Shanghai – And the winner is… Last month after Cargo Facts Asia 2018, the Cargo Facts team ran an experiment to test the speed, convenience, and reliability of cross-border express shipments between China and the United States (see part I here). Three-weeks after dropping the parcels off at various ship centers in Shanghai, two of the shipments have arrived, and we are ready to reveal the winner.
But first, a refresher. On 27 April we assembled three identical packages weighing in at under 250 grams each and including typical tourist souvenirs – a keychain, chopsticks, and a magnet. Although undoubtedly, FedEx, UPS, or DHL Express would have all been capable of handling the shipment. We shipped the three parcels via China Post, Shentong Express (STO Express), and SF Express to illuminate how China’s express companies would rise to this challenge.
On 1 May, we asked our readers to predict which of the three parcels would arrive at our Seattle office first. Overwhelmingly, SF Express won the poll.
As it turns out, Cargo Facts readers were spot on. The parcel shipped via SF Express arrived at our Seattle office just hours after our post went live on 1 May, about two business days after tendering the shipment.
Details of the journey for our winner and runner-up continue on the next page.