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Black Pacific & Company

Logistics & Transport Assets · Supply Chain & Network Operations

Logistics Cost & Freight Diagnostic

See exactly what you spend on freight and warehousing, and where it can come down

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What it is

Logistics Cost & Freight Diagnostic

A Logistics Cost Diagnostic is a short, analytical review of your transport and distribution spend. We break down primary and secondary freight rates, vehicle utilisation, detention charges, and warehouse handling costs to identify procurement and operational savings.

Typical duration
3 to 5 weeks

The business problem

Why clients need this

Logistics is one of the largest operating costs for manufacturers and distributors, yet freight billing is often opaque, with surcharges and a modal mix that nobody has reviewed in years.

  1. 01

    Freight rates vary across lanes and transporters with no clear link to market rates.

  2. 02

    Vehicles run part-loaded or return empty, raising cost per tonne-kilometre.

  3. 03

    Detention charges and transit delays hurt service levels and margins.

Our approach

How we deliver it

  1. 1

    Spend & Lane Analysis

    Consolidating 12 months of freight invoices, GPS data, and transporter contracts across all origin-destination lanes.

  2. 2

    Rate & Modal Benchmarking

    Building lane-level should-cost models from diesel prices, toll costs, and vehicle operating costs, cross-checked against current market quotes, and assessing road-to-rail or coastal options.

  3. 3

    Load & Fleet Utilisation

    Reviewing load utilisation, packaging dimensions, and vehicle type selection (LCV vs. multi-axle).

  4. 4

    Transporter Sourcing

    Restructuring freight tenders with transparent diesel-linked escalation and enforceable service-level clauses.

Data & AI

How technology strengthens this service

Automated invoice checks match GPS geofence timestamps against detention and accessorial claims, flagging billing errors line by line instead of relying on manual sampling.

How we use AI across our work

Typical deliverables

What you receive

  • Logistics Cost Baseline & Lane Heatmap
  • Transporter Performance & Should-Cost Benchmarking Matrix
  • Modal Shift Feasibility Study (Road to Rail/Coastal)
  • Redesigned Transporter RFP Package with Diesel Indexation

Outcomes

What changes for you

  • Target 8–15% reduction in freight spend, based on industry benchmarks for similar diagnostics
  • Detention and accessorial overcharges identified and stopped
  • Better on-time-in-full (OTIF) performance through clearer transporter SLAs

Who it is for

  • FMCG, retail & e-commerce distributors
  • Manufacturers & raw material shippers
  • Third-party logistics (3PL) providers
  • Chemical & bulk commodity producers

FAQs

Common questions

How do you benchmark freight rates?+

We build bottom-up should-cost models for each lane from fuel, tolls, driver, and vehicle costs, and test them against live market quotes and freight exchange data gathered during the engagement.

Can road-to-rail work for mid-sized manufacturers?+

Often, yes. With the dedicated freight corridors and growing container rail services, rail can be cost-competitive on longer distances, typically several hundred kilometres and above.

Do we have to change transporters to save money?+

Not necessarily. A large part of the savings can usually come from renegotiating with existing transporters using clear lane-level cost and volume data.

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Article · Logistics & Transport Assets

Freight cost is a network problem. Start with the lanes.

A practical way for U.S. shippers to connect freight spend, warehouse choices, inventory, and service levels.

11 October 2026 · 5 min read

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