Allocating freight across products in a mixed supplier order

A mixed order can hide which item consumes transport capacity. If freight is quoted for the whole shipment, allocate it using a consistent basis for the decision: weight, volume, value, or a carrier-provided item rate. No single basis is right for every shipment.

Choose the basis before ranking

Record item quantity, packed weight, and volume. Use the cost driver that best explains the carrier charge; a bulky light item may be better allocated by volume than value. Show the method in the worksheet and make sure allocated item amounts sum to the actual shipment estimate.

Preserve uncertainty

Freight changes with routing, volume, season, and final packed dimensions. Label estimates with their date and scope, and ask whether local delivery or destination charges are included. Re-run the allocation after carton data is confirmed. Do not compare a supplier's factory-gate unit price with a rival's delivered unit price without this adjustment.

Worked mixed-order allocation

Suppose a USD 300 freight quote covers 100 bulky boxes and 200 small parts. Record their packed cubic volumes and allocate the 300 using a documented carrier cost basis outside the comparison tool. Enter each product's allocated freight only when comparing that product with a rival quote. Check that allocations add back to 300. Common error: splitting freight equally by SKU when one item uses nearly all the space; the apparent per-unit advantage can reverse.

Source context: ASQ — Supplier Quality supports this limited point: Supplier quality assessment can consider total cost, inventory needs, and incoming verification. The buyer procedure above is Suppliers Help editorial guidance. Source checked 2026-09-27.