Discover the key to cut shipping costs and optimize operations in 2025

Historically speaking, shipping freight has been an expensive task – one that requires shippers to carefully navigate factors like fluctuating carrier rates, surcharges, and inefficiencies that can further hike up costs. Still today, less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping can be pricey, depending on several factors including distance, weight and volume, special handling, fuel costs, and more. Because of this, businesses often face the challenge of balancing cost savings and ensuring reliable, on-time deliveries.

However, the rise of LTL APIs is revolutionizing the game for freight shippers. By automating carrier selection, providing real-time rate visibility, and eliminating inefficiencies, these modern tools allow shippers to cut costs without compromising on service quality. Let’s explore how LTL APIs help businesses make smarter decisions, reducing expenses while maintaining the speed and reliability their customers expect.

The High Cost of Inefficiency in LTL Shipping

Despite its cost-saving potential, LTL shipping can quickly become expensive when inefficiencies slip through. Businesses that still rely on outdated processes create unnecessary expenses, delay shipments, and hinder their operational flexibility. Without the right tools in place, freight shippers often face:

• Disjointed Rate Shopping and Carrier Management: Many businesses manage LTL shipping separately from their parcel operations, using different platforms or relying on third-party websites to manually compare rates. This lack of integration forces shippers to juggle multiple systems, creating unnecessary complexity, wasting valuable time, and limiting visibility into cost-saving opportunities.
• Lack of Real-Time Visibility: Without visibility to tracking updates, shippers struggle to proactively manage issues like delays, reroutes, and disruptions. This can introduce additional fees, unsatisfied customers, and increased labor costs from reactive problem-solving.
• Poor Loading Practices and Space Utilization: Inefficient and improper loading techniques can lead to wasted trailer space, higher freight costs, and an increased chance of damaged goods during the transportation process. Without strategic load planning, shippers are more likely to pay for more capacity than they need, increasing their expenses.
• Unorganized Freight Auditing and Invoice Management: With all of the detailed paperwork that accompanies LTL shipments, billing discrepancies, like incorrect rates or hidden charges, are common. Shippers that don’t utilize automated invoice reconciliation waste valuable time reviewing them manually and are far more likely to overlook billing errors.

LTL APIs: Saving on Shipping and Maintaining Service Quality

LTL shipping costs can quickly spiral out of control when businesses rely on outdated processes and disconnected systems. However, LTL APIs give control back by automating cost-saving capabilities, streamlining operations, and providing enhanced supply chain visibility for smarter, more efficient decision-making – all while ensuring service levels remain high. LTL APIs drive both savings and excellent service with:

• Automated Rate Shopping: Forget manual rate comparisons or relying on a single carrier. LTL APIs instantly compare real-time rates from multiple carriers, accounting for various factors like transit time and service level. This ensures shippers always choose the best, most cost-effective option without impacting the estimated delivery date or quality of service.
• Load Consolidation Optimization: By analyzing shipment volumes and identifying shipments traveling to the same place, LTL APIs can identify opportunities to consolidate freight and maximize space. This reduces the number of shipments needed while also lowering costs and improving efficiency.
• Automated Freight Auditing and Invoice Management: Many modern LTL APIs automate invoice reconciliation, flagging inconsistencies and ensuring shippers are charged accurately. This reduces manual reconciliation tasks, improves financial accuracy, and eliminates costly errors.

By leveraging the powerful benefits of LTL APIs, businesses can unlock significant cost savings while not only maintaining but enhancing their services. But to truly streamline operations and optimize less-than-truckload shipping, having a unified, integrated solution is key. That is where Varsity Logistics comes in. By seamlessly connecting LTL APIs with our leading multi-carrier shipping software, Varsity enables businesses to manage all their shipping needs within one platform – maximizing efficiency and cost savings without sacrificing service quality.

Maximizing LTL Savings and Efficiency with Varsity Logistics

Built exclusively for shippers on IBM i (AS/400) Power Systems, Varsity’s advanced multi-carrier shipping software seamlessly integrates with LTL APIs, enabling businesses to manage both their freight and parcel shipments within a single, centralized platform. This eliminates the inefficiencies of managing separate systems, reducing costs and significantly improving operations. By automating critical shipping processes and providing enhanced supply chain visibility, Varsity helps businesses optimize their freight strategy without putting their service quality on the line. With Varsity’s LTL APIs, businesses can:

• Automate Rate Shopping and Carrier Selection: Varsity’s ShipSelect module centralizes and streamlines the carrier rate shopping process, eliminating the need for manual efforts or carrier websites. Shippers can instantly compare real-time pricing across both parcel and LTL carriers within a single platform, reducing the time spent on carrier selection and ensuring each shipment is booked with the most cost-effective and reliable option. [Read more about the benefits of automated carrier selection.]
• Optimize Load Consolidation: Varsity’s FreightPlan module enhances load planning for both truckload (TL) and less-than-truckload shipments by dynamically consolidating orders and optimizing shipments into larger, more efficient multi-stop loads. By intelligently grouping freight based on destination and available capacity, FreightPlan minimizes empty space, maximizes transportation efficiency, and reduces overall shipping costs. [Explore the automated pre-shipment load planning process.]
• Streamline Freight Auditing: Varsity’s FreightAudit module automates the reconciliation of LTL, truckload, and rail shipment costs with actual billed carrier charges. It ensures accuracy by comparing carrier invoices with pre-negotiated rates, anticipated costs, and discounts, automatically flagging discrepancies for review or payment adjustments. FreightAudit eliminates the need for third-party consultants and provides detailed analysis to help users monitor trends and control freight costs, improving financial accuracy and decision-making. [Learn more about Varsity’s auditing solutions.]
• Automate Document Creation: Varsity’s integrated system also simplifies the creation of PRO numbers and Bills of Lading. Automatically generated as part of the shipping process, this feature eliminates the need for manual data entry, reducing costly errors and ensuring compliance. With streamlined document generation, businesses can process shipments faster and with greater accuracy and quality, enhancing operational efficiency across the board. [Discover different types of shipping documentation and their role in the shipping process.]

By integrating LTL APIs within our multi-carrier shipping software, Varsity Logistics provides businesses with the tools they need to reduce complexity, cut shipping costs, and maintain high service levels. With Varsity, shippers can confidently manage both parcel and LTL in a way that is efficient, cost-effective, and scalable for long-term success.

Ready to say goodbye to inefficient freight shipping and hello to automated operations? Contact our team of shipping experts or schedule a demo to explore how Varsity can completely transform the way you ship LTL.