It’s no secret that parcel agreements are complex. The sheer quantity of services and surcharges to which discounts can apply make this mostly unavoidable. With typical agreements ranging be... View More
In a matter of weeks, the entire world went virtual. Every industry’s supply chain was upended as they scrambled to figure out how to support everything from shelter-in-place orders to getti... View More
The shipping industry is in the midst of a digital revolution, and while that has certainly changed many aspects of the field, contract negotiations are still as straightforward as ever, at le... View More
Today’s UPS and FedEx contracts are more complicated and difficult to negotiate than ever before. Before we address the major issues affecting your carrier contracts and how you can success... View More
The small-parcel market just continues to grow, and this growth can present new challenges and opportunities for shippers. Navigating the ever-increasing number of surcharges and fees while simultaneo
As recently as just a couple of years ago, the term “delivery experience” was little more than an industry buzzword, often prefaced by “the Amazon effect” or “the e-commerce... View More
Another year, another major carrier rate increase, as UPS and FedEx continue to raise their list rates for transportation charges and accessorial charges, as well as implementing new methods to squeez
Do you ever feel that since you’re a low-volume shipper, you can’t get the shipping rates, discounts, and savings your larger competitors do? Although a higher shipping volume can have a... View More
It is critical for organizations with any kind of parcel volume to understand the impact of the carriers’ general rate increase (GRI). Yet, while the annual announcement by FedEx and UPS is... View More
If international shipping is not on your radar already, it is likely it will be soon. After all, cross-border trade is the next big growth arena in e-commerce. Figure 1 shows the top five coun... View More
The process of analyzing high-volume shipper distribution patterns, identifying opportunities to save money and, in many cases, reduce transit times is often called mode (or modal) optimization (MO)... View More
On September 16, 2019, FedEx announced their annual general rate increase for 2020. Effective January 6, 2020, FedEx Express (Domestic, US Export, and US Import), FedEx Ground, and FedEx Home... View More
With hurricane season upon us and extreme weather events becoming an increasingly common reality nationwide, the arrival of bad weather tends to illustrate that there are two types of people in the wo
Shippers need to monitor and negotiate more than just the base price of their FedEx shipping.Just as airline or car rental fees increase the ticket or rental base price, FedEx surcharges substantially
All major sports across the globe share one thing in common: their biggest stars don’t negotiate for themselves. Athletes are busy perfecting their craft and preparing themselves to create the best
This appeared in the November/December, 2018 issue of PARCEL. “Shipping profile? Check. We received it from our carrier representative at our last account review.” No, really, do you... View More
As everyone knows, the price of fuel has been, and will likely continue to be, on the rise. The increases/fluctuations in jet fuel and highway diesel prices contribute to more than just carriers’... View More
Many small and mid-sized shippers feel that they don’t have the time or resources to effectively negotiate carrier contracts or manage their transportation spend. In many cases, they feel inti... View More
Think about your last negotiation. No, I’m not talking about the later curfew your teenager tried to negotiate with you this past weekend. Those negotiations usually involve someone (let’s... View More
Every merchant has a contract, which they typically renegotiate either annually or semi-annually, with a major shipping carrier. As merchants sit down to renew their contracts, they aim to negot... View More
