FedEx’s 2026 GRI: What Shippers Need to Know Right Now

The news is out: FedEx has announced its 2026 General Rate Increase (GRI), with headlines calling out an average increase of 5.9%. At first glance, that figure looks familiar. After all, it’s the same headline increase that carriers implemented last year. But as every shipper knows, the real impact of a GRI doesn’t just lie in the average.

The Headlines (and What They Miss)

Industry outlets like Supply Chain Dive and Parcel Industry have already highlighted key elements of the announcement. And while these summaries are helpful, they only scratch the surface.

• Not all services are affected equally. Ground, Express, and international shipments can see significantly different increases.
• Surcharges are the silent cost drivers. Fees like Additional Handling, Oversize, and Delivery Area Surcharges often outpace the headline increase, sometimes by double digits.
• Minimum charges continue to creep up. For many shippers, this adjustment has a bigger bottom-line impact than the published average.

What Shippers Should Watch Closely

As you prepare for 2026, the key question isn’t “How much is FedEx raising rates?” It’s “Where will my shipping profile be hit hardest?”

Pay particular attention to:

• The services you rely on most (Ground vs. Express).
• Surcharge categories tied to your products (dimensions, weight, packaging).
• Geographic delivery patterns (urban vs. rural surcharges).

These are the levers that determine whether your effective increase is close to 5.9%...or significantly higher.

What’s Next: A Deeper Dive Coming Soon

At Intelligent Audit, our parcel experts are already crunching the numbers to quantify the true impact of the 2026 GRI across millions of shipments. In the coming days, we’ll publish a detailed breakdown that goes beyond the headline to show:

• Which services are most affected.
• How surcharges and minimums reshape cost structures.
• What shippers can do today to mitigate the impact.

Stay tuned. We’ll be sharing our full analysis soon. For now, the takeaway is clear: don’t take the 5.9% at face value.