With today’s fuel prices, industry-wide capacity crunch, and steadily increasing safety regulations, it’s no wonder many shippers are beginning to feel a sense of fright, or dread, when gathering freight rates. It’s important to look beneath the surface of actual cargo shipping charges when estimating your total shipping costs.

As Americans look hopefully to the future, battle weary from the recession, companies are seeking ways to find cost savings in order to combat the erosion of profit margins. More and more, companies are dissecting their expense reports in order to discover hidden profits within their logistics expense. One method being employed to trim the amounts spent along the supply chain is to build a relationship with a freight broker, commonly referred to as “3PL”, or “Third-Party Logistics” suppliers.