The problem
You can't optimize what you can't measure
Most companies know their total shipping spend. Very few can answer basic questions: which carrier is cheapest for Ground? How much did surcharges increase last quarter? What's my average cost per shipment by zone? Without shipment-level data, analytics is guesswork.
Shipping data is scattered across carrier portals, WMS reports, 3PL invoices, and accounting systems — making unified analysis impossible.
Most analytics tools show total spend but can't break it down by carrier, service level, surcharge type, or destination.
Cost per shipment and cost per order metrics require joining shipment, order, and invoice data — a manual process for most teams.
Carrier rate negotiations happen without data on actual cost performance, leaving money on the table.
Trends and anomalies in shipping spend go undetected until they appear as budget overruns.
How it works
What shipping cost analytics should include
Useful analytics starts with clean, shipment-level data. Here's what to measure and why each metric matters.
Cost per shipment
The average total cost per package — including base rate, surcharges, and adjustments. Track this by carrier, service level, and time period.
Cost per order
The total shipping cost allocated to each customer order. Multi-package orders and split shipments require order-level aggregation.
Carrier comparison
Side-by-side analysis of cost, delivery performance, and surcharge rates across carriers for the same lanes and service levels.
- Average cost by carrier and service level
- Surcharge rate by carrier
- Delivery time vs cost trade-offs
Surcharge analysis
Breakdown of surcharge costs by type — fuel, residential, peak, address correction — to identify the biggest cost drivers.
Trend analysis
Week-over-week and month-over-month cost trends that surface gradual changes before they become budget problems.
Vendor comparison
For brands working with multiple 3PLs, compare shipping cost performance across fulfillment partners on the same metrics.
How RateRunners helps
Turn shipping data into better decisions
RateRunners gives you shipment-level analytics built on verified data — so every metric reflects what actually happened, not what was estimated.
Track cost per shipment, cost per order, and total spend across carriers
Compare carrier performance side-by-side on cost and surcharge metrics
Analyze surcharge trends to identify the biggest cost drivers
Monitor week-over-week and month-over-month cost changes
Filter analytics by carrier, service level, zone, and time period
Export reports for carrier negotiations and financial planning