5 Tips to Help Reduce Freight Spend

Written by The Emerge Editorial Staff

MARCH, 2019

If you’ve found yourself paying more for your freight, you’re not alone. In fact, the CSCMP’s State of Logistics Report notes, “The costs of shipping goods and services is rising, as seen by increased capacity rates, which is leading to higher supply chain costs for corporations, and the consolidation of smaller trucking and logistics companies that cannot keep pace.”

With increased demand for freight and a rising driver shortage, saving money where you can has never been more crucial. We’ve put together 5 strategic methods you can use to reduce your freight spend.

1. Provide Live Loads

If your current method has you requesting quotes weeks in advance, your proactive planning could actually be hurting you. Requesting freight quotes 1-3 days out, instead of 1-3 weeks, will help you avoid getting general quotes from your carriers/brokers. Instead, by providing a live load, you’re less likely to have a carrier fall through or request more money on a shipment as the date gets closer.

2. Keep Your Providers Honest

Don’t be afraid to source new options on your freight. Requesting rates from carriers outside of your usual network will reveal if your provider’s quotes are inline with current pricing trends.

“With increased demand for freight and a rising driver shortage, saving money where you can has never been more crucial“

3. Look at Carrier Direct

Brokers move a variety of freight and cover a lot of different lanes making them a convenient option. However, the benefit of going carrier direct can potentially save you from paying hefty markups. Having a direct relationship with the carrier also opens the door for possible rate negotiations.

Our Digital Freight Marketplace is designed to bring you live carrier direct rates from thousands of verified providers.

4. Plan Your Shipments

Make your shipments more attractive to carriers/brokers by making your loads convenient for them to move. One idea is to use the transit time to pick the best shipment date (e.g. don’t move a 300-800 mile run on a Friday because it will most likely need to be held over the weekend which is costly for you and the driver). Remember, carriers/brokers aren’t making money if their trucks aren’t moving, they want the ability to drop one load and grab another quickly and easily.

5. Be Specific About Your Shipment Details

Nobody likes surprises on their invoice. You can avoid annoying rebills by including as much information as possible about your shipment. Providing the bare minimum about a load might save you minutes but could result in a much larger time suck later dealing with inaccurate quotes or up-charges. A lot can affect the cost of a shipment; hours of operation, zip codes, load specifics, and accessorials such as liftgate, residential delivery and extreme length all factor into the final cost. Providing more information about a shipment results in a more accurate quote and less unexpected charges for you.

Emerge is Here to Help

Are you serious about reducing your freight spend? Then we’d love to show you just how easy it is to save with our Digital Freight Marketplace. In just a few minutes one of our freight gurus will help you run a quote and show you the savings.