What if the benchmark comes back flat?

Then that's the finding and we tell you. You keep the quotes, which are worth having on file next time you negotiate. We would rather end there than invent a reason to keep going — and if we don't expect to find a gap in your setup, we say so on the scoping call before anything is charged.

What data do I need to share?

Your packaging supplier invoices from the last 12 months, your current specifications, and your incoterms. No P&L access and no connection to your internal systems.

How does your pricing work?

Three options: a $3,500 one-time Benchmark, a Performance plan at 25% of verified savings for 12 months, or a $2,500/month sourcing retainer. The scoping call before any of them is free. Full detail is on the pricing page.

How long does the process take?

Quotes come back within 14 days of us receiving your invoices and specs. How long anything after that takes depends on tooling and production lead times for your specific packaging — we give you those dates before you commit to a move.

Do I have to switch suppliers?

No. Some brands take the quotes back to their current supplier and renegotiate. But under the Performance plan we are paid from realised savings, and a large gap is usually only realised by moving production to the factory that quoted it. We'll be direct with you about which case you're in.

Do you work with brands outside the US?

Yes. We work with D2C brands sourcing from Asia, Europe and domestically.

What industries do you work with?

Our sourcing network is strongest in beauty and skincare, supplements, and food and beverage — paper and carton, labels, jars, pouches, mylar, metal tins and child-resistant packaging. If your format isn't in that list, send us the spec and we'll tell you honestly whether we can quote it.

How are savings verified?

We compare the invoice for the same specification before and after the change, line by line, for 12 months. You get a monthly statement and can check every line against your own accounts payable. If a saving can't be traced to an invoice line, we don't bill on it.

Freight Service

Freight & Dimensional
Weight Optimization

You are shipping air. Carriers bill on whichever is greater — your product's actual weight, or the size of the box it went out in. For most D2C brands it is the box.

Box matrix, void fill, carrier terms and incoterms — priced per lane.

Get Free Cost Estimate DIM Weight Calculator

The DIM weight problem

Since 2015, all major carriers charge based on dimensional weight when it exceeds actual weight. Most D2C packaging was never optimized for this reality.

Oversized boxes

A small box matrix means most products ship in a box far bigger than they need. Carriers bill on whichever is greater — actual weight or dimensional weight — so you pay for the empty space.

DIM weight surcharges

DIM weight is (L x W x H) / DIM factor — 139 for UPS and FedEx domestic, 166 for USPS Priority. For a light product in a large box, that number is what you are billed on, not the scale weight.

Hidden freight markups

When freight is bundled into a supplier invoice you never see the underlying rate, so there is nothing to compare and nothing to negotiate. Separating it is the first step.

How we optimize freight costs

Four levers, in the order they usually pay off.

Box Right-Sizing

We analyse your full product catalogue and design a box matrix around it, so each product ships in a box sized for it rather than for the largest thing you sell.

Void Fill Reduction

Smaller boxes mean less void fill. We calculate the requirement for each box-product combination, which for a well-sized package is often none at all.

Carrier Negotiation

We benchmark your carrier rates and negotiate DIM factor, zone pricing and volume tiers. Most D2C brands are on a default rate card that was never negotiated.

Incoterms Optimization

Many brands accept supplier-dictated incoterms without pricing the alternative. We restructure them so freight responsibility sits where you can actually control the cost.

What the arithmetic looks like

Worked examples at a DIM factor of 139, not client results. Run your own on the calculator below.

Light product, large box

Before:

12 x 10 x 8 in, 1.2 lb actual → 7 lb billed

After:

8 x 6 x 4 in, 1.2 lb actual → 2 lb billed

5 lb off billed weight

Actual weight never changed

Skincare set

Before:

14 x 12 x 6 in, 2.1 lb actual → 8 lb billed

After:

10 x 8 x 4 in, 2.1 lb actual → 3 lb billed

5 lb off billed weight

Same product, smaller box

Heavier product

Before:

18 x 14 x 10 in, 8 lb actual → 19 lb billed

After:

16 x 12 x 8 in, 8 lb actual → 12 lb billed

7 lb off billed weight

Still billed above actual weight

Free DIM Weight Calculator

Calculate your current DIM weight charges and see how much you could save with right-sized packaging. Enter your box dimensions and product weight to get instant results.

Try Calculator