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RocketFuel pulls the carrier cost
Direct integration with your WMS or shipping platform reads the label purchase price for every shipment as it generates.
Advanced Rate Markups
Total flexibility. Maximum revenue.
Most 3PLs handle markups in spreadsheets at the end of the billing cycle — hours of admin, frustrated customers, money slipping through the cracks. RocketFuel pulls carrier costs from your WMS at label time and applies your markup rules in real time. Cost-plus, margin, flat, percentage, tiered — or any combination.
What the engine does.
- Profile + rule engine Profiles assign at the client level (per-client or grouped). Each profile points to one or many rules. Total flexibility per account.
- Rule granularity Configure by parcel account, carrier, service, warehouse, zone, country, weight tier, or shipment cost. Broad sweeps or surgical exceptions.
- Every markup model Cost-plus, margin, flat fee, percentage, tiered, or any combination. Whatever fits the customer relationship.
- Translation table UPS Ground, 0037, "United Parcel Service – Ground" all map to the same standardized service. Clean data into reporting and customer views.
- Adjustment re-run When a carrier shifts the cost, reconciliation re-runs the shipment through your rules. A package crossing weight tiers lands on the right rule.
- Margin visibility per shipment See profitability on every shipment, not in a quarterly review. Customers priced too thin surface immediately, not 90 days later.
More across the platform
Flagship
Recharge Meter
Where the resolved markup actually deducts from the customer balance — in real time.
Flagship Adjustment ReconciliationWhen a carrier adjustment shifts the cost, the markup re-runs through your rules automatically.
Sibling Claims & DisputesWhen a markup-eligible refund hits, the recovery applies to the meter automatically.
Frequently asked questions
How are 3PLs typically charging for parcel shipments?
Most apply a flat percentage markup over carrier cost — typically 8–25% depending on the relationship. Flat models leak margin on heavy-cost mixes and overcharge lighter shippers; per-customer rules surface profitability before invoice instead of after.
Can I run different markups per service level?
Yes. Service-level rules differentiate Ground vs. Priority vs. Express within a carrier. Higher-margin services can carry a higher markup; competitive services like USPS Ground Advantage stay tight to win volume.
What happens when a carrier negotiates a new rate mid-quarter?
Update the carrier-level rate once. Every client inheriting the default sees the new rate at the next label generation. Client-specific overrides stay locked unless you change them.
Spreadsheets are holding you back.
Even WMS platforms that offer markups usually lack the flexibility 3PLs need. One-size-fits-all billing leaks margin on heavy-cost mixes and overcharges customers shipping light. Manual end-of-cycle reconciliation gets you the answer 90 days too late — when the customer who's been priced too thin has already been priced too thin for a quarter.
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Built for a specific job: Transparent rate cards · Protect your margin