SDA shipments: services offered and delivery times

History and characteristics of SDA shipping

The SDA company was founded in 1984 in Rome. In 1997, following the company's strong growth in turnover, SDA spedizioni took over 20% of the shares of the courier company BRT. Today, SDA is one of the largest parcel transport companies in Italy. In fact, SDA has around 1,100 employees.

SDA has made parcel delivery by road its strong point in Italy. In contrast, SDA has only 87 branches. This is less than the number of branches that other forwarding agents have, such as UPS or BRT-Bartolini.

For sending a parcel to Europe or for international shipments, SDA relies on other express couriers. These include, for example, the German distribution network BRT, UPS and FedEx. In addition, the consumer association Altroconsumo has found damage to 18% of parcels delivered by SDA.

SDA services and deliveries in Italy

As one of the largest couriers in Italy, SDA offers a wide range of services for dispatch a parcel, pallets or documents. Here is SDA's offer for Italy.

Extralarge

Despite its name, the Extralarge service is suitable for the shipment of:

• urgent documents;
• pallets;
• bulky packages;
• ni the fast multi-neck or single-neck

To estimate an SDA delivery, you will have to use the appropriate section of the site. Generally, SDA usually delivers this type of shipment within 24 or 48 hours.

Shop Refill

With this option, SDA addresses companies that need to make periodic replenishments. In fact, the service requires supplies from the same supplier and the use of the same delivery address.

To know in how many days your shipment will arrive at its destination, you will still have to consult the site. In most cases, SDA Courier delivers within 24/48 hours of collection. The service includes:

• fixed option of 3, 6 or 9 packages;
• maximum weight of 20 kg per package;
• maximum size of 60 x 40 x 40 cm (medium-sized parcels);
• shipment insurance up to 500€;
• fuel surcharge.

CapiAppesi Service

As the name suggests, the service allows the transport of garments of various sizes. To estimate the delivery of your SDA shipment, you will once again have to use the appropriate function on the site. The CapiAppesi service allows you to:

• choose between small (up to 120 cm in height) or large (between 120 and 260 cm in height);
• free home collection.

Return Service

SDA Forwarding has designed this service for companies that need to make simultaneous deliveries and collections to the same address. You can therefore use a single waybill and benefit from deliveries within 24/48 hours.

SDA shipping services in Europe

As mentioned, SDA Shipments relies on the German courier BRT for road transport in Europe. With this SDA service, deliveries are extremely variable and depend on the country of destination.

Generally, a fast shipment takes 2 to 4 working days, but can take up to 8 days. This is, for example, the case for Montenegro and the Canary Islands. However, SDA takes on average 3 days to reach countries such as Switzerland, France, and Hungary.

SDA has recently discontinued its parcel delivery service in the following European countries:

• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Norway
• Sweden

Finally, the Combi-Freight service allows packages and pallets to be shipped simultaneously.

International shipping with SDA

By partnering with other couriers, SDA offers fast shipments to over 200 countries worldwide. SDA's international partners are FedEx and BRT. The service allows you to ship an unlimited number of parcels, with no weight limit.

In addition, SDA Corriere provides its customers with the necessary packaging free of charge, and takes charge of the customs clearance procedures. As in the case of other services, the timing of deliveries depends strictly on the destination of the shipment. Here is therefore a summary table with dates for SDA deliveries:

How to ship with SDA or request a quote

Before shipping parcels, it is important to obtain a quote from several couriers, so that you can choose the most convenient one. For this reason, most express couriers offer the possibility of estimating the cost of your shipment online.

You simply need to know the size and weight of the parcel, and the locations of departure and destination. In some cases, it is also necessary to specify the particularity of the shipment, such as express delivery. Unfortunately SDA shipping not offers the possibility of making an online quote for dispatch a parcel.

To obtain a quote, you must then contact the company directly by e-mail or telephone. Here's how to ship with SDA:

1. first, identify the shipping service that best suits your needs: if you are not sure which fast shipping option best suits your needs, SDA is best;
   

2. check delivery times: through their site, SDA shipments allow you to estimate the lead time of a shipment before you even place an order. Remember that SDA's tracking service is only available for domestic shipments;

3. subscribing to SDA: as we have already mentioned, SDA has recently discontinued its occasional shipping service (more suitable for private individuals). It is therefore possible to send a parcel with SDA freight forwarding by taking out a subscription. You will then have to contact SDA shipments;
   

4. Finally, choose the formula that suits you best: once you have contacted customer service, you will receive advice on the most convenient type of shipment for your case.

SDA shipments: deliveries and services

SDA shipping offers a variety of services for sending parcels. In fact, the courier company offers delivery services from 1 or 2 working days. It must be said in this regard that the services are adapted to various types of goods. In fact, SDA accepts regular shaped parcels, bulky items and even pallets.

Sending a parcel with SDA may not be the best solution for a private individual. Unfortunately, as of November 2019, the company has in fact discontinued its occasional delivery service, both online and in branch. Therefore, SDA's deliveries are better suited to meet the needs of companies and e-commerce.

SDA shipments: additional services

In addition to the possibility of selecting the type of shipment, SDA provides access to a number of additional services. These services have an additional cost, to be agreed again directly with the courier. For delivery within Italy, these are available:

On-Demand Delivery Service

This complementary service allows you to select a specific time and day for the delivery of your parcel. It will also be possible to indicate the chosen delivery location.

Time Definite Service

Using this service, you can schedule your delivery by choosing the most convenient time for you. The service then allows you to choose from the following delivery times:

• by 9.00 a.m. (only in major cities and commercial towns);
• before 10 a.m., available in 1,000 locations in Italy;
• in the morning before 12 noon, available at 2,800 locations in Italy.

In addition, the customer may request a refund if the delivery of the parcel is delayed by more than 15 minutes.

Supplementary insurance

The statutory insurance cover can be extended by choosing from four different limits.

Proof of Delivery

You can choose to receive an online notification once SDA spedizioni has delivered your parcel with the Digipod service. The Smart Alert service, on the other hand, allows you to receive message updates on the status of your shipment.

Agree with SDA on delivery times and modalities

SDA gives you the possibility of customising the shipment of your parcel. For example, this ancillary service allows delivery to be organised:

• • on the floor;
  • on Saturdays: in fact, SDA delivers on Saturdays to more than 1300 locations in Italy;
  • by appointment;
  • in the evening, from 6.30 p.m. to 9 p.m;
  • on a defined day and time.

Online services and functionalities of the SDA shipping site

By visiting the SDA shipping site, you can take advantage of a number of online ancillary services free of charge. These include:

• recharge of SDA accountSDA registered customers can then top up their account online and access discounted rates;

• book a pick-upThe SDA team allows you to book a pick-up at home or branch online;

• monitoring a shipment or collectionTo find out the status of your shipment, simply use the tracking number of your parcel. In case of collection, you will have to use the order number instead;

• search for a branchThis system allows you to search for the branch nearest to you by postcode or location name;

• calculation of delivery timesAlthough SDA does not allow online quotes for shipping a parcel, you can estimate the delivery time. Just indicate the origin and destination postcode and the day of collection.

SDA shipping contacts and address

Like most couriers, SDA shipping supports its customers through a dedicated service. Accessing the customer service is very easy and in any case free of charge, unlike other couriers. Here is how to contact SDA:

Final considerations: who better to send parcels with SDA?

SDA shipping is undoubtedly one of the largest express couriers operating in Italy. On the other hand, SDA's offer to ship a parcel is not really suitable for everyone.

In fact, SDA mainly targets companies and traders as its services are not tailored to private individuals. In fact, private individuals are more interested in occasional quick shipments and are not interested in making a courier subscription for dispatch a parcel when circumstances require it.

The possibility of accessing numerous online features is certainly a positive note. What is missing, however, as discussed, is the possibility of making online quotes. On the other hand, SDA's customer service is free and easy to contact in case you want to request a quote.

With regard to the international shipments, SDA shipments struggle to compete with the likes of UPS, DHL or TNT. Finally, to keep in mind is the high percentage of damaged parcels transported by SDA: 18% in 2018, according to the already mentioned report by Altroconsumo.