LTL Freight Rate Increases

11/11/2015 — Matt Nagel

Over the past month or so, freight carriers have been announcing general rate increases (GRIs) for this fall/winter. We’ve already provided some information about the small package increases but now PartnerShip has compiled some details for your benefit so you can make well-informed, money and time saving decisions about the best way to handle your freight shipping.

Let’s start with defining GRIs. GRIs are just what they sound like — increases in freight rates. There are many reasons why these increases are necessary, but the main reason is a sharp increase in costs that carriers face every year due to things like fuel, maintenance, insurance, labor costs, and driver shortages.

Listed to the right, we've compiled GRIs for five of the larger national LTL freight carriers, the percentage at which their rates will be increasing, and the dates these increases will go into effect. One important thing to remember is that these rate increases are only averages across all origin and destination ZIP code combinations served by each individual carrier. The effect of the rate increase will vary for individual customers and shipments based on geography, product classification, lane, weight, and dimensions.

Remember, PartnerShip is here to help you offset these increases. We've negotiated with carriers on your behalf to bring you the best rates in the industry with the most reliable national and regional carriers. In addition to great rates, PartnerShip brings a dedicated freight team, free money-saving services like invoice auditing and inbound management, and easy-to-use online freight tools ... all designed to save your company time and take the guesswork out of freight shipping (click here to create a PartnerShip.com account if you haven't already).

If you would like more information on these GRIs, please contact PartnerShip at 800-599-2902 or email sales@PartnerShip.com. Click here for a free, no-obligation shipping analysis to help you determine which carriers and which lanes will save you the most money on your freight shipping.