When to Consider White Glove Delivery for Your Company’s Specialized Shipments

Delivering products securely and damage-free is paramount in most cases—but especially for high-value, delicate, or specialized shipments, where standard transport may not provide the level of care required. White glove delivery services can be helpful in these cases. Across industries and applications, white glove delivery offers an advanced level of service to ensure your products arrive securely, safely, and on time—whether you’re moving precision machinery, fragile electronics, confidential documents, or even your company’s time-sensitive promotional items.

What is White Glove Delivery?

White glove delivery is a premium service that elevates the standard shipping process by incorporating specialized care and attention at each step. Unlike standard shipping, white glove delivery may involve careful packaging and loading, secured handling, and shipping practices to ensure safe transport and setup of sensitive or valuable items. It can involve proper temperature control when necessary.

White glove delivery typically includes highly-trained personnel who understand specialized handling techniques. In many cases, these personnel help with final placement at the destination, such as a showroom or office. This could include minor assembly or dunnage removal services. This level of detailed service is designed to safeguard shipments at every step of the process and provide the receiver with a seamless, hassle-free experience.

Key Steps of White Glove Delivery Service

What sets white glove delivery apart is the attention to detail and the extra steps taken to protect your shipment. Some of the typical steps include:

• Specialized Packaging and Handling: White glove teams are trained to package and secure items based on their specific needs, using protective materials like bubble wrap, foam, and custom crates to prevent damage during transit.  They also are highly attentive to how freight is loaded into the truck.
• Temperature-controlled Shipping: For items that are temperature-sensitive, white glove delivery services may offer climate control during transportation, ensuring that products like medical supplies or perishable promotional items are preserved in optimal conditions.
• Securing of Sensitive Data: If you need private documents or data drives shipped, white glove teams can transport them in sealed units, offer constant surveillance and provide specialized protection through stringent safety protocols and hand delivery.
• In-space Setup: White glove teams can handle inside delivery, final placement of the product, or  light assembly, making it an ideal solution for items that are large, delicate, or require precise positioning.
• Debris Removal: Many white glove services include debris removal, so once the product is delivered and set up, the team cleans up any packaging waste.

Not only do these steps ensure that your shipments arrive safely, but that they are ready for immediate use—providing a professional touch that reflects positively on your company.

When to Consider White Glove Delivery Services

Given the additional services, white glove delivery can mean a larger investment than standard shipping. It’s important to know when it makes sense for your business. Here are some industries and situations where white glove services could be particularly beneficial:

• Automotive Industry: High-end vehicles or fragile automotive parts, such as custom electronics or luxury interiors, require specialized handling that standard delivery doesn’t offer. White glove services ensure these items arrive at dealerships or showrooms in flawless condition.
• Healthcare and Medical Equipment: The integrity of medical equipment is critical for health care companies and providers. White glove delivery preserves sterile packaging and also ensures equipment arrives ready for installation and immediate use at medical facilities.
• Production-dependent Items: Across industries, there are many facilities that rely on timely, damage-free deliveries of components to keep production lines up and running. Problems with shipments can lead to costly downtime.
• Promotional Products: Companies often use white glove services for high-value, fragile, or time-sensitive promotional products—especially when working on tight, time-specific deadlines for tradeshows or marketing events. White glove delivery helps avoid damage and ensures the items are display-ready.
• Financial Services: Companies in this industry often handle highly-sensitive documents, such as client contracts, financial statements, legal paperwork, and confidential computer data. White glove delivery ensures secure handling and monitoring of these shipments, minimizing the risk of documents being misplaced or exposed to unauthorized parties.
• Aircraft on Ground (AOG) Needs: Aircraft companies and their suppliers need materials urgently during AOG scenarios, when a maintenance problem is serious enough to prevent an aircraft from flying. White glove teams offer unmatched care and speed to deliver necessary components to fix the problem.

Is White Glove Delivery Worth the Cost?

Determining if white glove delivery is worth the added expense requires evaluating the specific needs of your shipment—along with the likelihood and cost of potential damage or downtime. Think about these factors when making a decision:

• Value of Shipment: High-value goods are usually worth the additional investment in white glove delivery to prevent costly replacements, repairs, or production downtime.
• Risk of Damage: If your products are fragile, sensitive, or highly perishable, the risk of damage during standard transit may justify the cost of a white glove service.
• Customer Expectations: If your company prides itself on offering a luxury or high-end experience, white glove delivery can align with and enhance that brand image, impressing customers with a seamless and polished service.
• Setup and Installation: If your products need specific placement or light assembly, such as heavy machinery or electronics, white glove delivery can ensure they’re set up properly and quickly.
• Loss of Business: Consider the potential costs to your business if a shipment arrives damaged or late. How much revenue could be lost if an assembly line stops, a sensitive document is delayed, or an airplane stays on the ground, for example? White glove delivery prevents these costs upfront.

How to Find a Trustworthy White Glove Delivery Provider

If you choose to move forward with white glove delivery, how do you find a transportation management company you trust? Selecting the right provider is crucial to getting the service and attention your shipment needs.

Look for these characteristics when researching companies:

• Proven Experience: Look for companies with a strong track record in white glove and specialized delivery, including S-2. Extensive experience with sensitive shipments can make a big difference in overall service quality. 
• Professionalism and Customer Service: High standards of communication, punctuality, and responsiveness are important. A reputable provider will keep you informed throughout the process and address any questions promptly. S-2 is particularly respected for its proactive and transparent communication throughout a shipment and for strong security protocols.
• Low Claim Ratio: A low damage rate speaks to the company’s ability to handle items carefully. Ask for statistics if available, as they can provide valuable insight into their reliability. Fewer than .0003% of S-2’s shipments experience claims.
• Comprehensive Services: Ideally, the provider should offer a range of options, from temperature control to room-specific delivery, so they can tailor services to your specific needs. S-2 differs from typical carriers with an entire range of transportation management services, including specialized options.

Rely on S-2 as Your Preferred White Glove Delivery Provider

S-2 is committed to providing reliable, on-time white glove delivery services for companies that need their shipments handled with the utmost care. We’ll make the process smooth and worry-free for your team and your customers. Contact us today to learn more about our white glove delivery services and how we can support your specialized shipping needs.