Another may require small shipments, urgent replenishment, specialized handling, and frequent returns. Organizations that monitor exception trends instead of individual incidents typically achieve larger reductions in premium freight spending. Most expedited shipments originate from upstream planning failures rather than transportation problems. Awarding freight solely to the cheapest carrier often creates hidden risks. Improving shipment consolidation allows organizations to increase trailer utilization while reducing the number of shipments moving through the network. This is why supply chain planning and logistics optimization are becoming increasingly integrated rather than managed as separate disciplines. Setting key performance indicators (KPIs) is critical for logistics network…