Costs, Carriers, and China: Parcel Shipping in 2025 With Nate Skiver From LPF Spend Management

With the world of shipping and logistics constantly changing, it can be hard to keep track of every trend. In this episode, Nate Skiver, founder of LPF Spend Management, catches listeners up on the world of parcel shipping in 2025—what’s changing, what will likely stay the same, and what you can do to optimize your parcel management strategy.

Carrier changes lead to more complex pricing 

Right off the bat, Nate points out a major trend that businesses should be aware of: changes to carrier pricing structures. He explains, “FedEx and UPS continue to make pricing more complex. … That continues to be something that shippers have to really stay on top of.” 

It’s a similar story with USPS. According to Nate, the Postal Service’s network changes have “created some uncertainty with pricing, particularly [for] lightweight packages.” 

How to make the most of carrier partnerships

When choosing carriers, Nate recommends determining your requirements for cost, transit time, and delivery reliability. After analyzing how well your current carriers are meeting those targets, “See where the gaps are. … Look for opportunities to find the right partner or partners to help close those gaps.”

He also notes, “To get the best pricing that your volume commands, [negotiations] need to happen early in the year.”

The bottom line: prioritize parcel

Nate’s final advice is simple: “Prioritize parcel.”

“Parcel gets the short end of the stick within supply chain. Even though it ends up being … a very, very large expense budget line item, it just doesn't get the priority, perhaps—and it should. … Invest in people and partners.” 

Links

• Connect with Nate on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/levelplayingfield/ 
• Visit the LPF Spend Management website: https://www.lpfspendmanagement.com/