Each fall, FedEx and UPS release their annual General Rate Increase (GRI) announcements. Shippers often react to the headline percentage, whether 5.9%, 6.9%, or another figure. But as 2025 has proven, those numbers barely scratch the surface of the real cost pressures facing parcel networks. 

For logistics teams, the published GRI is a starting point, not the finish line. Accessorials, surcharges, and mid-year adjustments have become the real engines of cost inflation, and they are shaping the landscape as we head toward 2026. 

What We Learned In 2025 

The past year reinforced a critical lesson: the published GRI and the actual shipper impact are two very different numbers. 

  • Surcharges Escalated Rapidly. Carriers are increasing the frequency of pricing adjustments beyond the GRI.  UPS – for example – adjusted its fuel surcharge tables more than seven times since January 2024.  FedEx and UPS both tightened package dimension rules, increasing billable weights with their packages.  Late payment fee increases.  International processing fees.  Applicable DAS postal codes.  The list of changes (beyond the GRI) is long and continues to grow at a rapid pace.  
  • Accessorials Filled the Void. While carriers announced a 5.9% GRI in 2025, fees on large package, oversize, and additional handling categories jumped 20–30%. Delivery Area Surcharges (DAS) also rose 7–10% in base pricing alone as carriers scrutinized population density in their cost structures. 
  • Carrier Pricing Strategies Favored Surcharges. UPS reported in Q2 2025 that U.S. average daily volume declined 7.3%, yet revenue only slipped 0.8%.  This is indicative of an increasing reliance on pricing adjustments and cost reduction efforts to maintain revenue quality.  

The message is clear – carriers are increasingly leaning into surcharge pricing adjustments. This is nothing new. What is remarkable, however, is the velocity and breadth of changes as carriers target specific shipment profiles to protect margins. 

Mid-Year Moves – The Canary in the Coal Mine 

September’s round of mid-year surcharge adjustments underscored this strategy. Read the Reveel Surcharge Watch article here. 

For shippers, these mid-year moves are more than administrative updates. They are signals. Carriers are testing cost levers, gauging market tolerance, and laying the groundwork for what will become permanent changes in 2026. 

If the past two years are any guide, these “in-flight” adjustments will foreshadow the most impactful areas of next year’s cost structure. 

4 Shipping Strategies to Get Ahead 

Shippers are not powerless. While carriers engineer complexity to maximize yield, proactive strategies can minimize exposure and create resilience. 

1. Bulletproof Contracts 

Negotiation is no longer a once-every-three-years exercise. Smart shippers are renegotiating mid-cycle, anticipating upcoming changes, and inserting protective language where possible. The mindset shift: prioritize results over optics, spend negotiation capital where it counts, and use the carrier’s first move to strengthen your own. 

2. Operational Optimization 

Operational tweaks can have outsized impact: 

  • Redesign packaging to avoid dimensional triggers 
  • Consider LTL for shipments approaching oversize thresholds 
  • Optimize fulfillment locations to reduce costly zones 
  • Pay invoices on time to avoid punitive late-payment fees 

3. Carrier Diversification 

Adding regional carriers or alternative networks is no longer optional. Diversification creates leverage, resiliency, and often more favorable pricing on tough surcharges like Large Package Fees, DAS, and residential charges. 

4. Data, AI, and Analytics 

Artificial intelligence is emerging as a powerful ally in cost management. From spotting hidden fees to benchmarking surcharge exposure, AI-powered tools can deliver real-time insights and help logistics teams course-correct before costs spiral. 

Preparing for the Real Cost of 2026 

The annual GRI announcement may dominate headlines, but shippers should be looking elsewhere. The real battleground in 2026 will be surcharges, dimensional rules, and mid-year adjustments. 

Carriers will continue to innovate on complexity. Shippers who counter with data-driven insights, smarter contracts, and operational flexibility will be best positioned to withstand the next wave of cost pressures. 

2026 will not just be about surviving the GRI. It will be about building resilience against an evolving surcharge landscape.