When high-volume shippers sit down to negotiate contracts with UPS or FedEx, they usually start at a distinct disadvantage. The carriers use advanced software, complex math, and decades of pricing strategies to protect their profits. On the other side of the table, most companies come equipped with only basic spending totals and standard carrier price lists. The result is easy to predict: Carriers routinely announce a yearly rate hike of around 5.9%. But once you add in extra