Question 1

What is carrier contract analysis?

Accepted Answer

Carrier contract analysis is a systematic, clause-by-clause review of your UPS, FedEx, USPS, DHL, or regional carrier contracts — benchmarking your rates, surcharges, accessorial fees, and service guarantee terms against current market standards. The goal is to identify where your contract underperforms, where leverage exists before renewal, and where you're paying more than companies at comparable shipping volumes. It's different from a refund audit, which reviews invoices for billing errors. Contract analysis examines the terms that govern what you're billed in the first place.

Question 2

How do I know if my UPS or FedEx contract is competitive?

Accepted Answer

The honest answer: you can't know without market data. Most companies benchmark against the carrier's published tariff, which tells you how much you're saving versus list price — not whether those savings are competitive for a company at your volume and shipping profile. A UPS or FedEx contract that looks strong against the published rate schedule can still be significantly behind market if the discount tiers, surcharge structures, and accessorial terms weren't negotiated with real benchmarks in hand. That's precisely what carrier contract analysis is designed to determine.

Question 3

What is typically negotiable in a carrier contract?

Accepted Answer

More than most companies realize. Base rate discounts and tier thresholds are the most visible, but surcharge structures — fuel surcharges, residential fees, extended area surcharges — are often negotiable and compound significantly across high volume. Minimum volume commitments, service guarantee terms, accessorial fee schedules, and renewal notice windows are all negotiable with the right data and positioning.

Question 4

How often should I review my carrier contract?

Accepted Answer

At minimum, before every renewal — and ideally on an annual basis even between renewals. Carrier pricing evolves, market benchmarks shift, and your own shipping profile changes in ways that affect what terms you can command. A contract that was competitive three years ago may no longer reflect your volume or the current market.

Question 5

We negotiated our own contract — do we still need an analysis?

Accepted Answer

Yes — and this is one of the most common situations we work in. Companies that negotiate in-house often achieve real savings over published tariffs. What they typically lack is market benchmark data — what are companies at comparable volume profiles actually paying for similar service levels? Without that reference point, there's no way to know how far the conversation could have gone.

Question 6

How does ShipRx charge for contract analysis?

Accepted Answer

ShipRx's fees are 100% performance-based — tied to the savings we identify and help you secure. There's no upfront cost, no retainer, and no charge if the analysis doesn't produce results. Every engagement begins under a mutual NDA, so your contract data and shipping details are protected before anything is shared.

Question 7

Can you analyze contracts for multiple carriers at once?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We analyze UPS, FedEx, USPS, DHL, and regional carriers — simultaneously, across all your contracts. Cross-carrier analysis is often where the most significant insights come from: understanding how your volume distribution across carriers affects your leverage with each one, and whether your carrier mix is optimized for your shipping profile.

Question 8

What happens after the contract analysis is complete?

Accepted Answer

The analysis is the beginning, not the end. The findings feed directly into rate negotiation — we use the benchmarks and identified gaps to prepare your carrier negotiation strategy and support the conversation. From there, our refund auditing service monitors ongoing invoice accuracy against the terms you've secured.

Surface the Hidden Costs in Your Carrier Contracts