Nicolas Telesca

If you run a manufacturing plant, supply warehouse, or wholesale business, shipping isn’t just a minor bill. It is one of your biggest monthly expenses. Yet every week, when bills from the carriers arrive, most teams just pay them without realizing how much extra money is packed into those charges. Many business owners assume shipping rates are set in stone, or that getting a better deal means fighting for top-line discount numbers. But carrier contracts are actually negotiable, flexible, and...

Key Takeaways Most bad carrier contracts don’t look bad at signing. They look bad six months later, once minimum charges, surcharges, and expired discounts start showing up on invoices. The base rate discount is the easiest number to compare and usually the least important part of the deal. A lot of the real cost sits in places people don’t think to check: minimum charge floors, the DIM divisor, and accessorial terms that change faster than base rates do. Once a contract is signed, it still...

Key Takeaways DAS and EDAS are per-package fees UPS and FedEx charge for delivering to ZIP codes they’ve classified as harder to reach. In 2026, DAS typically runs $4.80 to $6.60 per package. EDAS, being the more severe tier, runs $6.50 to $8.80. A third tier, Remote Area Surcharge, can run significantly higher for the most isolated ZIP codes. These fees are climbing faster than the general rate increase most years, so they take up a growing share of your bill even when nothing about your...