Retail suppliers
Shipping to big-box and grocery retailers means their rules, their appointment windows and their fines. We help suppliers lower what they pay to get product into retail DCs, and stop the charges that come after delivery.
Examples we look for in a freight review.
Industry data
of surveyed shippers said they filled their trucks to capacity in 2022.
Flock Freight / Drive Research shipper survey, Mar. 2023of U.S. truckload capacity was estimated to be going to waste inside partially empty trucks.
Flock Freight / Drive Research shipper survey, Mar. 2023The survey covered 200 shippers in industries including food and beverage, retail, building materials, industrial machinery and packaging. Third-party figures from the sources linked under each number. They are not Maximizer Team results and do not predict your savings.
Big-box and grocery retailers take deductions for late deliveries, missed appointments, BOL and labeling errors and off-spec pallets. We prevent the fines your freight causes, dispute the ones you don't owe on your behalf and file loss and damage claims with carriers. Recovered deductions are reported as their own category of verified savings. See retailer deductions and chargeback recovery
Public research
EPA SmartWay® research shows how much of a retail freight bill depends on how loads are built and routed. In 2024, EPA recognized retailer TJX (with Ocean Spray) for shifting long hauls to intermodal rail and noted that both "eliminated excess packaging for shipment and simultaneously increased the volume of product each truck can carry" (EPA news release, Sept. 2024).
Earlier EPA bulletins describe Wal-Mart turning rectangular pallets sideways to fit 30 pallets per truck instead of 26 (EPA-420-F-19-014, 2019, p.2), and retailer Tuesday Morning shipping direct to nearly 40% of its stores instead of routing everything through one distribution center (EPA-420-F-19-016, 2019, p.2).
Source: U.S. EPA SmartWay publications (2019, 2024). The examples and figures are EPA's, not Maximizer Team results. Maximizer Team is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. EPA.
Suppliers shipping to big-box, club and grocery retailers across the US, typically with $1M or more in annual freight spend. Most are CPG brands and food and beverage shippers. We work with finance and operations leaders who want lower freight costs without putting retailer relationships at risk.
Why us
Benchmark · Implement · Verify
Yes. We look at how orders are released, booked and scheduled, and where loads miss their windows. Fixing the cause lowers both freight costs and fines.
Yes. We work inside each retailer's routing guide and rules, whether you ship prepaid or the retailer collects, and look for savings that keep you compliant.
Not necessarily. We work with your current carriers and 3PL wherever possible. You approve every change.
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.
Yes. We break freight down by retailer, DC and lane, including the accessorials and freight-related fines tied to each account, so you can see the true cost to serve. That helps with pricing and trade terms as well as freight decisions.
Yes. Many retail suppliers ship pallets to retailer DCs and parcels to consumers or drop-ship programs. We review both, including parcel surcharges and the point where an order is cheaper to move by LTL instead of parcel.
Start with a short intro call. Then send us 12 months of freight invoices, plus deduction reports if you have them. In 14 days you'll get a free written review of your biggest savings opportunities.
Get my free freight reviewNo upfront fees. Paid only from savings verified on your invoices. NDA available.