Freight bills can be complicated. Between variable rates, carrier surcharges, and shifting fuel costs, it’s no surprise that mistakes happen. What many companies don’t realize is just how often they happen, or how much money is left on the table as a result. That’s where a freight audit expert comes in.
At Nolan & Cunnings, we’ve seen firsthand how the right freight audit and payment services can transform logistics from a cost center into a source of savings and strategic advantage. If you’re weighing whether to manage freight audit in-house or to partner with a specialist, here’s what you should know.
Why Freight Bill Auditing Matters
A freight audit is the process of reviewing and validating shipping invoices to make sure carriers are charging the right amounts. A single misapplied fee or duplicate charge might not seem like much, but studies have shown that up to 10% of freight bills contain errors. And across thousands of shipments, those mistakes add up quickly.
Beyond cost recovery, freight bill audits ensure compliance with negotiated carrier contracts, keep financial records accurate, and protect against unnecessary disputes. Put simply: they safeguard both your margins and your reputation.
The Benefits of Partnering with a Freight Audit Expert
1. Substantial Cost Savings
Savings come from catching billing errors, verifying discounts, and making sure rates line up with contracts. An experienced partner helps prevent them in the first place by strengthening processes and monitoring patterns over time.
2. Accuracy and Compliance
Auditing freight bills demands industry expertise to spot inconsistencies that automated systems may miss. An expert in auditing combines technology with human oversight to verify charges, enforce compliance, and reduce costly disputes with carriers.
3. Improved Operations
Outsourcing the auditing process streamlines back-office operations. Instead of your team spending hours chasing down carrier credits or cross-checking invoices, a dedicated partner manages the process end-to-end. That frees up internal resources to focus on strategic priorities rather than tactical cleanup.
4. Scalability and Flexibility
As shipping volumes grow, so does the workload of managing freight bills. A freight audit partner scales with you, providing the tools and expertise to handle peaks, expansions into new geographies, or the complexities of parcel audit solutions. This flexibility ensures your freight audit process remains reliable no matter how your business evolves.
Choosing the Right Freight Audit Partner
Not all freight audit and payment services are created equal. Here’s what to look for:
- Proven expertise: Look for a partner with deep industry knowledge and a track record of results.
- Transparent reporting: You should have clear visibility into savings, discrepancies, and performance metrics.
- Dedicated support: Choose a partner who offers responsive, personalized service that works for you and your business.
The Real Value of Freight Auditing
Partnering with an expert offers more than savings to your bottom line. It helps ensure accuracy that strengthens your entire supply chain by uncovering hidden freight savings and ensuring every invoice is accurate. Nolan & Cunnings helps clients gain control over their freight spend, so they can allocate resources exactly where they should be.
If you’ve ever wondered what a freight bill audit is or questioned whether your freight payment process is working as hard as it should, it’s time to see what you could be saving. The right partner can turn freight auditing from a burden into a strategic advantage, transforming your freight costs into a controlled, transparent process that supports better decisions at every level. To see how a comprehensive analysis of your freight spend can begin that transformation, contact the experts at Nolan & Cunnings today.
Gaining Clarity on Your Freight Spend
Why is freight bill auditing important?
Freight bill auditing is essential for protecting your business from the financial drain of billing errors. With mistakes present in up to 10% of freight invoices, a consistent audit process is the primary mechanism for catching discrepancies before they impact your bottom line. It ensures compliance with carrier contracts, verifies that you receive your negotiated rates, and provides accurate data for financial planning. Ultimately, it transforms freight spend from an unpredictable liability into a transparent, controlled cost.
How often should companies conduct freight bill audits?
The industry best practice is to conduct freight audits continuously, as part of a pre-payment process. This proactive approach allows you to identify and resolve errors before payment is sent, which protects your working capital and avoids the lengthy process of recovering funds from carriers. While periodic audits (like quarterly or annually) can find savings, they allow errors to compound over time and fail to address systemic issues at their root. A continuous audit program provides the most significant savings and operational advantages.
