Over 14 years ago, Darren Ash founded Freight Cost Solutions™ as an independent freight auditor with a vision to effect positive change in an industry he observed was losing its integrity.
The customer’s champion in Australia’s transport industry
Helping its customers “in a war against the carriers”, Darren says his team of expertly skilled accounting professionals is able to provide the honesty, transparency and accountability that has been sorely lacking. Coming into the transport industry, Darren discovered many transport companies made huge profits through “mathematical trickery, postcode zoning, cubic measurement and fuel levies.” For companies focused on their own business, transport costs were unreasonably high. “Nobody was on the side of the customer. There was no champion of the customer against the transport companies,” Darren says.
We identify to the customer where there are potential savings based on their volume of freight distributed annually. We manage the services, conduct audits and report to the customer monthly about the carrier’s rate and service performance against an agreed Service Level Agreement.
Working with respected freight carriers for peace of mind
Partnering with large, well-respected brands and working only with well-respected carriers, Freight Cost Solutions ensures transport solutions that incorporate the infrastructure needed to deliver freight at reduced rates and improved service levels, as well as better terms and conditions and operational outcomes specific to client businesses.
“We’re independent of the carriers,” Darren explains. “We identify to the customer where there are potential savings based on their volume of freight distributed annually. We manage the services, conduct audits and report to the customer monthly about the carrier’s rate and service performance against an agreed Service Level Agreement.”
Delivering expertise, enthusiasm and software
Supporting the knowledge and enthusiasm of the team, Freight Cost Solutions has created and implemented software allowing a transparent audit of every individual connote by zone and postcode for cube, charge-weight, price and variables. These precise audits are available on a monthly and annual basis. Where there are no savings, there is no fee — the Freight Cost Solutions team only charges the percentage of savings they achieve as their percentage of the savings fee.
Darren is pleased to see how his business has influenced the way businesses and freight carriers work together and has become an authority on the transport industry in Australia. His forecasting of industry trends and tips for avoiding being overcharged are a hit with his clients, who trust him to be looking for long term savings. Darren says, “The longevity of rates is something we are focused on. The establishment of fixed-rate terms for customers in difficult economic times ensures a level of certainty in costs and budgeting.”
“Our greatest challenge has been positioning ourselves as auditors,” says Darren. “Some companies were sceptical at first, thinking we were brokers rebadged as auditors. We have overcome this scepticism by taking opportunities to get our message out there in the market.”
