Shipping costs have been climbing for years, and industry professionals are well aware of it. What's less obvious is how much of that increase is actually avoidable, and how much leverage a shipper (the party paying for the freight) really holds against a carrier such as UPS, FedEx, or USPS.

A leading direct-to-consumer (DTC) e-commerce brand partnered with Freight Think to overhaul its parcel shipping strategy. The results were significant: the client is on track to save nearly $1 million annually...

Each year, right around this time, FedEx and UPS raise their rates across the board. This year, the increase is approximately 6%.