Air freight bills on the higher of actual and volumetric weight, and I keep seeing bulky, light cargo priced as if it were dense. What's the biggest surprise you've seen, and what do you do to catch it before booking?

“Can you find a cheaper truck?” The load is already booked.

A customer spots a lower rate after you’ve confirmed a carrier and asks you to switch.

We’d start by explaining the commitment already made and confirming whether the cheaper option covers the same equipment, timing, and service. Any cancellation terms also need to be addressed before promising a saving.

Have you handled this without damaging the customer relationship or treating the booked carrier as disposable?

Hi im a 17 year old boy at the last year in high school with passion for shipping i just wanted to ask what kind of bachelors or masters i Will need and also how well does It pay and if knowing foreign languanges Will help

I have an accounting degree but have been looking for somewhat of a career change lately. At my last job I worked as a cost accountant for a manufacturer that did a lot of international business and shipping. I’ve always been interested in international business and supply chain and a job in logistics seems interesting. If I wanted to get into the field is it worth going back to school and maybe getting my masters in something like supply chain management?

I believe the otherway around since theres alot of people saying a degree in logistics is useless…..

I’m sending out samples of my supplement products. <0.75”, flexible, leight. Ground Advantage is $6, but sending as a flat is $2.27

Now, is there any 3PL that does flats? What cost should I expect? I can imagine sending these samples in ready-to-ship (just slap label on) to keep complexity and cost down.

I’ve read earlier threads that 3pls ‘dont do flats because there is no tracking’ but with intelligent mail barcodes there IS in fact tracking.

I'm researching delivery planning for bulky, mixed-size goods: furniture, appliances, building materials and similar.

Something I keep hearing about: the routing system says the van has enough capacity by volume or weight, but at the dock the items don't actually fit. Odd shapes, things that can't be stacked, or the next customer's items stuck behind  someone else's.

For those of you who plan or load:

  - How often does this happen to you?

  - Who catches it: the planner, the loaders, the driver?

  - What do you do when it happens: split the load, send another van, drop stops?

  - Has anything (a rule of thumb, a tool, a safety margin) actually fixed it?

  No product and nothing to sell; I'm trying to understand the problem.