AI Rate Shopping within SLA
Cahoot picks the cheapest eligible service that still hits your delivery promise. It accounts for carton dimensions and weight, pickup windows, live transit expectations, and surcharges—automatically.
TL;DR
What it does
Filters to services that can meet the promise date, then chooses the lowest total label cost across carriers.
Why it matters
“Cheapest” isn’t cheap when it misses SLA. Likewise, 2-Day Air is wasteful when Ground still arrives on time.
Who it’s for
Brands with multiple carriers/services, regional options, or tight SLAs (SFP/DBD) that need reliable savings at scale.
Why “lowest rate” fails
Missed promises
Cheap service can’t make Friday’s pickup or transit time. SLA miss → refunds/penalties.
Overpay on fast lanes
Choosing 2‑Day when Ground arrives in 2 days anyway wastes money daily.
Blind to context
Ignores carton DIM weight, regional promos, surcharges, weekend delivery, and hazmat eligibility.
How it works
Inputs
- Carton dims & weight from packing plan
- Cutoffs & pickup calendars per node
- Transit-time expectations / service days
- Carrier promos & surcharges
- Eligibility: hazmat, Saturday, signature
Outputs
- Selected service + carrier
- Total label price (incl. DIM/surcharges)
- Reason code & alternatives
- Audit trail for finance & ops
Real‑world examples
Ground beats 2‑Day
Context: Ground arrives in 2 days for this lane. Decision: Choose Ground over 2‑Day. Impact: Same SLA, lower cost.
Friday 6pm order
Context: 2‑Day will miss Monday promise. Decision: Next Day AM from a later‑pickup node. Impact: Promise kept; minimal premium.
Regional promo win
Context: OnTrac promo undercuts national carriers. Decision: Route regionally. Impact: Cheaper label; on‑time transit.
What you configure (light touch)
Policies
- Allowed carriers/services & priorities
- Guardrails (e.g., avoid USPS over X lb)
- Weekend delivery preferences
- Signature/insurance rules
Constraints & calendars
- Blackout dates, embargoes, service outages
- Channel needs (SFP, DBD)
- Node‑level cutoffs & capacity caps
Results you can expect
- Lower shipping spend without SLA risk
- Fewer late refunds & chargebacks
- Less manual service selection at pack
- Clear savings reports for finance
FAQ
Does Cahoot override our policies?
No. It filters and selects within the policies you set. You can hard‑exclude carriers or services.
Does it consider packaging?
Yes. It uses dimensions and weight from the selected packing plan to compute DIM and surcharges.
What if a service is unreliable for a lane?
You can down‑rank or block it. The system can also factor historical reliability as a tiebreaker.
How fast is the decision?
Typically sub‑second per order, even at peak volume.
Do you show the savings?
Yes. Reports show chosen vs runner‑up cost, with reason codes for audit.