Everything You Need to Know About Joint Shipments in 2025

Logistics isn’t known for rapid change, but the pressure never stops. Carrier fees keep going up, customers expect fast (and cheap) delivery, and keeping everything running smoothly can be a challenge. Every brand wants to cut costs and make shipping more efficient without making customers wait longer, but how do you actually pull that off?

One strategy to consider implementing is joint shipments. Instead of shipping multiple packages separately to the same customer or area, businesses can bundle orders together into one shipment.

In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about joint shipments — how they work, how they compare to split shipments, and how they can help ecommerce brands scale their operations while keeping shipping costs low.

What does joint shipment mean?

A joint shipment is when multiple orders or products are combined into one shipment to make shipping cheaper, faster, and more efficient. Instead of sending out separate packages for each order, like with split shipments, businesses group orders heading to the same area into one delivery. This helps cut down on transportation costs and speeds up transit times.

How do joint shipments work?

As mentioned above, joint shipments save costs and improve efficiency by bundling multiple orders into a single shipment. To make joint shipments work smoothly, businesses rely on automation. Warehouse management systems (WMS) help by:

• Analyzing shipping data to find the best carriers and delivery routes
• Identifying consolidation opportunities that manual processes might miss
• Reducing shipping costs while ensuring efficient order handling

Joint shipments also scale well for both regional and international logistics:

• For local deliveries: Grouping nearby orders optimizes delivery routes and reduces the number of trips needed.
• For international shipping: Consolidating shipments lowers customs fees and leverages bulk shipping rates. However, businesses must consider customs regulations, weight limits, and potential delays.

While joint shipments offer savings, they also require careful planning. Fulfillment centers must efficiently handle consolidated orders, and businesses should manage customer expectations if out-of-stock items waiting to be grouped together delay shipments.

Joint shipments vs. split shipments

Understanding the differences between joint shipments and split shipments is crucial for implementing the right strategy for your business. Below is an overview of the differences in features for each.

Feature	Joint Shipments	Split Shipments
Shipping Method	Multiple orders combined into one shipment	Single order divided into multiple shipments
Primary Benefit	Cost efficiency through consolidation	Faster partial delivery when some items are unavailable
Environmental Impact	Lower carbon footprint from fewer shipments	Higher environmental impact due to multiple deliveries
Packaging Requirements	Optimized packaging for consolidated orders	Multiple packaging materials required
Tracking Complexity	Simplified tracking with fewer shipments	More complex tracking across multiple packages
Ideal Use Case	Businesses with multiple orders to similar regions	Businesses with varied inventory availability
Cost Structure	Lower overall shipping and handling costs	Higher cumulative shipping costs

Why joint shipments are essential in modern logistics

Ecommerce shipping has evolved significantly in recent years, introducing new challenges for businesses. Rising shipping costs are squeezing profit margins, ecommerce logistics networks have become more complex with multiple warehouses, and customers now expect faster deliveries.

However, joint shipments and order consolidation offer a solution to these challenges. According to Deposco, order consolidation can save approximately $5.50 per additional shipment eliminated, leading to substantial cost reductions.

Furthermore, businesses that consolidate less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments into full truckloads can save up to 35% on shipping costs.

The trend toward consolidation in ecommerce shipping continues to grow, with more high-volume ecommerce brands (e.g. Shein) implementing some form of order consolidation strategy. Fulfillment providers, like ShipBob, make joint shipments easier than ever with smart tech that automatically finds the best ways to group orders across their network of fulfillment centers.

The benefits of joint shipments for busy brands

Joint shipments offer a range of benefits for ecommerce businesses, from cost savings to environmental sustainability. Here’s a closer look at how this strategy can help your brand thrive:

Cost savings without a sacrifice in quality

Joint shipments help cut shipping costs in a big way by:

• Unlocking volume discounts with carriers
• Using less packaging material
• Reducing handling fees at fulfillment centers
• Lowering fuel surcharges and extra shipping fees
• Making better use of transportation space

By bundling multiple orders into one shipment, businesses can negotiate lower rates based on total weight and volume. This works even better when inventory is strategically placed across fulfillment centers, so products are stored closer to key shipping regions.

Faster delivery times while remaining lean

Joint shipments can actually speed up delivery when done right by:

• Storing inventory closer to customers across multiple fulfillment centers
• Optimizing shipping routes for faster transit times
• Improving warehouse layout to speed up picking and packing
• Reducing the number of individual packages handled, streamlining fulfillment

By strategically distributing inventory, businesses can use joint shipments to ship orders faster while keeping operations lean. This is especially helpful for brands with limited warehouse capacity that need to maximize efficiency.

Build a sustainable supply chain

Joint shipments are great for the environment because they:

• Cut down on carbon emissions by reducing the number of shipments
• Use less packaging, creating less packaging waste
• Maximize transportation efficiency, lowering fuel consumption
• Reduce energy use in warehouses and fulfillment centers

With more consumers prioritizing sustainability, joint shipments let businesses lower costs while reducing their environmental impact—a win-win for both brands and the planet.

Handle seasonal peaks with ease

Joint shipments provide key advantages during busy seasons because they:

• Let businesses handle more orders without skyrocketing shipping costs
• Ease the strain on fulfillment centers during peak times
• Keep shipping schedules and costs more predictable, even in high-demand periods
• Make it easier to manage flash sales or social media (e.g. TikTok fulfillment) surges

How to implement joint shipment strategies

Implementing joint shipment strategies requires a combination of planning and the right tools. Below are some steps to help you get started.

Analyze your shipping data to identify savings opportunities

The first step in implementing joint shipments is understanding your current shipping patterns:

1. Analyze your shipping data: Review your order history and shipment volume reports to identify patterns, such as recurring orders to the same regions or clusters of products that are frequently shipped together.
2. Identify consolidation-ready shipments: Look for opportunities to group shipments based on destination, carrier type, or inventory available in nearby fulfillment centers. Check that each shipping address is accurate and compatible with your combined shipment strategy.
3. Measure potential savings: Calculate the costs of individual shipments versus grouped shipments to understand the potential cost reductions. This analysis will help prioritize which types of orders to consolidate first.

Optimize warehouse and fulfillment center layouts

Efficient warehouse management is crucial for successful joint shipment implementation:

1. Group popular SKUs strategically: Place high-demand products or SKUs frequently shipped together in close proximity for faster picking. Implementing dynamic storage systems can further enhance efficiency.
2. Map efficient pick paths: Design fulfillment workflows to minimize travel time between picking, packing, and shipping stations, enabling faster consolidation of orders.
3. Leverage batch picking: Implement batch picking techniques to collect items for multiple orders simultaneously, streamlining the consolidation process.

Leverage technology for seamless integration

The right technology infrastructure is essential for effective joint shipment management:

1. Integrate with a WMS: Implement a robust WMS to automate the process of grouping orders, optimizing pick paths, and selecting optimal shipping methods.
2. Enable real-time inventory tracking: Use tools that provide visibility into stock levels across multiple locations, so you can consolidate orders from the most logical fulfillment center.
3. Sync ecommerce platforms: Ensure your ecommerce store integrates seamlessly with your WMS or 3PL platform to manage inventory, orders, and shipping in one place, facilitating smoother joint shipment operations.

Collaborate with the right fulfillment partner

Selecting the right 3PL partner is critical for maximizing the benefits of joint shipments. Look for providers with:

• Advanced technology platforms that automatically identify consolidation opportunities
• Strategic networks of fulfillment centers to facilitate regional consolidation
• Expertise in ecommerce warehousing and order consolidation
• Proven track records of efficiency and cost savings

The right partner can dramatically simplify joint shipment implementation while enhancing the benefits.

Save time and money on shipping: partner with ShipBob today

Joint shipments are a smart way for ecommerce businesses to cut costs, streamline shipping, and be more eco-friendly. With ShipBob’s fulfillment network, automated carrier selection, and real-time inventory tracking, you can make shipping cheaper, faster, and easier.

Leverage ShipBob’s distributed fulfillment network for faster deliveries

By distributing inventory across multiple facilities, businesses can ensure that products are always positioned for optimal joint shipment opportunities, reducing shipping distances and costs while maintaining fast delivery times.

Optimize shipping costs with automated carrier selection

ShipBob’s technology platform automatically selects the most cost-effective carriers and shipping methods for consolidated orders, leveraging volume discounts and strategic carrier partnerships to maximize savings.

The system continuously analyzes shipping data to identify new cost-saving opportunities, ensuring businesses always benefit from the most efficient shipping options.

“We were hesitant about leveraging ShipBob’s transportation management system at first – but it’s actually been really great. Before we were manually choosing rates for orders coming out of our warehouse, but now ShipBob’s WMS automatically selects the best delivery method for us so it costs us less and our customers get faster shipping.

We’re saving hundreds of thousands of dollars per year, just in postage. When we first got started, we estimated over $400,000 in savings. ShipBob has helped us save 40% on total fulfillment costs.” 

– Adam LaGesse, Global Warehousing Director at Spikeball 

Use real-time inventory management to power joint shipments

ShipBob’s real-time inventory tracking ensures that orders can be consolidated efficiently without stockouts or delays. The platform provides complete visibility across all fulfillment centers, enabling businesses to make informed decisions about inventory placement and shipment consolidation.

Streamline batch and cluster picking with ShipBob’s WMS

With automation handling the heavy lifting, businesses, big or small, can use advanced joint shipping strategies without needing a full logistics team. This advanced approach to ecommerce fulfillment helps reduce transportation costs while improving efficiency.

Joint shipment FAQs