Freight Audit
Quick answer
Checking carrier invoices against agreed rates and actual shipments to detect overbilling.
Key takeaways
- Invoiced rate vs contracted rate
- Invoiced weight/volume vs actual
- Surcharges (fuel, zones, returns)
- Deliveries invoiced but not performed
What freight audit is
Freight audit is the process of reconciling transport invoices with rate contracts and actually executed shipments, to identify wrong charges, unjustified surcharges or double-billed deliveries.
Why it matters to the board
Transport invoices frequently contain errors (2-5% of value). Without auditing, these errors are paid silently. Auditing recovers money and disciplines carriers.
What is checked
- Invoiced rate vs contracted rate
- Invoiced weight/volume vs actual
- Surcharges (fuel, zones, returns)
- Deliveries invoiced but not performed
How CRMconnect helps
CRMconnect holds real shipment data (weight, zone, carrier, AWB) and can match it against transport invoices, flagging discrepancies - a three-way match applied to transport.
Real-world example
A distributor found, comparing AWBs in CRMconnect with the courier's invoices, zone surcharges wrongly applied on 6% of shipments, recovering several thousand euros per quarter.
Last updated:
Frequently asked
How much is lost without freight audit?+
Typically 2-5% of transport spend from billing errors. At high volumes, significant sums yearly.
How do I link the audit to my data?+
By matching the courier invoice with real shipment data (weight, zone, AWB). CRMconnect holds this operational data.
Where CRMconnect fits
Related terms
Carrier Management
Centralised management of multiple couriers and carriers: allocation, AWB generation, tracking and performance review.
FinanceLanded Cost
The total real cost of a product up to the warehouse: purchase price + freight + duties + insurance + handling.
Finance3-way match
The control that compares the purchase order, the receipt and the invoice before approving payment.
LogisticsLast-mile
The final delivery stage - from local DC to end customer. The most expensive segment.