Freight cost optimization · Lever 4 of 10
Every case you fit on a trailer lowers the cost of every other case on it. We look at how your trucks are loaded and what equipment they use, then find room for more product per load.
Trailer and equipment optimization is about getting the most product onto each truck, safely and legally. Light products like snacks tend to fill space before weight. Heavy products like beverages hit the legal weight limit with space left over. Each needs a different fix.
It often goes together with pallet and packaging optimization, because pallet height and case size decide how a trailer can be loaded.
Industry data
of surveyed shippers said they filled their trucks to capacity in 2022.
Flock Freight / Drive Research shipper survey, Mar. 2023Average deck space left empty by shippers who sent partially empty truckloads in 2022.
Flock Freight / Drive Research shipper survey, Mar. 2023Third-party figures from the sources linked under each number. They are not Maximizer Team results and do not predict your savings.
Lever 4 of 10. From your 12 months of invoices and rate files, we look at:
Public research
EPA SmartWay® guidance advises shippers to "require carriers to use equipment that's best suited to your supply chain demand and load planning" in their RFPs (EPA-420-F-19-014, 2019, p.1). A companion bulletin notes a standard truck holds 24–26 pallets loaded traditionally but 30 with turned loading, and cites an office supply company that fits 23% more freight per truckload using pinwheeling, turned loading and aluminum trailers (EPA-420-F-21-038, 2021, pp.1–2).
EPA's 2023 overview also lists side loading, lighter shipping containers and minimum order sizes as ways to increase how much freight each truck carries (EPA-420-F-23-003, 2023, p.2).
Source: U.S. EPA SmartWay publications (2019, 2021, 2023). The examples and figures are EPA's, not Maximizer Team results. Maximizer Team is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. EPA.
We track cases per load and cost per case on your paid invoices against the baseline. Fewer trucks for the same volume is the clearest sign this lever is working. Any detention savings from drop trailers are counted under accessorial control, not twice.
Why us
Benchmark · Implement · Verify
It's how much of a trailer's space and legal weight capacity each load actually uses. Higher utilization means fewer trucks for the same volume and a lower cost per case.
It depends on the product, packaging and pallet build. We only recommend it where the cases and pallets can carry the weight without damage, and we check retailer receiving rules.
Yes. Heavy loads benefit from loading to legal weight, blending with lighter product and choosing the right equipment, rather than adding space.
The carrier leaves an empty trailer at your dock so you can load it on your schedule, instead of a driver waiting. It can cut detention and missed pickups.
The 14-day freight savings review is free. There's no upfront fee. If you go ahead, we're paid only from savings verified on your invoices. Recovered deductions are tracked and reported as their own category of verified savings.
No. Maximizer Team is an independent freight savings advisor. We don't haul freight, sell capacity or take carrier commissions, so our advice isn't tied to any carrier.
Sometimes. We check whether each lane needs the equipment it's booked on, such as reefer for freight that only needs protection in some seasons, or liftgate and specialized trailers where a dock is available. Paying for capability you don't use is a common hidden cost.
It can. 48- and 53-foot trailers, straight trucks and box trucks are priced differently, and some customer docks and city deliveries limit what fits. We match equipment to each lane's volume and receiving rules so you don't pay for space you don't fill.
Start with a short intro call. Then send us 12 months of freight invoices. In 14 days you'll get a free written review of your biggest freight savings opportunities across all 10 levers, including this one.
Get my free freight reviewNo upfront fees. Paid only from savings verified on your invoices. NDA available.