What qualifies as heavy or over-dimensional cargo (ODC) in India?

Any cargo exceeding standard size or weight limits, such as machines over 18–20 tonnes, height above 4.8m, width above 2.6m, or loads requiring hydraulic modular trailers, falls under ODC.

How long does heavy machinery shipping typically take in India?

Transit time depends on height, permits, routing, and state regulations. For example, a Delhi–Ahmedabad ODC move can take 44–48 hours due to low bridges and detours, even if Google shows 22 hours.

Why is FTL preferred over LTL for industrial machinery?

FTL avoids transshipment, reduces handling, shortens transit time, and lowers the risk of damage. LTL loads often get delayed waiting for consolidation and may be loaded or unloaded multiple times.

What permits are required for ODC movement in India?

ODC shipments require state-by-state permits, escort approvals, and night-movement permissions. A multi-state move may need 40+ permits, leading to delays if any document is missing.

What insurance is recommended for shipping high-value machinery?

Standard transporter insurance is insufficient. A Project Cargo All Risk policy is recommended, covering shocks, tilts, crane operations, and high-value machinery during transit.

E-Commerce Shipping in India: Reduce Costs & Increase Conversions by Delivering Faster and Better

Hey, let’s talk about the blunt truths! If you are running an e-commerce brand in India today, you already know the game has completely changed!

Your customer in Patna wants the same 2-day delivery as someone in Pune, but at the same time, you already have almost no margin on a ₹799 kurti. If that's not all, the returns feel like a concomitant payment.

But here’s the good news: the smartest Indian D2C and e-commerce brands (the ones whose GMVs are silently punching in ₹100–500 crore) are not paying a heavy sum per parcel anymore!.

They have been successful in bringing that cost down while still being able to deliver in 1–3 days. How? We are going to talk about that today!

First, Let’s Break Down the Crazy Growth (Because Numbers Never Lie)

India’s e-commerce market is becoming a behemoth. By the end of 2025, we are working towards ₹9-10 lakh crore in GMV. That is not a typo, ten lakh crore rupees. We’ve accelerated from 150 million online shoppers in 2021 to nearly 300 million today, and over half of the orders are coming from tier-2, tier-3 cities and even rural India.

Think Bhopal, Guwahati, Salem, Raipur or some small taluka in Maharashtra you have never heard of. That is exactly where your next ₹10 crore in revenue is hiding. But only if you can ship profitably and fast!

The Real Pain No One Ever Talks About... Publicly

Am I right about where you are now?

You jump onto your courier dashboard, and it’s red all over. You see RTO at 22%, typical cost per shipment ₹92, and half of your customer support tickets are “where is my order?”

Welcome to Indian domestic e-commerce logistics circa 2025!

The biggest headaches aren’t even the most obvious. It is slick stuff. Yes, we are talking about dimensional weight eating into your margins, reverse pickups being more expensive than forward shipping and that one pin code in rural Odisha where every courier in the land levies a ₹120 surcharge with nary a by-your-leave.

And returns? At the end of the season sale, fashion brands cry at 30–40%. That’s no longer a business; that’s a logistics charity!

But here is the silver lining! Although these problems seem to be humongous, they do come with a solution! And guess what? The industry leaders or the brands you are competing with are already implementing them!.

The Only Playbook That Actually Works (No Nonsense, No Theory, just Real Results)

Stop Treating Couriers Like It’s 2018!

Most brands are doing it the traditional way, and yes, doing so does feel like being safer, but in the end, you’re paying 20%-30% more because none of them is really held accountable.

Winners use a core + challenger approach. Choose one strong national partner who can handle 60–70% of your volume (someone, anyone, who answers the phone), and have regional experts for hard-to-serve zones like NE/J&K/Himachal. For the rest, rely on surface alternatives for low-value purchases.

Give Customers Options (Yes, Charge for Speed - They’ll Thank You)

Free transport sounds so benevolent, but it is mutely murdering you.

Instead, try this at checkout:

Lightning (1–2 days): ₹99
Express (2–4 days): ₹59
Normal (4–7 days): Free above ₹499

You will be amazed at the number of customers who are pleased to pay ₹99 and receive your product before Friday evening comes around. Just like that, your “expensive” express shipments are paying for the free ones.

Packaging Hack that Saves Lakhs a Month
This is where I see most founders facepalm.

If you’re sending a 450-gram kurti in a 12×10×5-inch box, most couriers are going to charge you as if it’s a 1.5 kg package due to dimensional weight. 10×8×2-inch poly mailer for the same kurti? Billed at 500 grams.

That tiny tweak adds up to literally saving ₹40 - ₹60 per order!

We have witnessed ethnic wear brands reduce their average billed weight from 950 grams to tens under 600 grams simply by replacing corrugated boxes with poly mailers and training their packing team. That is lakhs of rupees saved annually on 50,000 monthly orders. Pro tip: make a “dimension police” shopping list. If you fill a box over a certain size, it will send you (a very friendly or not-so-friendly) reminder.

APIs Aren’t Optional Anymore
If you are still uploading Excel sheets or logging in to five different courier portals, I beg you to stop.

A good API integration works magic. It has auto NDR calling, WhatsApp tracking updates, fake delivery prevention, and branded tracking pages. Now clients can easily lower their “where is my order?” questions on WhatsApp tracking alone and enjoy the benefits!

Let's Talk About Returns/the Elephant in the Room

Reverse logistics, in India at least, is where margins go to die, unless you fix it.

Here’s what the pros do:

Instead of a standard rate per parcel, they haggle bulk reverse pickups at a nice per kg rate. They instead consolidate all returns to the 2-3 mother hubs for rapid QC rather than having boxes sourced in 15 micro-warehouses. For lower-value orders, they offer pre-paid India Post return labels for a lower rate.

And hate but true, these brands have introduced ₹79 return shipping for non-quality issues. Results? Returns drop quickly! Policy remains crystal clear, and customers still dig it.

The No. 1 Fix-It Trick To Repair Everything at Once

If all that sounds too complicated, consider the shortcuts: Try to make friends with someone who is built for 2026 Indian e-commerce and not 2015.

Velocity Express is truly one of the only delivery partners that is reliable and efficient to handle all these things.

20,000+ pin codes (yes, your customer at rural Chhattisgarh too), Same-day pickup in most of the cities, Single API that actually fucking works with Shopify or WooCommerce out-of-the-box!Transparent pricing, no nonsense handling charges or any other random surcharge and last but not least, reliable tracking! Yes, we found something that the customers really love linguists across.

Whether you are doing 500 orders a month or 50,000, we scale with you without pulling the rug out from under your feet when you do hit any major milestones (side-eyeing legacy players).

Turn shipping from a hassle into your superpower.

The world of e-commerce will continue to boom, and there will be a plethora of opportunities. However, cracking the code of smart and efficient logistics is one of the key battles to win if you wish to conquer the world of e-commerce.

The tips discussed above will surely help you gain a competitive edge and streamline your logistics. If you are looking to know the various options available to make your logistics arms more efficient, contact us now!

Now let's go ship smarter!