The High Cost of a "Set It and Forget It" Shipping Strategy
For many small and midsize businesses, shipping strategy is a one-time—or once-in-a-while—setup: pick a carrier, sign a contract, choose service levels, and then shift focus to other priorities.
But whether it’s set once or revisited just occasionally, this “good enough for now” approach can quietly drain thousands—or even millions—from your bottom line.
Carrier Costs Aren’t Static—and Neither Is Your Business
Carrier contracts are complex and constantly evolving. Annual general rate increases (GRIs), seasonal surcharges, and and seasonal fees all impact what you pay per shipment.
And that’s in a stable market. The pricing incrementalism that major players like UPS and FedEx now use chips away at margins. If you’re not revisiting your agreements regularly, you’re absolutely leaving money on the table.
Even more, your own business may change—more residential deliveries, increased zones, or new packaging sizes can shift your cost structure in ways your original agreement never accounted for. And you’ll be paying the price for it if you’re not watching it all like a hawk.
Yet many SMBs don't revisit their contracts or shipping mix until something breaks.
By that time, they’ve been silently draining profits from their ledgers for years.
The True Cost of Inattention: Missed Refunds, Hidden Fees, and Missed Opportunities
When you’re not actively monitoring your parcel performance, three common issues creep in:
- Missed refunds. Carriers owe refunds for late deliveries, incorrect surcharges, address corrections, dimensional weight errors, and damaged packages—but only if you find and file them on time.
- Paying for speed you don’t need. Express shipments often arrive no faster than ground—but cost far more.
- You have no leg to stand on. Without visibility into zone usage, weight trends, and accessorial fees, renegotiating is a shot in the dark.
These aren’t one-off mistakes—they’re recurring losses that accumulate month after month, year after year.
Let Catalyst™ Do the Heavy Lifting—and Save Up to 45%
Staying on top of this doesn’t mean hiring an in-house logistics analyst—or ten. With Catalyst by Intelligent Audit, you get automated, enterprise-grade shipping intelligence and support—tailored for small-but-mighty teams that want something that’s:
- Easy to on-board and easy to use
- Doesn’t require any other tech
- Quick to deliver ROI
Think of it as your always-on shipping analyst, identifying issues and opportunities before they impact your bottom line. Catalyst does all the work, and you reap all the reward.
Catalyst helps you save up to 45% on shipping costs through:
- Automatic audit of every invoice
- Hands-free refund recovery
- Interactive dashboards that track all activity and costs
- Optimization insights for continuous savings
Try for Free
We’re so confident that you’ll see value fast, we’re offering a free 90-day trial. Sign up now and start saving.
