Freight modes · Full truckload (FTL)
Full truckload is usually the cheapest way to move a lot of product per case, and one of the easiest places to overpay. Full truckload rates drift from the market, spot loads get booked at whatever the market charges that day, and trailers leave with open floor space.
We review 12 months of your FTL invoices, show you where your full truckload rates and fees are out of line, then contact your carriers and negotiate better terms on your behalf. Dry van and reefer.
Built for US CPG food and beverage brands that ship full or near-full trailers to retail DCs, distributors, co-packers and their own warehouses, with $1M+ in annual freight spend.
Full truckload savings usually come from three places at once: the rate, how full each trailer is and the fees around the load. These are the levers from our 10 that matter most for FTL.
Industry guidance
According to the U.S. EPA, SmartWay is a voluntary public-private program, launched in 2004, that “helps companies identify and select more efficient freight carriers, service providers, transport modes, equipment, and operational strategies to improve supply chain sustainability and lower costs from goods movement” (source: EPA SmartWay). Here is what its shipper guidance says about truckload freight, and what it means for your freight bill.
Maximizer Team is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. EPA. Full list of sources below.
The right answer is rarely one mode for everything. We choose lane by lane and order by order, based on cost per case, delivery requirements and how the product needs to travel.
| If you see this | Consider |
|---|---|
| Loads regularly leave with lots of open floor space | Shared truckload, or consolidating orders into fewer, fuller loads |
| Steady long-haul lanes with flexible delivery dates | Intermodal (rail plus truck), lane by lane |
| Orders of only a few pallets going to many places | LTL, or a multi-stop truckload if they’re in one region |
| Reefer on lanes or seasons that don’t need it | Dry van, with temperature protection only where and when the product needs it |
See how we compare them in our freight modes guide and our mode optimization lever.
Invoices · Review · Negotiate · Verify
One example: a CPG snack company saved $823,500 in year one, including a $186,000 one-time audit credit.
Read the case studyUsually per load or per mile on a lane, plus a fuel surcharge and any accessorial fees. Contract rates come from bids or negotiations and hold for a set term. Spot rates move with the daily market. We compare both with current market rates for your lanes.
No. Maximizer Team is an independent freight advisor, not a broker or a carrier. We don’t haul or book freight, and we don’t take carrier commissions. We do contact your carriers and negotiate contracts on your behalf, and your contracts stay in your name.
Yes. We look at reefer rates by lane and season, fuel and accessorial terms, and loads that could move dry without putting product at risk. We find savings on both reefer and dry van freight.
When it fills only part of a trailer and you still want it to stay on one truck from pickup to delivery. Paying for a full truckload on a half-full trailer is one of the most common gaps we find.
12 months of freight invoices, plus your rate files if you have them. We sign an NDA where needed. In 14 days you get a free written freight savings review.
Freight modes
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 savings opportunities. Built for shippers with $1M+ in annual freight spend.
No upfront fees. Paid only from savings verified on your invoices. NDA available. Or call 707-292-9754Maximizer Team is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. EPA. References to SmartWay describe public U.S. EPA guidance only; they are not a claim of partnership, certification or endorsement.