---
title: "Cut Ocean Freight Costs by Up to 35% | Flexport"
description: "Cut your freight costs without cutting corners"
language: en
canonical: https://www.flex.thisisbrew.com/solutions/save-money/
lifecycle: live
---

# Cut Ocean Freight Costs by Up to 35% | Flexport

## Cut your logistics costs without cutting corners

Customers like Gerber ship thousands of containers a year and still cut total logistics costs by 10%, with less than 1% of cargo rolled. Our AI and technology can optimize your containers, routes, and modes, so you spend less without reducing performance. 

[START SAVING](https://www.flex.thisisbrew.com/get-started/)

## Hidden costs pile up before the invoice ever lands.

**Ocean rates aren't the whole story** — The quoted rate is just the start. Demurrage, detention, and emergency re-routing charges pile up fast once your cargo's in transit, and by the time the invoice lands, the real cost looks nothing like the quote.
**One carrier can't cover every disruption** — Blank sailings, port strikes, and canceled strings hit every ocean shipper eventually. When you're locked into a single carrier, you just wait it out. Flexport spreads your freight across every major alliance, so a disruption on one string doesn't have to delay your cargo.
**Landed costs are hard to pin down** — Freight charges, duties, and accessorial fees get split across systems and forwarders. By the time the invoice lands, it's tough to know what you actually paid to get your product to the door.

## We find cost savings across your entire supply chain.

### Save up to 10% with AI container optimization

Supply Chain Optimization evaluates every ocean booking on a weekly cycle against live pricing and returns the mathematically optimal container plan.

![Three colleagues reviewing documents around a wooden table in a dimly lit meeting room](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/ynj1yl20/development/c227ff82c3e6b72a352fde59d3c6b1cfc78ffe33-1024x886.png)

2026_Ocean_SCO_1920x1900 (0:18)

### Route and carrier optimization

Flexport acts as your booking agent across every BCO carrier and NVO partner, executing your routing guide and surfacing allocation gaps before volume falls to spot rates. We can help save up to 35% in freight spend by replacing FAK and spot bookings with contract rates.

![Two colleagues at a desk reviewing a bar chart of monthly landed cost on a laptop](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/ynj1yl20/development/6eb40449c8844540d9cd8a5a57e957be9f247e95-1728x1494.jpg)

Digital routing guides (0:45)

### Reduce your reliance on air freight

We can help reduce your reliance on air freight, optimizing your mix across modes, and still ensure your cargo arrives by your deadline. 

![Container ship at port, an alternative to air freight](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/ynj1yl20/development/0487416ab8af06ca86a0d22306eb6a61ab4485fa-2755x1837.png)

### Minimize your duty exposure

Our team of customs and trade advisory experts can conduct a free ACE analysis to identify areas you can minimize your duty exposure. 

![Stacked shipping containers arranged in a stepped pyramid formation against a sky backdrop.](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/ynj1yl20/development/dc5ad1ca9802903c2de9734d933224cb813f97c7-6048x4024.jpg)

2026_Customs_Tech_Feature-02_Audit-Your-Broker_1920x1900 (0:29)

[Learn more](https://www.flex.thisisbrew.com/products/customs/)

### Double your duty drawback return

Flexport has recovered more than $1 billion in duty drawback, refunds, and savings. On average, we get 4 to 10 times the return of other brokers.

![A worker reviewing shipment documentation on a clipboard](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/ynj1yl20/development/da2c4cc535e60e4c9d452b2648aaa32e602af814-4096x2730.jpg)

[Learn more](https://www.flex.thisisbrew.com/logistics/duty-drawback/)

[START SAVING](https://www.flex.thisisbrew.com/get-started/)

## It adds up to real savings for your business.

Small changes in how you ship compound fast. 

**10%** — Average freight savings with AI container optimization
**35%** — Reduction in freight spend when clients use Flexport's Control Tower.
**20%** — Savings with Buyer's Consolidation on end-to-end logistics spend, compared to LCL.

## Ask an expert

Have questions? Talk to a supply chain solutions expert.

[Talk to an expert](https://www.flex.thisisbrew.com/get-started/)

## Flexport partners with leading brands.

## Join thousands of leading brands on Flexport

- Adidas
- Trek
- thule
- igloo
- ooni
- Caraway
- Simple Modern
- Bombas
- gn
- simplisafe

## Ready to get started?

Talk to a supply chain solutions expert and see the Flexport platform in action.

[Get started](https://www.flex.thisisbrew.com/get-started/)

## Frequently asked questions

### How can I lower my ocean freight costs?

Start by looking past the quoted rate. Demurrage, detention, and emergency re-routing fees are usually what push your total spend over budget, not the base rate itself. Flexport customers save an average of 10% on total logistics costs through better planning, multi-carrier access, and proactive cost management, not just a lower quote.

### What actually drives up the cost of an ocean shipment beyond the rate?

The headline rate is rarely the full story. Demurrage and detention charges, blank-sailing replanning costs, and emergency premium bookings add up fast once your cargo's in transit. Flexport tracks free day windows and coordinates port pickups automatically, cutting demurrage and detention charges by an average of 25%.

### Is ocean freight actually cheaper than air freight?

Yes. Ocean freight is the lowest-cost mode for moving goods internationally, especially at volume. The tradeoff is transit time, but with predictable planning and real-time visibility, most shippers can move time-flexible cargo by ocean without disrupting their supply chain.

### What's the difference between FCL and LCL, and which one saves more money?

It depends on your volume. FCL (Full Container Load) makes sense once your cargo fills roughly 70% or more of a container. Below that, LCL (Less Than Container Load) means you only pay for the space you use, since Flexport consolidates your shipment with others heading the same direction. Neither is inherently cheaper. The right one is whichever matches your actual volume.

### Does booking across multiple carriers actually save money?

It does, mainly by avoiding the alternative: getting stuck with no options when a single carrier blanks a sailing or hits a service disruption. Flexport spreads bookings across every major alliance and automatically rebooks to the same departure week, so you're not paying for emergency re-routing or absorbing a week of delay costs.

### How much more can I save by adding Control Tower or Buyer's Consolidation?

Customers using Flexport's Control Tower see up to a 35% reduction in freight spend, and pairing ocean freight with Buyer's Consolidation can save up to 20% on end-to-end logistics costs compared to LCL alone. Both work by giving you visibility and control over the full shipment lifecycle, not just the ocean leg.

**Find the savings hiding in your shipping data**
Turn your shipping data into savings you can actually use.
[See how](https://www.flex.thisisbrew.com/solutions/optimize-supply-chain/)

**Free up the cash stuck in your inventory**
Free up cash tied up in inventory sitting on the shelf.
[See how](https://www.flex.thisisbrew.com/solutions/finance-inventory/)

**Get Visibility & Control**
Track every shipment and step in with the data to back it up.
[See how](https://www.flex.thisisbrew.com/solutions/visibility-control/)

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*This is a markdown version of [https://www.flex.thisisbrew.com/solutions/save-money/](https://www.flex.thisisbrew.com/solutions/save-money/) for AI/LLM consumption.*