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Shipping costs can make or break an online retail business, yet many companies unknowingly overpay for carrier services due to hidden fees, complex pricing structures, and limited negotiation experience. At Northern 45, we don’t work directly with carriers, but we provide proven strategies to help businesses negotiate better rates and optimize shipping costs themselves. With over 30 years of experience negotiating contracts with UPS, FedEx, DHL, OnTrac, and USPS, we know exactly what levers you can pull during negotiations to maximize cost savings.
Your shipping bill is a profit lever. We help you benchmark rates, negotiate confidently, and hold carriers accountable. Unlike other firms, we don’t take a percentage of your savings. Instead, we work in harmony with your team, providing expert guidance based on our extensive experience with past clients and our own direct negotiations.
High Shipping Costs
Many businesses don’t realize they have leverage to negotiate better rates
DIM Weight Pricing & Unexpected Fees
Carriers use dimensional weight pricing to increase costs on large,lightweight shipments
Surcharges & Hidden Fees
Fuelsurcharges, peak fees, residential delivery fees, rural delivery fees, andmany others add unnecessary expenses
Carrier Contract Complexity
Many online retailers sign agreements without fully understanding volumediscounts, penalties, or minimum commitments
Northern 45 helps online retailers take control of their shipping expenses with a strategic, data driven approach. Rather than simply accepting carrier rate increases and complex contracts, we guide businesses through proven negotiation tactics, cost analysis, and optimization strategies that uncover meaningful savings. With deep experience in carrier agreements and logistics strategy, we help retailers protect margins while maintaining reliable delivery performance.
Carrier Negotiation & Contract Benchmarking
We provide proven negotiation strategies and compare your rates against industry benchmarks to ensure you secure competitive terms
Cost Reduction & Dimensional Weight Optimization
We identify surcharge reductions, hidden fee savings, and packaging strategies that lower DIM weight and overall shipping costs
Shipping Data & International Strategy Support
We recommend analytics tools and cross border cost strategies that help you track performance and reduce domestic and international freight expenses
Small clauses cost big money.
No guessing at the table.
We don’t trade savings for chaos.
Your terms grow with your volume.
