Spend Management Experts (SME) Releases 2019 Carrier Increase Guide and the Effect on Shippers

Spend Management Experts (SME), a leading supply chain spend management consultancy, has released a detailed 2019 Carrier Rate Increase Guide outlining key comparisons between two of the major U.S. parcel carriers, FedEx and UPS. In the rising e-commerce market, there is an ever-increasing demand for shippers to have packages of all sizes delivered quickly and a need for carriers to invest in technology and infrastructure to meet that increase in volume. UPS notes that rate increases support "ongoing expansion, capability enhancements and high service levels."

In addition to the annual trend of a 4.9 percent increase, both carriers have increased several surcharges this year which will have a significant impact on shippers of all sizes. To mitigate the impact of these increases, it is important for shippers to identify opportunities to optimize their supply chain networks. FedEx will publish their full rate guide December 17th and those changes will go into effect January 7th while UPS will publish their rate guide and implement their increases December 26th leaving shippers with little to no time to adjust their supply chain.

Outlined in the 2019 Carrier Increase Guide, you will find the following comparisons and what it means for shippers:
• Residential Delivery surcharges and alternate options for shippers
• Oversize and Large Package surcharges and how shippers can mitigate this fee
• Additional Handling fees from UPS will increase $2.25 for packages less than 70 pounds and $4.00 for packages over 70 pounds. FedEx will also increase their fees to $13.50 - a 12.5 percent increase from 2018
• Lastly, FedEx will increase their Address Correction fees by 6.67 percent - a 23 percent increase since 2016

According to SME Founder and CEO John Haber, "While the annual rate increases are in-line with our expectations, the significant surcharge increases will negatively impact shippers of all sizes. It is critical for every shipper to understand how these increases will impact their costs in 2019 and work pro-actively to try and minimize these cost increases."

For more information on how shippers can mitigate these fee increases and much more from affecting their bottom line, please visit: www.spendmgmt.com.

About Spend Management Experts
Spend Management Experts is a leading supply chain spend management consultancy that helps companies optimize spend across the supply chain reducing costs by 20 percent or more. Our finance background and experience analyzing shipping costs relative to carrier profitability enables us to develop effective supply chain optimization strategies across transportation, distribution and fulfillment. We leverage cutting-edge proprietary models to identify savings opportunities and build negotiation strategies based on data and meaningful business cases, while providing clients with straightforward details on exactly how savings are derived. For more information, please visit www.spendmgmt.com. Connect with Spend Management Experts on Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and the Spend Management Experts blog.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Veronica Chaidez
Outlook Marketing Services
veronica@outlookmarketingsv.com
312.267.1909

SME CONTACT:
Kim McQuilken
Spend Management Experts
President, Sales & Marketing
kmcquilken@spendmgmt.com
404.432.5424

More Info: https://www.spendmanagementexperts.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/2019-Rate-Guide-PDF.pdf