therefore the words "ATL - Authority to Leave if not home" are included on all our parcels and you can not edit this. The location where to leave is defaulted to "at front door" at the checkout.

Note to delivery drivers at the checkout

You can change this to anywhere that suits your home. Eg. On Left hand verandah. At Front gate in the shade. Just try and keep it simple and concise.

Not All Drivers Follow Delivery Instructions

Unfortunately the delivery instructions are not a guarantee that they will be followed because not all delivery drivers read them and sometimes they will choose not to follow them for reasons such as safety and take them back to their depot and leave a card. Australia Post for example will commonly leave the parcel at a post office and request that you pick it up especially for rural customers regardless of delivery instructions. Therefore we ask that you choose the courier that you know and trust rather than the cheapest courier. ( Please read How to Choose the Delivery Company above )

Addresses that can not be found in Google Maps

If your address can not be verified with google maps then the only courier company that we can deliver your order with will be Australia Post.

You can try typing your address into google maps here:

https://www.google.com.au/maps

Please note that Australia Post may be more expensive than door to door courier companies and it is the Australia Post rate displayed when you entered your postcode that you will be charged for freight.