Is your company treating freight management as just a “necessary hassle” rather than a strategic advantage? You’re not alone. Many businesses depend heavily on freight to keep products moving but don’t prioritize freight management as a core competency. Often, freight tasks fall to office administrators, receptionists, or warehouse staff who aren’t logistics experts. While understandable, this minimalist approach can lead to costly mistakes.
At Best Global Logistics, we work with companies every day to improve their supply chain and freight operations. Here, we’ll highlight the 10 most common freight management mistakes we see—and how you can avoid them.
1. Minimalist Freight Management: The Hidden Cost
Relying on a handful of non-specialists to manage freight might seem cost-effective, but it usually results in inefficiencies that far outweigh the cost of hiring dedicated logistics professionals. Without the right expertise, companies often miss out on better rates, streamlined processes, and improved service reliability.
How to fix it: Consider hiring logistics experts, training current staff, or outsourcing freight management to specialists who bring experience, industry relationships, and technology to the table.
2. Avoiding the Insource vs. Outsource Decision
Many companies never formally decide whether freight management should be handled internally or outsourced. This indecision can lead to inconsistent processes and missed opportunities.
How to fix it: Evaluate the pros and cons of insourcing versus outsourcing. Freight brokers and management partners can often provide better carrier access, cost savings, and scalability than a minimalist in-house approach.
3. Laissez-Faire Carrier Management
Using too many carriers without monitoring their performance or negotiating rates leads to inflated costs and unreliable service. Without dedicated staff to manage carriers proactively, companies end up juggling too many relationships without extracting real value.
How to fix it: Consolidate your carrier base, negotiate contracts regularly, and use freight management software to track performance and plan routes efficiently.
4. Fixating on a Single Freight Mode
Some companies rely exclusively on one transport mode—like ocean freight for cost savings or air freight for speed—without considering a balanced approach. This can cause inventory delays or unnecessary expenses.
How to fix it: Adopt a flexible freight strategy that balances cost and speed by combining modes when appropriate. Route and mode optimization tools can help.
5. Ignoring Digital Freight Technology
Despite the rise of transportation management systems (TMS) and cloud-based tools, only about 26% of companies use such technology for freight management. Many still manage shipments manually, missing out on automation and visibility benefits.
How to fix it: Explore TMS options or partner with providers offering integrated freight management platforms to boost efficiency, carrier negotiation, and real-time tracking.
6. Freight Invisibility: No End-to-End Tracking
Lack of shipment visibility causes delays, customer dissatisfaction, and reactive firefighting. Companies that don’t connect digitally with carriers waste time chasing updates via calls or emails.
How to fix it: Build partnerships with carriers who provide real-time tracking and integrate those tools into your freight management process for seamless end-to-end visibility.
7. Lack of Insight and Foresight
Freight management isn’t just about moving goods—it’s about anticipating capacity changes, rate fluctuations, and disruptions. Leaving freight in the hands of multitasking staff often means missing these critical forecasting opportunities.
How to fix it: Employ logistics professionals who monitor market trends and use freight management systems that support predictive analytics.
8. Overlooking Freight as a Customer Service Enabler
Freight management directly affects customer experience, especially with today’s e-commerce demands for fast, affordable delivery. Minimizing freight’s role risks losing customers to competitors who offer superior shipping service.
How to fix it: Align freight operations with customer service goals. Empower your freight team to innovate in speed, reliability, and cost control to boost customer satisfaction.
9. Environmental Nonchalance
Freight logistics can be a major contributor to a company’s carbon footprint. Ignoring sustainability isn’t just bad for the planet—it’s a missed opportunity for cost savings and customer goodwill.
How to fix it: Implement green freight strategies such as maximizing truck loads, reducing empty miles, and selecting environmentally friendly carriers or modes.
10. Underestimating Current and Future Customer Expectations
The pandemic accelerated customers’ demands for rapid, free or low-cost shipping. Businesses ignoring these rising expectations risk falling behind.
How to fix it: Invest in dedicated freight management to optimize delivery speed and cost—ensuring you meet evolving customer demands without sacrificing profitability.
Made Some Mistakes? It’s Never Too Late to Fix Them
If any of these freight management mistakes sound familiar, don’t worry—you’re not alone. The good news is that identifying these issues is the first step to fixing them. At Best Global Logistics, we help companies like yours refine freight operations, cut costs, and improve customer satisfaction.
Ready to take your freight management to the next level? Get in touch with us today—we’d love to help you avoid these common pitfalls and build a smarter, more efficient supply chain.