Cost-Saving Metrics to Watch in 2025: Your Guide to Smarter Shipping Decisions

Freight and logistics costs continue to rise in 2025—but so does the opportunity to save. The key? Tracking the right metrics. Data-driven insights can help shippers reduce waste, improve routing, and negotiate better carrier contracts. But with so much data at your fingertips, which numbers actually move the needle?

Here are the top cost-saving metrics to monitor in 2025—and how to use them to your advantage.

1. Cost Per Shipment

Why it matters:
This foundational metric gives you a clear picture of what you’re paying per delivery across all freight modes.

How to use it:
Break it down by carrier, region, and shipment type. Look for patterns and outliers—then work to consolidate vendors, optimize lanes, or renegotiate rates.

2. Accessorial Charges

Why it matters:
Accessorials (like liftgate fees, detention time, or inside delivery) add up quickly—and often go unnoticed.

How to use it:
Track which charges occur most frequently and why. Can driver instructions be improved? Are wait times too long? Minimizing preventable accessorials is an easy win.

3. Carrier Utilization

Why it matters:
Not all carriers are created equal. Are you using the best-performing, cost-effective options—or defaulting to the same ones out of habit?

How to use it:
Measure performance based on rate, reliability, claims, and on-time delivery. Use this data to assign loads more strategically—and leverage competition.

4. Freight Audit Accuracy

Why it matters:
Billing errors happen more often than you think. Every overcharge or duplicate fee eats into your margin.

How to use it:
Automate freight audits to flag discrepancies instantly. Better yet, use a system that audits in real time before payments are processed.

5. On-Time Performance (OTP)

Why it matters:
Late shipments cost more than customer satisfaction—they can lead to penalties, expedited replacements, and reputational damage.

How to use it:
Monitor OTP by carrier, lane, and location. Hold partners accountable and reallocate shipments to higher-performing options as needed.

6. Load-to-Capacity Ratio

Why it matters:
Are you maximizing the space you’re paying for? Underutilized trucks = lost dollars.

How to use it:
Review average load percentages. Explore options like route consolidation, multi-stop shipments, or switching from FTL to LTL when appropriate.

7. Fuel Surcharge Spend

Why it matters:
Fuel surcharges fluctuate—and can account for a large portion of your freight bill.

How to use it:
Track average spend and how it changes across routes. Use this data to forecast better and lock in rates when possible.

Final Thoughts: Visibility = Savings

The more visibility you have, the more opportunities you uncover to save. But that starts with choosing a freight management platform that tracks the right data—and makes it easy to act on it.

At Standard Connect, we believe smart shipping starts with smarter metrics.

👉 Request a demo to see how you can reduce freight costs without sacrificing performance.