7 Proven Ways to Reduce Your Freight Shipping Costs
Practical strategies any business can use to lower LTL and FTL freight costs — from accurate freight classes to consolidating shipments and leveraging a broker network.
Freight is often one of the largest controllable costs in a supply chain — and one of the easiest to overspend on. Here are seven proven ways to bring those costs down without sacrificing service.
1. Classify your freight accurately
Incorrect freight classes are one of the most common causes of surprise charges. Getting your NMFC class right the first time avoids costly reclassification fees and keeps your quotes accurate.
2. Consolidate smaller shipments
If you regularly send multiple small shipments to the same region, consolidating them into a single larger shipment can move you into better rate tiers.
3. Be flexible on transit time
Guaranteed and expedited delivery cost more. When timing allows, standard transit can save you a meaningful percentage on every shipment.
4. Optimize your packaging
Tighter, well-stacked pallets reduce the dimensional space your freight occupies — and density directly affects your rate. Don't pay to ship air.
5. Ship during off-peak windows
Carrier capacity tightens at month-end and around holidays. Booking ahead and avoiding peak windows can lock in better pricing.
6. Provide accurate dimensions and weight
Carriers re-weigh and re-measure freight. Inaccurate information leads to adjustments and fees. Accurate data up front means the quote you see is the price you pay.
7. Leverage a broker's network
This is the big one. A freight partner like Route 89 aggregates volume across many shippers and taps into a large carrier network through our GlobalTranz partnership. That buying power gets you rates you simply cannot access on your own.
The bottom line
Small, consistent improvements add up to serious annual savings. If you want a partner who handles all of this for you, reach out for a free quote and we will show you where you are overpaying today.