LTL and truckload
National asset-based carriers, regional short-haul carriers, and managed transportation providers such as CJ Logistics.
Freight Rate Negotiation
Cut 15 to 25% out of your LTL, truckload, air, ocean or intermodal rates.
Calculate your savings potential
Book a call
Free. About two minutes. No call required.
![freight cost reduction consulting [hero img]](https://trans-solutions.com/hubfs/6278157800e0c0c9f82bfd5d643bbc7066fdcc63-1.webp)
WHAT YOU GET
Better rates from the carriers you already use
The modes we negotiate in your name:
Air and ocean
Carriers and forwarders including Expeditors, Kuehne+Nagel and FedEx, plus regional forwarders on specialized lanes.
Intermodal
Rail and drayage.
Refrigerated carriers
Negotiated here. The rest of the cold chain work is on Cold Chain Logistics.
Where we go deep for you
Freight rate negotiations are not about one number. We dig into the contract levers that quietly inflate spend, re-rate your contracts against benchmarks via our internal software Xact Negotiator, and renegotiate them with evidence.
-
Base rates
Lane by lane, against what comparable shippers pay.
-
Discount tiers
And the volume thresholds that trigger them.
-
Whether the rate is any good
You cannot know unless you know what others pay.
-
Which carriers want your freight
Lanes with backhaul or extra capacity get you another 10–20%.
-
Accessorials
An extra 10% discount does not mean a 10% smaller freight bill.
-
Bundling
Putting all your freight with one carrier does not get you the best pricing.
-
Fuel surcharge
And whether it applies before or after your discount.
-
The GRI
Plus the mid-cycle increases that are not announced.
-
Minimum charges
Which override your discount.
-
Service guide terms
Which carriers revise during your contract.
What the service has produced for our clients
$23M identified — Multi-billion-dollar food distributor
Truckload rates, mode shifts, and backhaul matching across a national network
Read the full case study
High seven figures saved — Global security scanner manufacturer
Niche regional forwarders matched to specialized equipment and non-traditional lanes.
Read the full case studyMost engagements are contingency pricing
We are paid a share of the savings after you have them, re-rated monthly against an agreed baseline that includes rate increases and accessorial charges. No savings, no fee.
Some engagements are fixed fee, usually where the work is analysis rather than negotiation.
Example savings and gainshare.
Is this the service for you?
- You already have carriers and want better contract economics.
- You spend enough freight for lane-level negotiation to matter.
- You want savings without ripping out your current network.
- You prefer contingency pricing tied to verified results.
Who does the work
Paul Brinkman, the President runs engagements himself. He builds the analysis, sits in the negotiations, and stays through implementation.
No junior consultant inherits your account after the sale.
Behind Paul is a bench of analysts and engineers who build the data and the models, plus founder Giles Taylor, who started the firm in 1998 and still weighs in."
How much are you leaving on the table?
Get an instant calculation of your savings potential. Based on the database of carrier contracts we have audited and negotiated for 600+ clients since 1997, and on current benchmark data showing what companies with your profile pay today.