- Measure the complete invoiced result, not the headline discount percentage.
- Keep the service commitment and the shipment inputs throughout the test.
- Base the decision on several weeks of real shipments, not one unusually favorable package.
- Verify changes with a pilot and the final invoice.
The right answer in a ShipFare vs The Shipping Savers decision depends on shipment mix, workflow and the final charge after fees. A business should test both options against its own recent orders rather than rely on a single sample label.
The comparison should be built from individual shipments. Averages can hide cartons that bill too large, services that run faster than necessary and destinations that attract recurring fees.
How to make a fair ShipFare vs The Shipping Savers comparison
The test should cover label pricing, air services and package-level analysis. A single light package to one ZIP code cannot represent an entire shipping operation.
- Record origin and destination ZIP codes so lane and zone effects are visible in the comparison.
- Track the measured package weight and carrier-billed weight for every package in the sample.
- Match the required delivery time and pickup cutoff before comparing prices.
- Identify residential and delivery-area exposure plus handling fees instead of hiding them inside an average.
- Include fuel and post-label adjustments when building the comparison baseline.
- The workflow and support differences that matter to the business after comparing ShipFare and The Shipping Savers.
The comparison should not assume that ShipFare and The Shipping Savers are interchangeable. Document the services, workflow steps and support requirements that matter, then price the same shipments. The result may differ by package size, destination, service and monthly volume.
If one option looks lower, inspect why. Confirm that the service commitment matches, that residential and delivery-area status are handled consistently, and that the number includes fees likely to appear on the invoice.
A controlled way to compare the options
A fair comparison is an operations exercise: define the shipment sample, hold inputs steady and decide what success means before pricing begins.
- Select a cross-section of recent orders that covers common cartons, zones, services and both commercial and residential destinations.
- Lock all physical shipment inputs and the required delivery time constant so the comparison is a fair test.
- List base transportation plus each recurring fee separately.
- Mark every service change; a lower price is not a valid win when the arrival promise is worse.
- Test the recommendation on limited volume and verify the actual bill before a full rollout.
A common shipment sample makes cross-functional approval easier because rate, process and service effects appear together.
Illustrative shipment review
Consider a business shipping about 1,250 packages per month. One representative package moves from Miami, FL to Chicago, IL, weighs 24 lb and measures 14 x 12 x 10 inches. The numbers below are only a teaching example, not a carrier quote.
| Cost component | Current example | Reviewed example |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation | $38.00 | $32.68 |
| Fuel and accessorials | $17.08 | $6.86 |
| Illustrative total | $55.08 | $40.76 |
The reviewed example could come from a better eligible rate, a smaller billed size, a different service that still meets the deadline, fewer accessorials or a combination of those changes. This step also makes internal conversations easier. Finance can see the complete cost, operations can see the process change, and customer service can confirm that the delivery promise remains intact.
Where a business should look for savings
Use identical inputs
Price the same packages in ShipFare and The Shipping Savers with matching addresses, dimensions and service commitments.
Compare all-in cost
Include fuel, residential, delivery-area, handling and platform costs instead of recording only the first number shown.
Measure workflow
Record the time needed to import orders, correct addresses, choose services, print labels and resolve problems.
Pilot before moving volume
Test a representative group, verify invoices and keep a rollback plan before changing the full operation.
Savings last longer when each rule has an owner and the warehouse, finance and service teams review the same scorecard.
What to gather before requesting a review
The review becomes useful when the source file includes these shipment and invoice fields:
- At least four representative weeks of shipment history.
- Origin and destination ZIP codes for every shipment.
- Carrier service, ship date and delivery commitment.
- Actual weight, package dimensions and billed weight.
- Transportation charge, fuel and every accessorial line.
- Whether the stop is residential or extended-area, plus the package quantity.
- Credits, adjustments, voids and claims where available.
- A set of identical test shipments priced in both ShipFare and The Shipping Savers.
- A short record of workflow time, support needs and any additional platform cost.
A practical 30-day action plan
Create a clean baseline file that joins shipment records with invoice charges and groups recurring package types.
Prioritize repeated invoice lines and distinguish carrier pricing from operational causes.
Test one proposed comparison change on a defined shipment group without weakening the customer delivery promise.
Reconcile the pilot invoices, check delivery outcomes and document the comparison rule for future shipments.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Comparing prices across different delivery standards and ignoring the service change.
- Relying on catalog specifications instead of measuring the packed carton.
- Treating recurring fees as noise instead of part of the expected shipment cost.
- Letting one package or quiet period determine a company-wide routing decision.
- Rolling the change across all volume before the pilot appears on a final invoice.
The goal is a repeatable operating method: clean data, explicit routing logic and regular checks against the bill.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, ShipFare or The Shipping Savers?
Neither option is automatically better for every shipper. Test ShipFare and The Shipping Savers with the same shipments, then compare total cost, workflow, support and the services the business actually uses.
How much shipment history should a business review?
A month of clean shipment detail can reveal recurring patterns, but include additional weeks when promotions, holidays or weather change the operation.
Should the comparison use list rates or final charges?
Compare the amount likely to be paid after recurring fees, then verify it on the invoice. The base rate alone is not a complete business cost.
Can a lower rate create an operational problem?
Yes. A sound decision protects the required delivery experience and avoids shifting cost into packing labor, exceptions or reships.
What is the fastest way to start?
Export recent shipment data, gather two recent invoices and identify the five most common package profiles. The Shipping Savers can use that material to build a controlled review of ShipFare vs The Shipping Savers.
Compare your real shipments.
Send recent shipment detail for a package-by-package review of services, billed weight and recurring fees.