Your carrier invoices are complex, and your total shipping spend is likely hiding costly secrets. Unexpected accessorial surcharges, inefficient routing, and non-compliant carrier billing can quietly drain your budget, month after month. Trying to control these costs without the right data is like trying to find a leak in the dark. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are the flashlight you need. By tracking specific shipping metrics related to cost, you can illuminate exactly where your money is going and identify the biggest opportunities for savings. This allows you to stop reacting to high invoices and start proactively managing your shipping spend for better profitability.

There’s a lot to shipping and getting it right for client satisfaction and company profitability. One way to ensure success is to monitor key performance indicators for the shipping industry. A key performance indicator (KPI) is a measure used to track and understand the shipment process and supply chain metrics. When measuring success with a KPI, a logistics leader monitors supply chain, warehouse, and transportation data to see how well the internal processes are working. With continued digitization in the shipping sector, the plethora of data is analyzed to show whether the company’s goals are being met and any improvement trends and challenges. Changes in a logistics key performance indicator over time can highlight an area needing attention, a problem to address. Perhaps delivery slowed down or the order fulfillment process is dropping. The KPIs allow the shipping managers to develop improvements within the customer order cycle. We share 16 KPIs in three categories to consider using in your shipping company.

What does KPI mean in logistics?

KPIs are used in all industries to measure results and performance over time. There’s no end to the number and type of KPIs used to measure performance metrics in the logistics industry. In logistics, KPIs can help a warehouse manager understand performance at a glance. It helps the manager know whether customers will be satisfied based on the metrics. KPIs are important in logistics to ensure customer satisfaction, whether retaining customers or attracting new ones. Customers expect fast and accurate delivery, and they expect their goods to arrive undamaged. This puts a big burden on the shipper to meet these demands. Customers are looking at KPIs too, but not listed as such. They want to know how long it takes for their goods to arrive and know that they’re well-packaged and accurate. Competitors can take away this business if a shipper’s logistics KPI metrics aren’t met.

How to Develop an Effective KPI Strategy

Simply tracking metrics isn’t enough; you need a strategy to turn that data into meaningful action. A well-designed KPI strategy ensures you’re not just collecting numbers but are actively monitoring the health of your shipping operations and making informed decisions. It provides a clear framework for what success looks like and how to measure your progress toward it. The key is to move beyond a simple list of metrics and build a cohesive system that connects your daily operations to your overarching business objectives. This approach helps everyone on your team understand what’s important and how their work contributes to the bigger picture, creating a unified push toward efficiency and profitability.

A strong KPI strategy also serves as a powerful communication tool. It aligns everyone, from warehouse staff to the executive team, with a common language and shared goals. When your team understands exactly what they’re working toward and how their performance is measured, they’re more empowered to make smart, independent decisions. This clarity is crucial when you need to justify investments in new technology, advocate for process changes, or demonstrate the ROI of your logistics department. Ultimately, a strategic approach to KPIs fosters a culture of continuous improvement, where data isn’t just reviewed—it’s used to drive meaningful change and keep your operations competitive.

Align KPIs with Business Goals (SMART Framework)

The most effective KPIs are directly tied to your specific business goals. If a metric doesn’t help you understand your progress toward a key objective, it’s probably not worth tracking. A great way to ensure this alignment is by using the SMART framework. Your KPIs should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. For example, instead of a vague goal like “improve shipping efficiency,” a SMART goal would be “reduce the average cost per shipment by 5% in the next quarter by securing better carrier rates.” This gives you a clear target and a defined path, like pursuing contract optimization. Regularly reviewing these KPIs ensures they remain relevant as your business evolves, helping you focus your efforts on what truly matters.

Understanding Different KPI Classifications

Not all KPIs are created equal, and they serve different purposes within your logistics strategy. Understanding the various classifications helps you build a balanced and comprehensive view of your performance. KPIs generally fall into a few key categories, including strategic versus operational and leading versus lagging. A balanced approach that incorporates different types of KPIs is crucial. It allows you to see both the high-level, long-term trends and the day-to-day operational details that drive those results. This complete picture prevents you from having blind spots and enables you to manage your shipping operations proactively rather than reactively.

Strategic vs. Operational KPIs

Think of strategic and operational KPIs as providing two different views of your business: the 30,000-foot view and the on-the-ground view. Strategic KPIs are high-level metrics that help executives and business owners understand overall performance against long-term goals. Examples include Total Landed Cost or Customer Retention Rate. On the other hand, operational KPIs focus on the efficiency and effectiveness of specific, day-to-day processes. These are the metrics your warehouse and logistics managers live by, such as Order Picking Accuracy or Dock-to-Stock Cycle Time. The two are interconnected; strong operational performance is what ultimately drives the success of your strategic goals. Having clear reporting and KPIs for both levels is essential for a healthy logistics operation.

Leading vs. Lagging KPIs

Another important distinction is between leading and lagging KPIs. Lagging KPIs measure past performance—they tell you what has already happened. Metrics like “On-Time Delivery Rate for the last month” or “Total Shipping Spend last quarter” are lagging indicators. They are essential for confirming results but are difficult to influence in the short term. Leading KPIs, however, are predictive. They measure activities that are likely to impact future results. For example, tracking “Percentage of Staff Completing Safety Training” is a leading indicator for future workplace accidents. A good KPI strategy uses a mix of both. Lagging indicators tell you if you’ve achieved your goals, while leading indicators show if you’re on the right track to achieve them in the future.

Potential Pitfalls of Using KPIs

While KPIs are powerful tools, they come with a few potential traps. One common mistake is focusing on “vanity metrics”—numbers that look impressive but don’t actually reflect the health of your business or contribute to your goals. Another pitfall is data overload; tracking too many KPIs can be just as bad as tracking none, as it can lead to confusion and inaction. It’s also important to remember that focusing too heavily on one metric can sometimes negatively impact another. For instance, pushing for faster fulfillment times at all costs might lead to a drop in order accuracy. To avoid these issues, keep your KPI dashboard focused, regularly review and refine your metrics, and always consider the context behind the numbers. Using a dedicated spend management portal can help centralize your data and keep your team focused on the metrics that matter most.

What are the types of shipping performance indicators?

In logistics as a whole, there are three (3) main types of KPI categories.

1. Procurement

Procurement KPIs track processes and costs like the inventory cost, material arrival time, and reorder time. It can also be considered a supply chain KPI. These KPIs are helpful for managing and tracking inventory turnover in the warehouse and ensuring the right products and materials are available at the right time, without overspending. The freight forwarder may also be tracking procurement KPIs, as the goods are shipped to the warehouse, from origin to final destination, for their customers.

2. Logistics

Logistics or warehouse KPIs track the picking and packing process, as well as order accuracy and picks per worker. Logistics managers place great importance in these shipping KPIs. Proper logistics metric evaluations are vital in assessing the warehouse performance.  The metrics are important for 3PLs contracting with shipping companies, as well as for warehouse managers running their own operations.

3. Transportion

Transportation KPIs include the freight pick-ups and delivery times, freight cost, as well as cost from total order placement to delivery. Carrier performance, delivery process and distribution metrics are important to measure with KPIs. A distribution KPI helps in delivery operation efficiency for the logistics company staff to understand how quickly and cost-effectively customers are receiving their products.

What are 16 Examples of Good KPIs in the Shipping Industry?

Each shipper, seller, warehouse manager, and logistics manager will want to use KPIs specific to their own needs. For this reason, there is not one KPI that everyone in the shipping industry will want to use. Each shipping company should pick the ones they want to track and potentially improve. Additional KPIs can be added as needed, whether for the short term or the long term. Here are 16 to consider.

Procurement KPI Examples

  1. Inventory velocity: The inventory velocity KPI represents the speed at which each inventory type cycles during a specific time period. In accounting, this might be represented as the cost of goods sold divided by the average amount of that inventory on hand.
  2. Inventory turnover: Similar to inventory velocity, inventory turnover measures how many times the entire inventory is purchased in a given time period. This represents efficient production planning plus sales and marketing management. When it comes to inventory management, higher turnover levels are preferable. Of course, the rate depends on the industry and the types of products sold. A company selling large expensive pieces of equipment will likely have a lower inventory turnover rate than low-cost apparel.
  3. Inventory-to-sales ratio: This KPI identifies overstocks and considers what inventory is available for sale compared to the number or quantity actually sold.
  4. Customer backorder rate: This KPI tracks the number of orders that cannot be fulfilled at the time a customer places them. High backorder rates may indicate problems with inventory management or supply chain efficiency.

Logistics KPI Examples

  1. Picking accuracy: Picking accuracy, also called order accuracy, is a KPI example of the number of orders picked accurately, without errors. The number is compared to the total number of orders and can be calculated by items returned from a customer order, or from quality assurance checks when the order is sealed and labeled for shipping. Order accuracy is important for customer service as well as operational performance. Perfect order rate is another way to look at it.
  2. Pick and pack costs: This KPI measures the cost of picking and packing the items for delivery. It includes labor costs as well as packing methods and supplies.
  3. Lead time : This KPI measures order fulfillment performance, the time from the order’s receipt to the day it’s delivered. A longer lead time means something went wrong during the process, whether the orders aren’t shared quickly enough with the distribution center, the current inventory levels aren’t adequate, inventory accuracy is problematic, shipping capacity is limited, or there’s a backup in the picking and packing process.
  4. Number of shipments: This KPI measures how many shipments are processed and shipped each day, week or month. The metric helps identify shipping trends based on holiday or season, allowing your company to plan labor and transportation needs more accurately.

Transportation KPI Examples

  1. Check-in vs. Check-out Time

    This KPI measures the total time a driver spends at a customer’s loading dock, from arrival to departure. Also known as dwell time, this metric is crucial for identifying bottlenecks in your loading and unloading processes. Extended wait times can disrupt carefully planned delivery schedules, leading to delays down the line and potentially impacting customer satisfaction. By tracking how long drivers spend at each stop, logistics managers can pinpoint specific locations or times that cause delays. This data allows you to address inefficiencies directly, helping you better plan routes and reduce overall distribution costs for a more streamlined operation.

  2. Average Time to Load

    Measuring how long it takes your team to load items onto a truck gives you a clear view of your warehouse’s operational efficiency. This KPI helps you assess the productivity of your loading dock teams and processes. If you notice that loading times are consistently long, it could point to several issues, such as inadequate staffing, an inefficient warehouse layout, or a need for better equipment. By monitoring this metric, you can make informed decisions to streamline your procedures, improve team performance, and get shipments out the door faster. It’s a fundamental metric for any company looking to enhance its reporting and KPIs for logistics.

  3. Damaged Items Rate

    This KPI tracks how often your products are damaged during the shipping process. A high damage rate can be costly, leading to returns, replacements, and wasted inventory, but its impact goes even further. Damaged goods can erode customer trust and harm your brand’s reputation. Tracking this metric helps you identify the root causes of damage, whether it’s inadequate packaging, poor handling procedures, or issues with a specific carrier. By analyzing this data, you can implement targeted improvements, like reinforcing your packaging or providing better training, to protect your products, reduce costs, and ensure your customers receive their orders in perfect condition.

Transportation KPIs  Examples

  1. Warehousing cost: This warehousing KPI reflects the cost to move products in and out of your warehouse. Some shipping KPI examples that  fall under this section include truckload utilization, cost of carrying inventory or warehouse space utilization.
  2. Shipping cost: Shipping can be a major cost center in logistics. Fortunately, there are ways to lower costs like with contract optimization and invoice audit recovery. But it’s hard to know what to lower without having some logistics metrics like shipping cost.
  3. Transit time: In the days of one or two-day Amazon delivery, your time in transit, or delivery time, matters. The delivery time is measured from when the  transportation carrier picks up the package to when it’s delivered. Customers may get alerts that the order is ready, so they can track its movement and timing.
  4. On-time pick-up and delivery: This metric is similar to delivery time, but hones in on the on-time portion for both pick-up and delivery. Often times you’ll hear the term “DIFOT” which stands for Delivery In Full, On-Time, and this can we used as a success metric.
  5. Transportation cost: The transportation cost KPI considers all transportation costs spanning order placement through the delivery. Transportation costs include the number of shipments, accessorial surcharges, fuel and the freight bills among many others.
  6. Cost Per Delivery: This KPI calculates the average cost for each delivery made. It can help identify inefficiencies in the delivery process and potential areas for cost reduction.
  7. Carrier compliance: Your transportation carriers represent your company, even if your name isn’t on their truck. That’s why it’s important to monitor carrier compliance. Compliance can include factors like unsafe driving, hours of service, vehicle maintenance, driver fitness, hazardous materials compliance, and others. By enforcing carrier compliance KPIs, you’re able to have some control over carrier performance.
  8. First-Time Delivery Rate: This KPI measures the percentage of deliveries made successfully on the first attempt. Higher rates indicate effective routing and scheduling, leading to improved customer satisfaction and lower delivery costs.

Shipping Costs as a Percentage of Sales

This KPI is a straightforward but powerful measure of your shipping expenses relative to your total revenue. For many ecommerce businesses, shipping isn’t just a line item; it’s a significant portion of the budget, sometimes accounting for up to 70% of an online store’s spending. Tracking this percentage helps you understand how shipping costs impact your overall profitability. If this number starts creeping up, it could signal that your carrier rates are too high, you’re using inefficient packing methods, or your carrier contracts are no longer competitive. Keeping a close eye on this metric is the first step to making sure your shipping operations support your financial goals rather than drain them, and it’s a key indicator that it might be time to reduce high-volume shipping costs through strategic changes.

Average Package Weight and Shipping Zone

Carriers base their pricing largely on two factors: how much a package weighs and how far it has to travel (its shipping zone). Understanding your average package weight is critical because it directly influences your costs. If you know your average, you can make smarter decisions about packaging to avoid paying for unnecessary dimensional weight or using a box that’s too large and heavy for its contents. Similarly, analyzing the average shipping zone for your orders can reveal patterns in your customer base. This insight can inform your distribution strategy, helping you decide if you could benefit from splitting inventory across multiple warehouses to be closer to your customers, thereby lowering your average zone and shipping costs.

Percentage of Spend by Service Level

This KPI breaks down your shipping expenses by the service levels you use, such as Ground, 2-Day Air, or Overnight. It answers the question: “Where is my shipping budget actually going?” Many businesses offer expedited shipping to meet customer expectations, but it comes at a premium. Analyzing this percentage helps you determine if the high cost of fast shipping is providing a worthwhile return. You might discover that a large portion of your budget is going to overnight services that only a small fraction of customers use. This data empowers you to make strategic decisions, like adjusting your shipping options at checkout or exploring ways to achieve faster delivery without the high cost through modal optimization.

Accessorial Surcharge Tracking

Accessorial surcharges are the extra fees carriers add for services beyond standard pickup and delivery. These can include charges for fuel, residential delivery, oversized packages, or delivery to a remote area, and they can add up quickly and unexpectedly. Tracking the frequency and cost of these surcharges is essential for getting a true picture of your total shipping spend. A high number of unexpected fees can inflate your costs significantly. By monitoring these charges, you can identify recurring issues and find ways to mitigate them, whether through better packaging or by negotiating surcharge caps in your carrier contract. An invoice audit and recovery process can also catch and dispute erroneous surcharges, putting money back into your budget.

On-Road Hours Compliance

For businesses that manage their own fleet or work closely with freight carriers, tracking on-road hours is a crucial compliance KPI. Federal regulations, like the Hours of Service (HOS) rules, dictate how long drivers can be on the road to prevent fatigue and ensure safety. Monitoring this metric helps you ensure your operations are compliant, which is vital for avoiding steep fines and maintaining a good safety record. Beyond compliance, this KPI can also shed light on the efficiency of your routes and schedules. Consistent issues with drivers nearing their hourly limits could indicate that routes need to be optimized or that schedules are too aggressive, allowing you to make adjustments that improve both safety and performance.

Average Demurrage Fees

Demurrage fees are charges applied when cargo sits at a terminal or port for too long beyond the allotted free time. This KPI is especially important for companies dealing with freight and container shipping. These fees are designed to discourage shippers from using terminals as temporary storage and to keep goods moving efficiently. Tracking your average demurrage fees helps you spot inefficiencies in your supply chain. Consistently high fees might point to problems with customs clearance, poor coordination with your drayage carriers, or delays in warehouse receiving. By monitoring this KPI, you can pinpoint the source of the delays and take action to streamline your operations, saving you from these costly and avoidable charges.

Sustainability Metrics

As both consumers and businesses become more environmentally conscious, sustainability metrics are growing in importance. These KPIs track the environmental impact of your shipping operations. You can monitor metrics like fuel consumption, carbon emissions per shipment, or the percentage of recycled materials used in your packaging. Tracking how long trucks spend idling is another simple yet effective metric. These KPIs not only help you reduce your carbon footprint but can also lead to cost savings through improved fuel efficiency and reduced waste. Highlighting your commitment to sustainability can also be a powerful brand differentiator, attracting eco-conscious customers and strengthening your company’s reputation in the market.

Customer Experience KPI Examples

While cost and efficiency are critical, the ultimate goal of your shipping operation is to get products to your customers in a way that leaves them happy and likely to order again. Shipping is often the final and most memorable touchpoint a customer has with your brand, making it a huge factor in their overall experience. If a delivery is late, a package arrives damaged, or the tracking information is unclear, it reflects poorly on your entire business, not just the carrier. That’s why tracking customer experience KPIs is so important. These metrics give you direct insight into how your shipping performance is perceived by the people who matter most, helping you identify areas for improvement that can build lasting customer loyalty.

Customer Complaints

This KPI is a direct measure of customer dissatisfaction related to shipping and delivery. It involves tracking the volume and, more importantly, the nature of complaints you receive. Are customers frequently reporting damaged items, late deliveries, or lost packages? By categorizing and analyzing these complaints, you can uncover recurring problems in your logistics chain. For example, a spike in damage complaints might point to a need for better packaging, while consistent reports of late deliveries could signal an issue with a specific carrier or warehouse. Actively monitoring customer complaints allows you to address root causes, fix systemic issues, and prevent negative experiences from happening again.

Net Promoter Score (NPS)

Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a widely used metric that gauges customer loyalty and satisfaction. It’s calculated by asking customers a simple question: “On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend our company to a friend or colleague?” While this question measures overall brand perception, the delivery experience heavily influences the answer. A seamless, on-time delivery can turn a satisfied customer into a “Promoter” (those who score 9-10), while a poor shipping experience can create “Detractors” (those who score 0-6). By segmenting NPS feedback, you can often draw a clear line between shipping performance and customer loyalty, demonstrating the tangible value of investing in a high-quality delivery experience.

Customer Effort Score (CES)

Customer Effort Score (CES) measures how easy it is for a customer to do business with you. In the context of shipping, this could relate to how much effort they had to exert to track their package, resolve a delivery issue, or process a return. A high-effort experience—like having to search through confusing emails for a tracking number or spending 30 minutes on the phone to report a missing package—creates frustration and erodes loyalty. By surveying customers about the ease of their post-purchase experience, you can identify friction points in your process. A low CES score is a clear signal that you need to simplify your communication, improve your tracking visibility, or streamline your customer service procedures.

The Role of Technology in Tracking Shipping KPIs

In today’s complex logistics landscape, trying to track these critical KPIs manually with spreadsheets is not just inefficient—it’s nearly impossible for any high-volume shipper. The sheer volume of data from carriers, warehouses, and customer feedback channels requires a more sophisticated approach. This is where technology becomes a game-changer. Modern logistics platforms and software automate the collection and analysis of shipping data, transforming millions of data points into clear, actionable insights. Instead of spending hours trying to piece together reports, you can access real-time dashboards that give you an immediate and accurate view of your entire shipping operation, from costs and transit times to carrier performance and customer satisfaction.

Using Automation and AI for Deeper Insights

The most advanced technology goes beyond simple data collection. Tools that leverage automation and artificial intelligence (AI) can uncover trends and opportunities that would otherwise go unnoticed. For instance, AI can analyze your historical shipping data to predict future costs, identify the most cost-effective carrier for a specific route, or flag invoices with a high probability of containing billing errors. As new tools like mobile apps and data-sharing platforms become more common, it’s easier than ever to gather and analyze information that was once difficult to measure. By embracing this technology, you move from simply tracking what happened to understanding why it happened and what you should do next. A robust spend management portal provides these deeper insights, giving you the intelligence needed to make smarter, data-driven decisions that optimize costs and improve performance across your entire supply chain.

Making use of your logistics KPIs

There are many lessons to learn from logistics and supply chain management KPIs, and using key performance indicators in the shipping industry can lead to better performance and profits. There are a few ways to lower shipping costs and improve shipping KPIs without much effort. One way is by using an invoice audit recovery program. Shipware’s program usually saves clients 1% to 9% of their total invoices. The program can be used for parcel, LTL, or FTL shipping. Invoice audit recovery software catches invoicing errors, ranging from a missed service guarantee to an incorrect accessorial fee. The software works automatically to find the errors and apply for credit on behalf of the shipper. Refunds are deposited directly into the shipper’s account and involve no shipper effort. Shipware’s software is automated, running in the background, and is easy to set up. There are no out-of-pocket costs. The fees are paid only if money is recovered from carrier errors. The invoice audit recovery software improves the shipper’s bottom line, and can also improve several key performance indicators for the shipping industry, helping supply chain management as a whole. Another service that can benefit logistics key performance is optimizing carrier contracts. It’s important to evaluate and renegotiate carrier choices on a regular basis. That includes more than just what carriers are used. It means looking into the shipping details and nuances, such as comparing your metrics to benchmarked data. Shipware provides contract optimization services for parcel, LTL, and FTL freight carriers. Shipware uses proprietary benchmarking data to dig into the shipper’s data in a way that is hard for shippers to do themselves. That’s because Shipware’s experts have decades of experience behind the scenes on the carrier side. That expertise allows Shipware to better understand what terms can be negotiated, and by how much. There is more to negotiating a carrier contract than just requesting a higher discount, and Shipware can help lower your annual costs by up to 30%, which positively impacts shipping KPIs. Shippers need all the tools available in their arsenal to improve their logistics KPIs, and Shipware would like to help. To learn more about how invoice audit recovery services and optimizing your contracts can help your company’s supply chain metrics, please contact us today! No Contract. No Credit Card. No Set-up Fee. No Hassle.

Frequently Asked Questions

There are so many KPIs listed here. Where should I even start? It can definitely feel overwhelming. Instead of trying to track all 16 at once, start by focusing on the one business goal that is most critical for you right now. If your main objective is to cut costs, begin with 2-3 cost-related KPIs like “Shipping Costs as a Percentage of Sales” and “Accessorial Surcharge Tracking.” These will give you the clearest picture of where your money is going and highlight the biggest opportunities for immediate savings. Once you have a good handle on those, you can gradually incorporate others.

How often should we be reviewing our shipping KPIs? The right frequency depends on the KPI itself. Operational metrics that measure daily efficiency, like “Average Time to Load,” should be monitored by your warehouse or logistics managers on a daily or weekly basis to catch issues quickly. More strategic, high-level KPIs, such as “Total Landed Cost” or “Customer Retention Rate,” are better suited for monthly or quarterly reviews with leadership to track long-term progress against your business goals.

Can focusing too much on one KPI accidentally make another one worse? Absolutely, and it’s a common pitfall to watch out for. For example, if you push your team to minimize “Lead Time” above all else, they might rush the packing process. This could lead to a higher “Damaged Items Rate” and an increase in customer complaints. The key is to look at your KPIs as a balanced system. A win in one area shouldn’t come at a major cost to another.

My carrier provides a dashboard with some of these metrics. Isn’t that good enough? While carrier dashboards are useful, they only tell part of the story—the part that carrier wants you to see, using their data. A dedicated spend management platform gives you a complete and unbiased view across all your carriers in one place. This allows you to compare performance accurately, spot systemic issues you might otherwise miss, and find savings opportunities that simply aren’t visible when you’re looking at data in separate silos.

What’s the first step to turning KPI data into actual cost savings? The first step is to use your data to identify your biggest financial drains. Once your KPIs point to a problem area—for instance, a high percentage of your budget going to unexpected accessorial fees—you have a clear starting point. The next action is to investigate the root cause. This could lead you to implement an invoice audit process to recover erroneous charges or to renegotiate your carrier contract to get better terms on those specific fees.

Key Takeaways

  • Create a KPI Strategy with Clear Goals: Don’t just track numbers for the sake of it. Your shipping metrics should directly connect to your business objectives, turning raw data into a clear roadmap for making smarter, proactive decisions.
  • Look Beyond Just Shipping Costs: Get the full story by tracking a balanced set of metrics covering operational efficiency, transportation, and the customer experience. This helps you see how different parts of your logistics chain affect each other and your bottom line.
  • Use Your Data to Find Real Savings: Your KPIs will show you exactly where money is leaking, whether from surprise surcharges or uncompetitive carrier contracts. Use these insights to take action with solutions like invoice audits and contract negotiations to stop overspending and improve profitability.