Ups And Fedex Fill Your Noggin With Current Logistics News.

Apr 10

2023

FedEx Announces Consolidation: What Shippers Need to Know

Posted: Apr 10, 2023

On Wednesday, April 5th, FedEx announced that they will be consolidating all their opcos (FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, FedEx Services, etc.) under the parent’s leadership umbre...

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Dec 05

2022

2023 UPS and FedEx Rate Increase

Posted: Dec 05, 2022

UPS and FedEx are increasing rates by 6.9% for 2023. For FedEx, this is the biggest year-over-year increase in its history! UPS hasn’t increased its rates this much in over a decade! That's why we keep ending sentences with exclamation points! Looking for the General Rate Increase Report? ...

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Oct 26

2022

2022 - 2023 UPS & FedEx Peak Season Surcharges

Posted: Oct 26, 2022

Every year there’s a spike in residential deliveries during the holidays. As a result, the carriers make adjustments to their networks. And to ensure they’re as profitable as ever, both UPS and FedEx implement “Peak” surcharges. That means it’s going to cost you a whole lot more to ship packages through the holidays. Even the U.S. Postal Service has announced proposed temporary "rate ...

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Jul 25

2022

Regional Carriers

Posted: Jul 25, 2022

Using regional carriers can be an effective strategy to offset your UPS, FedEx and DHL costs and fill some of the gaps in your shipping network. If you need help in determining whether or not a regional carrier would benefit your business, ...

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Jun 14

2022

UPS Quantum View: When You See It Keep So Much of Your Money...

Posted: Jun 14, 2022

UPS Quantum View Keeps Your Money UPS is now the world’s largest transportation company. According to this Forbes article...

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Mar 10

2022

FedEx International Services Peak Surcharge Update

Posted: Mar 10, 2022

FedEx has updated its peak surcharges. Again. This time it’s for international services.  If you’re looking for the surcharge details, ...

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Feb 08

2022

UPS Service Guarantee: An Expert Reveals Insider Tips

Posted: Feb 08, 2022

UPS Service Guarantee: What You Need to Know There are some important things to know about a UPS service guarantee. Editor's note: this post was originally published on March 5, 2019. It's been updated with new content and links. When you ship a package with UPS in any way, they offer a ...

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Dec 06

2021

UPS & FedEx Take a Hardline Stance With Their Customers

Posted: Dec 06, 2021

UPS and FedEx have always been willing to meet their customers’ expectations - or at a minimum - they’ve always been willing to hear them out and address certain customer requests for discounts or better rates as a means to maintain a solid client-vendor relationship.  But the dynamic between carriers and shippers has changed drasticall...

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Nov 23

2021

UPS Next Day Air Residential Delivery Commitment Time Change

Posted: Nov 23, 2021

Businesses that rely on UPS and/or FedEx have ridden a roller coaster of change over the past 18+ months. In that time, both carriers waived their service guarantees...

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Nov 04

2021

UPS Sets Record Profits for a Year...in 9 Months

Posted: Nov 04, 2021

UPS recently announced they had their most profitable year ever - and there’s still a quarter of the year remaining! In just 9 months, “UPS has generated more operating profit than any full year in our history,” according to UPS CEO Carol Tome. Let that sink in the next time you’re paying your UPS invoices.  ...

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Oct 11

2021

FedEx Labor Shortages Cause For Concern

Posted: Oct 11, 2021

In a recent post from Business Insider, FedEx said that it’s rerouting more than 600,000 business packages every single day.  ...

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Sep 17

2021

FedEx 6% Late Payment Fee

Posted: Sep 17, 2021

In June 2021, FedEx implemented a new late payment fee of 6% for all U.S. FedEx Express and FedEx Ground customers who don’t pay their invoice within their agreement’s stated payment terms (which has historically been 14 days).  So, any Express or Ground customer that is past due on a payment will be cha...

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Sep 09

2021

What's The Problem with UPS Contract Optimization & Negotiation Right Now?

Posted: Sep 09, 2021

Recently, UPS has taken a hardline position on contract optimization and negotiation. We’ve heard about shippers going to UPS to negotiate their contracts and UPS taking a hard stance on not negotiating. ...

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Sep 08

2021

Billed Weight, Actual Weight, and Dimensional Weight: What's the Difference?

Posted: Sep 08, 2021

What’s the difference between actual weight, dimensional weight, and billed weight? It seems like a simple question, but the details can have a real impact on your shipping costs. What is Actual Weight? ...

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Sep 07

2021

Ready to Take Control of Your Controllable Shipping Fees?

Posted: Sep 07, 2021

What are controllable shipping fees? Fees in the small parcel industry are often referred to as accessorial fees....

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Sep 05

2021

Why Analytics Matter for Improving Parcel Rates

Posted: Sep 05, 2021

Today we are talking about improving parcel rates and why analytics matter for shippers. More specifically, why analytics are so important for allowing shippers to improve their parcel rates. One of the most effec...

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Jul 01

2021

Win a Free Month of UPS/FedEx Shipping For Your Business Plus $500 For Yourself

Posted: Jul 01, 2021

Everyone who creates a new Lojistic account by July 31, 2021 automatically has a chance to win a free month of UPS/FedEx shipping for their business and $500 for themself....

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May 26

2021

FedEx Announces A New Peak Surcharge Increase

Posted: May 26, 2021

A number of FedEx's services will be impacted by their most recent surcharge announcement. Effective June 21, 2021 – Peak Surcharges will increase and for some shippers, the increase will be stark. See below for peak surcharge increase details. ...

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Apr 07

2021

FedEx Reinstates Limited Money Back Guarantees for Express Services

Posted: Apr 07, 2021

FedEx announced a limited reinstatement of its Money Back Guarantee effective April 6, 2021. This comes days after UPS’s limited delivery guarantee reinstatement that went into effect April 5, 2021. The timing isn’t the only sim...

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Apr 07

2021

UPS Reinstates Limited Service Guarantees for Next Day Air and Worldwide Express Services

Posted: Apr 07, 2021

UPS just announced its plan for a (limited) reinstatement of service guarantees effective April 5, 2021. Although it’s a step in the right direction, don’t cheer just yet. According to the fine print, this ‘reinstatement’ is only applicable to UPS Next Day Air and UPS Worldwide Express services, and it comes with extended delivery times. UPS Service...

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Apr 01

2021

FedEx Rebrands SmartPost to Ground Economy

Posted: Apr 01, 2021

FedEx SmartPost has been rebranded as FedEx Ground Economy. There’s more to this rebranding effort than just a simple name change. The naming evolution also means that FedEx will no longer use the US Postal Service (USPS) to fulfill its last mile delivery volume, in most cases. By making this change, FedEx is replicating the model that UPS currently uses with its ...

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Mar 08

2021

Negotiation Tips: When Should You Renegotiate Your Shipping Contract?

Posted: Mar 08, 2021

Lots of shippers would benefit from some negotiation tips for getting better UPS and FedEx contracts. We've helped countless companies optimize contracts and negotiate better rates with UPS and FedEx. One of the m...

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Feb 15

2021

Why is the Lojistic Refund Recovery Process Unique?

Posted: Feb 15, 2021

Lojistic helps companies track, manage and reduce their shipping costs, and an important part of that is the Lojistic refund recovery process. The Lojistic Refund Recovery Process At Lojistic, our client ...

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Feb 08

2021

What Shippers Should Know About Refund Recovery

Posted: Feb 08, 2021

Refund recovery is an extremely important topic for shippers. What is Refund Recovery? Refund recovery involves reaching out to the carriers to request money back for any carrier invoice errors discovered...

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Feb 03

2021

Shippers Use The Air vs Ground Dashboard To Reduce Costs

Posted: Feb 03, 2021

UPS and FedEx have made it increasingly expensive to get your packages to your customers quickly. So, how do you strike the perfect balance of cost-effectiveness and fast delivery? Often, shippers make transpor...

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Feb 01

2021

What You Need To Know About The FedEx Weekend Advantage

Posted: Feb 01, 2021

FedEx has been making some significant investments into its infrastructure. Today we'll examine how those investments will (or won't) create a “FedEx weekend advantage” over the competition. What is the FedEx...

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Jan 25

2021

Why It's Time For Reevaluating Sourcing Options and Operations

Posted: Jan 25, 2021

Reevaluating sourcing options is an important topic today. Many shippers who have come to rely on UPS and FedEx are feeling a bit handcuffed. The carrier networks are completely overwhelmed right now because of th...

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Jan 18

2021

What are the Benefits of Using Regional Carriers and Couriers?

Posted: Jan 18, 2021

Many shippers think that they have to rely on one or both of the big two carriers, UPS or FedEx, but there are other regional carriers and courier options available. Benefits of Contracting with Regional Carriers...

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Jan 07

2021

D.I.Y. UPS & FedEx Refund Recovery Guide

Posted: Jan 07, 2021

“Transparency” and “carrier pricing.” Two terms you’ll likely never see used together in the same sentence. It’s no secret that UPS and FedEx mystify their pricing: invalid charges, hidden fees, buried costs, rate increases, inconsistent pricing and dozens of “negotiables” within every carrier agreement mean that most shippers operate in the dark. In no other industry is ...

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Dec 28

2020

Should You Commit To An Agreement with Early Term Language?

Posted: Dec 28, 2020

It’s important for shippers to understand early term language and how it works in our industry. What is Early Term Language? Early term language is a contractual language that the carriers include in th...

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Dec 17

2020

Controlling Shipping Expenses in a Carrier’s Market

Posted: Dec 17, 2020

If your business relies on UPS & FedEx, chances are your ‘spidey’ senses are tingling. With demand (packages needing to be shipped) far exceeding supply (UPS’s and FedEx’s ability to deliver packages while honoring service guarantees), limited options, and a lack of competition, the small parcel industry is in the throes of a carrier’s market. With ...

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Nov 29

2020

Everything You Need to Know About the 2021 FedEx Price Increase

Posted: Nov 29, 2020

Have you heard about the FedEx price increase for 2021? On September 14th, 2020, FedEx announced their annual rate increase. As usual, it goes into effect the first week of the New Year. In this case, that’s January 4th, 2021. ...

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Nov 16

2020

Holiday Shipping Guide: Shipping Deadline Dates

Posted: Nov 16, 2020

It’s a modern-day Christmas morning dilemma. You found the perfect gift online. You’re excited to see their reaction when they open it on Christmas morning. You place the order and keep your fingers crossed that it’ll be delivered on time. There’s no guarantee, but you take the chance. Then doubt starts to kick-in and you second guess your decision. “Maybe I order...

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Nov 04

2020

UPS 2021 Rate Increase Announcement

Posted: Nov 04, 2020

UPDATE: Use this link if you're looking for 2022 rate increase information.  This week, UPS announced their 2021 rate increase, which will be made effective in January of 2021. ...

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Oct 11

2020

Most Important Things You Need to Know About Shipping Prices and the Holiday Peak Season

Posted: Oct 11, 2020

Holiday peak season is the time of the year when there's a large uptick in shipments for the small parcel carriers. FedEx and UPS typically waive their service guarantee, which provides recourse if the shipments a...

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Oct 01

2020

Prime Day 2020: How Will It Impact Your Shipping Network?

Posted: Oct 01, 2020

Amazon recently announced that Prime Day 2020 will be Prime Day(s)…as in plural. Set an alert and mark your calendar because Prime Day 2020 is Tuesday, October 13 AND Wednesday, October 14. The annual shopping holiday will grow from a one-day event to a two-day spending spree for millions of global deal seekers. ...

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Aug 18

2020

UPS and FedEx Announce New Surcharges

Posted: Aug 18, 2020

FedEx and UPS both recently announced new surcharges. Depending on your shipping profile, these new surcharges may impact your business. FedEx has continued the trend of applying surcharges to all International Services originating in Asia. UPS announced several new seasonal surcharges applicable to all Air Residential, Ground Residential and SurePost packages for all U.S. Origins and de...

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Jul 30

2020

Shipping Rate Negotiation Tactics

Posted: Jul 30, 2020

Editor's Note: This post has been updated with new links and content. Original Publication Date: December 2, 2011 Today we’re discussing one of our favorite topics, shipping rate negotiation tactics and negotiating carrier...

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Jul 09

2020

Modern Day Oligopoly - UPS and FedEx

Posted: Jul 09, 2020

Editor's Note: This post has been updated with new links and content. Original Publication Date: March 19, 2011 FedEx and UPS are a modern-day oligopoly. Let’s explain what that means. ...

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Jul 02

2020

How To Become a FedEx & UPS Power User

Posted: Jul 02, 2020

Publisher's Note: This post has been updated with new links and content. Original Publication Date: May 1, 2017 In this post, we’ll help you understand how to become a FedEx and UPS power user. Let's start at the beginning with what FedEx and UPS power users are. ...

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Jun 25

2020

UPS Drops Bomb on Drop Shippers

Posted: Jun 25, 2020

Editor's Note: This post has been updated with new links and content. Original Publication Date: October 26, 2015 This post will explain a fee that UPS and FedEx rolled out a few years ago. As a matter of fact, what they really did was drop a bomb on drop shippers. But before we get into what that is, let’s discuss the three bi...

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Mar 25

2020

UPS & FedEx Suspends Service Guarantees Amid Global Pandemic

Posted: Mar 25, 2020

The global novel coronavirus pandemic has created great uncertainty all over the world. The disruptions to travel and commerce has led UPS and FedEx to suspend all service guarantees for Express, Ground and Freight for both Domestic and International shipments immediately and until further notice. This means that UPS and FedEx will no longer honor their promise to give you a refund when your s...

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Dec 30

2019

UPS and FedEx 2020 Rate Increases: Let's Look at the Damage

Posted: Dec 30, 2019

UPS and FedEx 2020 rate increases were recently announced. And as in years prior, it's an average 4.9% rate increase across the board. That's for the service level rates themselves. If you look at the UPS and FedEx 2020 rate increases, however, you'll see a different impact that you may not be so happy about. Most surcharges have gone up about 3 1/2 to 4%. But some of them, includ...

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Dec 09

2019

2019 Holiday Shipping Guide

Posted: Dec 09, 2019

Peak shipping season is here and to ensure your packages are delivered in time for the Holidays, download our Holiday Shipping Deadline Calendar below. In addition, please be aware of this year’s Peak Season surcharges. On October 1, 2019, UPS implemented the following Peak Season surcharges: Peak Season Large Package Surcharge* = Additional $31.45 per package Peak...

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Dec 02

2019

2020 UPS & FedEx Rate Increase

Posted: Dec 02, 2019

It's that time of year once again. UPS & FedEx are dishing out another costly general price increase to small parcel shippers effective December 29, 2019 for UPS and January 6, 2020 for FedEx. It is important to understand that the announced UPS & FedEx rate increases are only averages and the impact on your company could vary greatly. Over the past decade (2010-2020), UPS and Fed...

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Aug 01

2019

Audit Recovery Is The Best Option For Your Business This Year

Posted: Aug 01, 2019

Audit Recovery Saves You Time And Money Audit Recovery and Audit Recovery Bill pay are both topics that you should know about. Let's talk about the Audit first. Right now, if you went onto UPS or FedEx website, you would find the data that you're looking for will be cumbersome. What the Audit does is it...

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Jul 25

2019

How To Make The FedEx Dimensional Weight The Most Cost Effective

Posted: Jul 25, 2019

The FedEx Dimensional Weight Explained The FedEx dimensional weight can cause a lot of problems for customers. As a company that processes a tremendous amount of shipping data, we see a lot of issues with this. One of the common issues we see is being billed at dimensional weight versus actual weight. So what does that even mean? To be able to understand how carrier pricing work...

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Jul 11

2019

Is The UPS Billable Weight Costing You More Important Money?

Posted: Jul 11, 2019

UPS Billable Weight Is Important To Understand UPS billable weight is an important topic worth talking about. There are a couple of variables that go into determining UPS billable weight. So, shipping rates depend on three variables. You have the ...

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Jul 03

2019

FedEx Waivers Exposed By Fooled Customers This Year

Posted: Jul 03, 2019

FedEx Waivers Cause The Company To Lose Customers FedEx waivers are something that people often overlook and can cause you to lose money. For those of you shipping with FedEx, I want to inform you of a recent contractual trend that's on the rise. It jeopardizes your right to late delivery refunds...

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Jun 27

2019

The Truth About UPS SurePost And FedEx SmartPost Destiny

Posted: Jun 27, 2019

UPS SurePost And FedEx SmartPost Pros vs Cons UPS SurePost and FedEx SmartPost both have their pros and cons and I'm here to talk about that today. Now, one of the biggest pros is that it is a lot more affordable to use SurePost and SmartPost than it is to ...

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Jun 13

2019

FedEx and UPS Carrier Exceptions: This is the Way to Save Money

Posted: Jun 13, 2019

FedEx and UPS Carrier Exceptions Can Save You Money Alright, today we'll be talking about the different carrier exceptions. In particular, I'm going over carrier exceptions for both FedEx and UPS. They're very similar so I'll kind of go over them all in the same bucket. First, we'll talk about pick up exceptions. Sometimes no packages were picked up and pick up is not rescheduled. They...

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Jun 06

2019

UPS Waiver Makes Sense if You Have Had Enough of High Charges

Posted: Jun 06, 2019

UPS Waiver Basics There are a few things to remember about a UPS waiver. For those of you shipping with UPS, you're aware that they guarantee their services. This excludes their hybrid services. For example, let's say that you're shipping a package from Southern California to New York. Based on the service t...

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May 30

2019

UPS and FedEx Billing: Improved Discounts is the Breakthrough You Need

Posted: May 30, 2019

UPS and FedEx Billing Insights from the Pros Hey, guys, Rich with Lojistic here. I'm here to talk about UPS and FedEx billing with any of you that are still on paper invoices. Federal Express and UPS both offer online services. This will allow you to build in so...

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May 23

2019

UPS Customer Service: Never Again Pay Full High Charges

Posted: May 23, 2019

UPS Customer Service Basics The first thing you need to do is actually call UPS's billing department. Now, there's a particular number for UPS billing department. You can actually get to the billing department through the normal UPS customer service number. You press a number and they'll transfer you to the billing department. But there is a specific number in case you are doing...

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May 16

2019

FedEx Customer Service: Behind the Scenes to Save the Most

Posted: May 16, 2019

FedEx Customer Service Avenues for Refund To get a refund from FedEx, the first thing you do is call the FedEx Revenue Services. That's the billing department. They do have a normal FedEx customer service number that you can call. There is a billing department that you can call as well for FedEx Revenue Services. If you call the normal FedEx number, you can ask them to transfer ...

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May 02

2019

Lowering UPS Shipping Rates: Awesome Tips That Will Make You Save Money

Posted: May 02, 2019

Lowering UPS Shipping Rates: First Steps The best way for lowering UPS shipping rates is to get detailed reports on your current shipping. This should include all the relevant characteristics. It should be things like your average cost is by service level and your average discounts. Take a look at those, especially if your last negotiated contract was about six to nine months ag...

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Apr 25

2019

UPS Shipping Rates Plummet Thanks to Expert Advice

Posted: Apr 25, 2019

UPS Shipping Rates Versus FedEx UPS shipping rates are similar when you compare them to FedEx shipping rates. There aren't any certain rates that are different between UPS and FedEx. This is unless you are looking at some of the surcharges. UPS and FedEx ...

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Apr 23

2019

FedEx Shipping Rates That Will Make Your Head Explode

Posted: Apr 23, 2019

FedEx Shipping Rates: Important Tips to Keep in Mind There aren't unique shipping charges or surcharges in FedEx shipping rates compared to UPS. They actually both have very similar charges and surcharges. The main thing that you want to take into account are the differences in those charges. UPS might call somethi...

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Apr 18

2019

Lowering FedEx Shipping Rates: Had Enough of High Charges?

Posted: Apr 18, 2019

Lowering Shipping Rates: Some Basics to Remember Here are some things to keep in mind about lowering FedEx shipping rates. The clearest, easiest way is to renegotiate the contract. So, to do to lower your FedEx rates is to take account the timeframe in which you last negotiated your contract. As long as it's within a si...

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Mar 12

2019

FedEx Insight Will Make You Lose Money in Comparison

Posted: Mar 12, 2019

FedEx InSight: Why They Made It Hey guys. So as you can imagine, FedEx looks down on the parcel auditing industry. Now, why might that be? Well, auditing services like what Lojistic provides put money back in the shipper's pocket. FedEx Insight would otherwise allow FedEx to keep this money. So, as you can imagine, FedEx does everything that they can to deal with this. They co...

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Mar 07

2019

FedEx Contracts: Changes You Need to Know

Posted: Mar 07, 2019

FedEx Contracts Have Changed FedEx contracts have changed like UPS. In fact, FedEx calls it over-max fee while UPS calls it unauthorized charge fee. It's the same thing. It's for packages that are heavy and lar...

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Feb 26

2019

FedEx Service Guarantee Revisited: A Wealth of Refunds

Posted: Feb 26, 2019

FedEx Service Guarantee Basics FedEx service guarantee agreements work similarly to those from UPS. They actually call their FedEx service guarantee clause, "The Money Back...

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Feb 21

2019

UPS Contracts: Latest Important Updates Noted for 2019

Posted: Feb 21, 2019

UPS Contracts: Changes to Know UPS contracts changed in 2019. I would say some of the most notable impacts have been in some of the surcharges. So, in 2018, UPS took a massive increase in their over-max fee. That's when you're shipping very large packages, whether it be long or heavy. That fee went from $300 to $650 by the end of the year. This year that fee is still in effect. This is...

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Jan 23

2019

FedEx Delivers An Empty Guarantee and Its Brilliant!

Posted: Jan 23, 2019

FedEx business customers spending around $60,000 or more annually can expect to see a waiver of their “Money Back Guarantee” in their next FedEx Agreement revision, assuming a waiver isn’t already there.  A waiver of the FedEx Money Back Guarantee eliminates a customer’s right to a refund when FedEx fails to meet their time in transit commitment (aka guar...

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Jan 17

2019

Shipping Costs: The Good, The Bad, and The Best

Posted: Jan 17, 2019

In a global economy you have internal/external pressures to maintain high levels of performance at the same time managing the costs between customers and carriers. The challenge is managing your parcel shipping costs while continuing to reflect the capabilities that makes your company truly unique and drive its value. These capabilities stand out as true different...

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Jan 10

2019

Five Tips for Negotiating Anything From Cars to Parcel Carrier Contracts

Posted: Jan 10, 2019

These five rules apply to everything from negotiating the price you’ll pay for your next car to getting a better deal on the donuts you’re bringing into the office on Friday.  When applied to negotiating your parcel carrier contracts however, following these rules may save you enough to buy a fleet of cars, or enough donuts for your whole office building....

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Jan 08

2019

The Art and Science of Negotiating a “Best in Class” Carrier Agreement

Posted: Jan 08, 2019

“I’m a really bad negotiator”, said no one ever.  Especially in logistics. Case in point, I was on a sales call last week and the gentleman responsible for negotiating the existing UPS and FedEx contracts for his company was VERY confident in his shrewd negotiation skills.  “My new parcel rates are amazing. I just negotiated a 9% savings with my incumben...

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Dec 04

2018

2018 Holiday Shipping Guide

Posted: Dec 04, 2018

It's that time of the year again! Gather ye e-commerce retailers and all happy package senders...For the holiday shipping season is upon us. But to get those presents or boxes of coal to all the little boys and girls on time, we have to ship them by these deadlines! Also, we have to be mindful that service level guarantees will be suspended according to the schedule below. UPS...

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Jul 03

2018

How to Hire a Parcel Audit Company: Top Questions to Ask

Posted: Jul 03, 2018

Let's start right at the beginning. Most people don’t know what a parcel audit is. A parcel audit is the task of going through each and every shipping invoice to look at carrier service errors you can be refunded for. The process is extremely tedious and time consuming. This is where 3rd party parcel audi...

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Jul 03

2018

Top 4 Reasons To Use A Parcel Audit Company

Posted: Jul 03, 2018

You have the achy feeling that somehow, someway, your parcel shipping is draining your company of valuable revenue. Every month you see profits melt away with ever increasing shipping invoice bills that you have no idea if they are correct or just plain filled with mistakes and lost saving opportunities. What are you missing in terms of savings and knowledge abou...

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Jun 21

2017

UPS Peak Surcharges

Posted: Jun 21, 2017

UPS Peak Surcharges Arrives in the Parcel World *Updated with SurePost Peak Surcharge After experimenting on several high-volume peak shippers last year, UPS announced on Monday that it is implementing Peak Surcharges on select packages tendered bet...

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Jun 13

2017

Parcel Forum 2017 Conference Line-Up Announced

Posted: Jun 13, 2017

Parcel Forum 2017 has just announced their conference line-up. Our very own parcel analytics gurus Bryan Van Suchtelen and James Matthews will be proudly representing Lojistic at the Forum this year. ...

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Jan 04

2016

The 2016 UPS & FedEx GRI is Live!

Posted: Jan 04, 2016

The 2016 Fedex and UPS General Rate Increases are now in effect, and we’ve updated our GRI Whitepaper to reflect the changes to come. Need a quick refresher? We’ve got you covered. On Wednesday, September 16, FedEx announced its annual general rate increase (GRI). Effective January 4, 2016, rates will be impac...

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Dec 16

2015

Why Delivery Guarantees, Not Service Levels, Matter Most

Posted: Dec 16, 2015

When booking a shipment, it makes sense to assume that two-day air would be the best choice to get a package where you need it in two days. And the carriers are probably happy that overnight air would be your first choice! But, depending on what zone you’re shipping to/from, other, cheaper options may be available to get your shipment where you need it, when you ne...

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Sep 18

2015

FedEx Announces 2016 General Rate Increase

Posted: Sep 18, 2015

On Wednesday, September 16, FedEx announced its annual general rate increase (GRI). Effective January 4, 2016, rates will be impacted as follows: FedEx Express will see a 4.9% average increase for US domestic, export, and import services FedEX Ground and Home Del...

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Sep 09

2015

Freight Audit Services: Learning About Standard Carrier Alpha Codes

Posted: Sep 09, 2015

The transportation industry devised the Standard Carrier Alpha Code (SCAC) system to help identify competing companies. Each SCAC identification code ranges between 2 and 4 alphabetical characters long. During the 1960s, The National Motor Freight Traffic Association developed the SCAC system in order to help convert their paper-based documents into computerized records. Freight carriers must u...

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Jul 22

2015

Your Carrier Relationship, Your Parcel Audit, and You

Posted: Jul 22, 2015

Shipping costs are über-important. For an expense that makes up (on average) 10% of your top line, they definitely deserve your undivided attention. Maintaining a solid relationship with your carrier reps can lead to improved discounts, incentives, and more. No doubt you’ve worked hard to negotiate a competitive pricing agreement and it behooves you to protect aga...

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Mar 31

2015

FedEx Announces 8.3% SmartPost Rate Increase

Posted: Mar 31, 2015

Update: The USPS has postponed its rate increase that was scheduled for 4/26/2015, and FedEx has followed suit.  FedEx has just announced the second SmartPost rate increase of 2015. Effective April 27, SmartPost rates will increase by 8.3%. The increase was brought about by a recent postage increase announcement by USPS. Shippers who have negotiated a general rate incre...

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Jun 25

2014

UPS Announces 2015 DIM Price Increase

Posted: Jun 25, 2014

Six weeks ago FedEx announced what will likely be the single largest rate increase on record for many shippers.  As predicted, UPS announced that they are following FedEx’s lead.  Effective Monday, December 29, 2014, UPS will impose dimensional weight (DIM) pricing on all Ground packages. To varying degrees, this change w...

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Jun 21

2013

What is the Job Outlook for Freight Agents Since the Recession?

Posted: Jun 21, 2013

If you have been thinking about becoming a freight agent or a freight broker agent, you may be wondering how freight agent jobs have been doing since the recession. Luckily, logistics is very much a recession-proof industry: Although logistics activity can be dampened in certain areas and at certain times, there will always be a need to move goods from one place to a...

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Feb 22

2013

Business to Business Logistics

Posted: Feb 22, 2013

Is your business challenged by the day-to-day difficulties of business to business logistics? If so, you are not alone. Business to business or “B2B” logistics planning is very distinct from the business-to-consumer or “B2C” landscape that many companies have a greater level of familiarity with. The “B2B” arena of business logistics management comes with all the challenges of “B2C...

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Jan 31

2013

Why Is It Important to Compare Shipping Options?

Posted: Jan 31, 2013

Shipping comparison is one of the most important ways that you can save money on your logistics needs, but that does not mean it is easy to do an enterprise-wide shipping cost comparison. When you compare shipping costs, it is important to be methodical and ensure that you are taking all the pertinent factors into account. That being the case, you might wonder if the investment of time and effo...

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Jan 25

2013

What is Logistics?

Posted: Jan 25, 2013

No matter what industry you are in, you already know that implementing the right logistic solutions is critical to your business. You also know that effective and efficient logistics management is one of the best ways to control your costs as your business grows. However, we can get so caught up in the details of freight management logistics that we apply a definition to the field that is too b...

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Oct 17

2012

The Great Recession and What’s Stimulating Shipping Stocks

Posted: Oct 17, 2012

Even with the brunt of the Great Recession behind us, the global shipping industry has still seen companies slip into the deep blue of nonexistence. However, in the most recent month of market trading, some have bounced back with the best figures seen in years; we’re thinking about Ultrapetrol, whose stock soared...

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Oct 10

2012

Mobile Apps to Ease Shipping Troubles

Posted: Oct 10, 2012

Shipping solutions can sometimes feel like more trouble than they’re worth. We know it, and so do you; but this doesn’t have to be the case for the upstart or the entrepreneur. Since the world has grown into an increasingly digital marketplace, more and more solutions to shipping woes are emerging. The legacy ...

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May 17

2012

What the Recent UPS Earnings May Mean for Your Shipping

Posted: May 17, 2012

For all businesses that ships a constant amount of items, it’s important to note the changing fluctuations of the shipping world, whether it be the updates in new competitors, as we previously noted in our Amazon blog post, or the quarterly earnings calls.  These changes are important because they can help to prepare for and predict certain trends within future pricing and possible action th...

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Dec 09

2011

2012 UPS and FedEx Rate Increase Analysis

Posted: Dec 09, 2011

UPS and FedEx announced their January 2012 general price increases (GPI). Why is this important? For any company that ships parcels, the GPI will affect your overall shipping costs! As the 2011 GPI showed, there can be substantial impacts on shipping costs resulting from changes to accessorial charges and dimensional weight formulas. The 2012 increases are only announced as averages and can ...

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Sep 11

2011

How to Discount FedEx and UPS Shipping Costs

Posted: Sep 11, 2011

Shipping with FedEx and UPS can be very costly. Over the last year, prices have risen substantially. However, there are some simple things that budget-conscious customers can do to discount FedEx and UPS shipping costs without sacrificing delivery speed. Use Third Party Insurance FedEx and UPS Shi...

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Sep 01

2011

3 Easy Ways to Lower and Discount Freight Costs

Posted: Sep 01, 2011

By closely evaluating your business’s shipping and distribution patterns, you may identify many areas that you can easily discount freight costs. Below are 3 simple practices that will allow you to effectively assess your current practices, and help you identify areas for improvement. Logistics Reporting Logistics reporting is essential in effectively ev...

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Aug 27

2011

Freight Audit Services Can Help Your Business Save on Shipping

Posted: Aug 27, 2011

Besides helping you get the available discounts, a freight audit services provider can assist you to lower your shipping costs. Though FedEx and UPS are reliable, there are instances when they make erroneous billings because of certain factors. Late deliveries, incorrect accessorial charges and address correction charges are some of the c...

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Aug 17

2011

30-DAY SHIPPING AUDIT TRIAL

Posted: Aug 17, 2011

Virtually every carrier invoice received by your company contains erroneous charges that should be refunded to you. Most carrier billing errors are the result of human error and oversight, which occur regularly and continuously. These overcharges amount to much more than mere “chump change”! Your carrier deserves to be paid for services rendered and you deserve to be billed accurat...

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Aug 07

2011

UPS and FedEx Rates Increase Analysis

Posted: Aug 07, 2011

Every year, UPS and FedEx announce their respective general price increases (GPI). Shippers, both large and small, scramble to determine the effective impact on their shipping costs. Since the announced increases are only averages, the true impact for any given business can vary greatly. In January 2011, the carrier’s GPI had a very substantial impact on accessorial charges, such as:...

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Jul 28

2011

Optimize UPS and FedEx Shipping Service Level Usage

Posted: Jul 28, 2011

Did you know that nearly all UPS and FedEx service levels have time in-transit delivery guarantees? Even ground services have a guarantee to be delivered within a certain time frame. Many shippers can significantly reduce shipping costs by improving their organization’s policies and practices related to carrier service level selection for any given ship...

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Jul 23

2011

Dimensional Weight Mistakes Result in Overpayment to Shipping Carrier

Posted: Jul 23, 2011

Editors note: This post was originally published July 23, 2011 and most recently updated August 2020. Dimensional weight (DIM) is a volumetric standard that is calculated by multiplying the length by width by height of a package and then dividing by a factor/divisor. Via dimensional weight charges, carriers like UPS and FedEx have the ability to rate lo...

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Jul 03

2011

Monopolistic Carriers Shut Out Parcel Auditors

Posted: Jul 03, 2011

The global shipping industry may be engaging in some monopolistic practices to shore up profits in these tough economic times. One practice that recently gained attention centers on third party freight auditing consultants who audit shipping agreements and help with car...

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Jun 28

2011

Comparing UPS and FedEx in the Global Economy

Posted: Jun 28, 2011

UPS and FedEx are among the world’s largest small-package carriers, both by revenue and volume. When you compare UPS and FedEx, both offer ground, air, and ocean freight shipping and shipping-related services. FedEx and UPS ship over 10 million packages daily for businesses and individual customers worldwide. A consideration of ...

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Jun 27

2011

Frequent and Costly UPS & FedEx Billing Errors

Posted: Jun 27, 2011

Given the advanced technology and automated systems, it is a common (invalid) assumption that the customer billing systems of carriers such as UPS and FedEx are infallible and afford little to no room for billing errors. Shippers subscribing to this line of thought are committing a considerable oversight. Although many components of a carrier’s billing process are automated, there are ...

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Apr 30

2011

Guaranteed Service Refund (GSR) Waivers and How Parcel Auditing Can Help

Posted: Apr 30, 2011

While FedEx and UPS guarantee the on-time delivery of your packages, not every shipment is on time. If they're just one minute late, you may be entitled to a 100 percent refund of the shipping charges. They will honor this guarantee—but only after you do some considerable legwork. This can get pretty complicated, especially if you ship hundreds of packages a week or month. After tracking you...

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Apr 25

2011

How A Shipping Audit Can Verify Residential Delivery Charges

Posted: Apr 25, 2011

There are shipping audit services that help reduce shipping costs by verifying whether your delivery is residential or commercial. 91 percent of the 140 million Postal Service delivery points fall into the residential category. Most shipping companies charge a higher rate for delivery to a residence...

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Apr 18

2011

Is Small Parcel Insurance Worth it?

Posted: Apr 18, 2011

Shipments under 150 lbs are typically considered small parcel. Most shipping companies like FedEx and UPS will insure such packages up to $100 of product loss or damage. This is one reason many e-commerce sellers ship low cost items without insurance. If you're shipping something fragile, or if you just need more protection, you can opt for "declared value" insurance, which both FedEx and UPS o...

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Apr 13

2011

UPS and FedEx Fuel Surcharge Rate History

Posted: Apr 13, 2011

UPS Fuel Surcharge History and FedEx Fuel Surcharge History are linked. That's because both carriers have been playing a game of cat and mouse for a long, long time. Unfortunately for UPS and FedEx customers, that typically means when one carrier raises their rates, or increases a surcharge, the other does the same. How Often Do UPS and FedEx Change Their Fuel Surcharge? ...

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Apr 12

2011

Compare UPS to FedEx: Customer Service

Posted: Apr 12, 2011

Customer service can be subjective, depending on the circumstances and the specific area of the country you happen to be located. Unlike a comparison of UPS vs FedEx rates, when you compare UPS to FedEx customer service, you'll find some real and some anecdotal ...

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Apr 09

2011

Top 3 UPS and FedEx Billing Errors & the Need for Freight Auditing

Posted: Apr 09, 2011

Freight auditing services have become critically important since FedEx and UPS errors are present in virtually every invoice. They are often the result of late deliveries, invalid residential delivery charges, and/or incorrect address correction charges. Sometimes packages are manifested but not s...

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Mar 25

2011

Economic Slump and Higher Shipping Costs

Posted: Mar 25, 2011

Shipping companies like UPS and FedEx are caught between a "rock and a hard place."  The rock is ever-rising fuel prices, which some economists say will top $4 per gallon for diesel and gas.  The "hard place" is eating that cost or passing it on to clients and customers who are themselves fighting a prolonged recession. Sure, UPS and FedEx can add surcharges to cover fuel costs--but their cus...

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Mar 16

2011

Comparing FedEx & UPS Rates

Posted: Mar 16, 2011

If your company does a high volume of shipping and you're being squeezed by your steely-eye comptroller to cut shipping costs, read on. What you need to be a hero is a serious shipping comparison tool. One of these, the ...

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Mar 14

2011

UPS vs FedEx: Rates

Posted: Mar 14, 2011

These days, cheap shipping rates are scarcer than feathers in a cuckoo clock. Recent changes to both FedEx rates and UPS rates were bitter to swallow. Both companies announced increases to small package shipping rates that began with the New Year. Adding salt to the wound was a key change in how both FedEx and UPS now calculate ...

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Mar 08

2011

FedEx, UPS, and the FAARB

Posted: Mar 08, 2011

When Federal Express, usually a play yard buddy of UPS, found out that if the Federal Aviation Administration’s Reauthorization Bill [FAARB], now in its 16th temporary extension, gets the presidential sign-off, Federal Express may lose out on a highly cost-effective advantage over UPS.  The bill commands a shift of drivers and other non-airline workers from the National Railway La...

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Mar 06

2011

Comparing FedEx and UPS Services

Posted: Mar 06, 2011

If you ship anything on a regular basis, you probably know that the two biggest competitive small parcel package carriers in the U.S. are UPS and FedEx services. Both have earned quite a reputation in the small parcel shipping business. And both have pulled out all the stops to gain your trust and your business.  If you want to ...

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Mar 04

2011

UPS and FedEx Service Guarantees and Your Shipping Audit

Posted: Mar 04, 2011

I was dumbfounded last week to learn a prospective client, spending millions of dollars each year on shipping, was unaware that UPS and FedEx ground services are guaranteed…just like air and international shipments.  “Yeah, we perform our own internal shipping audit...

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