A freight quote starts the conversation about cost. The final invoice tells you what you actually paid.
Between those two points, shipping decisions, additional services and billing discrepancies can increase transportation expenses. A company might choose a service it does not need, miss an opportunity to combine shipments or pay an invoice that does not match its carrier agreement.
Hatfield & Associates helps customers manage these costs throughout the shipping process. Our Transportation Management System supports better decisions before freight moves. Our freight audit team reviews the charges afterward and works with carriers to resolve discrepancies.
Better Shipping Decisions Start Before Pickup
Choosing a carrier involves more than finding the lowest rate. The shipment must arrive when it is needed, meet the customer’s requirements and move under the right service level.
Hatfield’s TMS brings carrier options, rates and shipment information together so users can evaluate cost alongside service. Configured business rules help guide carrier, mode and routing decisions, giving shipping teams a consistent process.
Consider an order that needs to arrive in three days. If a standard service can meet that deadline, paying for next-day delivery adds expense without improving the outcome. Comparing the available options before booking helps the shipper avoid that unnecessary cost.
Better information helps teams make decisions that fit the shipment instead of relying on habit or scattered emails.
Controlling Inbound Freight, Too
Transportation costs are also affected by how suppliers ship products to your facilities.
When vendors select carriers independently, companies can lose visibility into inbound freight and miss opportunities to use preferred pricing.
Hatfield’s vendor portal helps suppliers follow established routing instructions and use approved carriers. This gives customers greater control over inbound transportation and helps keep shipping decisions consistent across their supplier network.
Savings negotiated with a carrier only help when the right shipments actually move under that agreement.
Checking That the Invoice Matches the Agreement
Once a shipment is delivered, the invoice still needs to be verified.
A freight bill can include an incorrect rate, a duplicate charge, a misapplied discount or an accessorial fee that requires supporting documentation. Accessorials are additional charges for services such as liftgate use, detention or special delivery requirements.
Hatfield’s freight audit process checks billed charges against the applicable agreement and available shipment records. Reviews can include:
- Contract rates and discounts
- Fuel surcharges
- Duplicate invoices
- Accessorial charges
- Shipment weight and classification
- Service levels and supporting documentation
For example, if an invoice includes a liftgate charge, the auditor can review whether that service was requested or performed and whether the charge follows the agreement.
Identifying discrepancies before payment helps customers avoid overpayments. When an issue is found after payment, a correction or credit may be pursued where appropriate.
Working With Carriers to Get the Charges Right
Billing discrepancies need clear communication and reliable documentation.
Hatfield works with carriers to investigate exceptions, confirm shipment details and resolve differences between the invoice and the applicable pricing. Sometimes a charge is valid and needs additional support. Other times, the invoice requires a correction.
The goal is accurate payment and a clear resolution for both parties.
This also reduces the work placed on the customer’s shipping and accounting teams. Customers have support gathering records, communicating with carriers and tracking unresolved invoices.
Reliable invoice information and payment visibility can also help carriers answer account questions and reconcile their records more efficiently.
Using Audit Findings to Improve Future Shipments
Freight audit provides insight into how shipping costs develop.
Recurring detention charges may point to scheduling problems. Repeated classification adjustments may suggest that shipment descriptions or product data need attention. Frequent premium shipments may reveal opportunities to improve planning.
When transportation and invoice data are reviewed together, customers can see these patterns and address their causes.
Hatfield’s reporting helps companies evaluate freight spending, carrier performance and additional charges. That information supports better routing decisions, more productive carrier discussions and improvements to shipping procedures.
Technology Supported by People
Software gives a shipping team information and consistent processes. Experienced people help interpret exceptions and resolve problems.
Hatfield combines TMS technology with freight audit and carrier coordination to help customers control how freight moves and what they pay for it.
The result is a more connected transportation process: plan the shipment, select the appropriate service, verify the invoice and use the findings to improve the next shipment.
Gain Greater Control Over Your Freight Spend
Contact Hatfield & Associates to learn how our TMS and freight audit services can help your company reduce avoidable transportation costs, resolve billing discrepancies and gain greater control over freight spending.