How to Reduce Freight Spend Without a Full RFP

Why It Matters

By leveraging real‑time analytics and existing contracts, shippers can capture multi‑digit freight savings in weeks, avoiding costly, time‑consuming RFP cycles and improving overall supply‑chain efficiency.

Key Takeaways

• Real‑time data reveals hidden freight charges before they balloon
• Integrate all shipment data into one view for actionable insights
• Identify underperforming carriers to renegotiate or replace without RFP
• Optimize within existing contracts to capture 5‑15% savings quickly
• Establish clear KPIs and master data to prevent costly oversights

Summary

The livestream focused on cutting freight spend without launching a traditional, months‑long RFP. Hosts Scott Luton and Kim Reer, joined by Rate Links CEO Shannon Valancort, outlined how shippers can uncover hidden costs, improve carrier mix, and realize rapid savings using data‑driven tactics. Key insights included the prevalence of unmonitored surcharge creep, the need for real‑time visibility into dimensions, weights, and accessorials, and the difficulty of spotting underperforming carriers in large networks. By consolidating all shipment data into a single, clean platform and presenting it in an intuitive format, firms can quickly flag anomalies and negotiate better terms. Kim cited a client who discovered a $100,000 surprise bill after two months of delayed detection, while Shannon noted that most companies operate at only 90 % rate optimality—leaving a 10 % upside that translates to 5‑15 % savings in weeks, not months. Their discussion emphasized mastering KPIs, master data hygiene, and using existing contracts before seeking new bids. The implication for supply‑chain leaders is clear: disciplined data integration and KPI monitoring can unlock immediate cost reductions, reduce reliance on cumbersome RFP processes, and strengthen carrier relationships, positioning firms for more agile, profitable logistics operations.

Original Description

Shippers want savings now—but launching a full RFP is time-consuming, resource-heavy, and disruptive. Shannon Vaillancourt, CEO of RateLinx, and Kim Reuter, supply chain veteran with decades at Amazon and Nordstrom, know there’s a better way: actionable, data-driven insights that uncover savings without disrupting your operations.

In this practical, interactive livestream, our experts will show you how to:

- Identify hidden costs across carriers, modes, and accessorials

- Optimize your carrier mix and routing using clean, unified data

- Realize 5–15% in transportation savings in weeks—not months

You’ll also hear an anonymized case study of a shipper who avoided an RFP and unlocked 8% savings while improving service levels in under 30 days.

Scott Luton, host at Supply Chain Now, will guide the conversation, keeping it practical, engaging, and full of real-world insights. Whether you manage parcel, LTL, TL, or multimodal shipments, this session will give you the tools to cut freight spend now—without the headache of a full RFP.

Attendees can also request a post-event Savings Snapshot to see how these insights apply directly to their own network.