The "Other Side" of Carrier Fuel Surcharges

When fuel surcharges were approaching 35%, it became very important to that surcharge amount when making rate comparisons. After all, that's a BIG percentage to miss in rate shopping. With the drop in oil prices in the last few months, the previously high is now 1%. That means the fuel surcharge is still important to consider, but for the opposite reason. The carrier that would not win the price comparison several months ago might be the carrier to choose today.

The question is how do you keep up with these rate factors that do change monthly and can change a lot in a relatively short period of time? Today's multiple carrier, automated shipping systems can factor in the fuel surcharge and the commercial or residential status of an address when making rate comparisons. Accurate, even automatic, "best rate" shipping helps tremendously in dealing with these ever changing shipping costs. Getting the best price for every package may be even more important today than ever, especially since when a customer thinks shipping is too high, you might lose the sale.