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Managing Higher Fuel Costs: Tips for Shipping, Delivery and Travel

Fuel‑driven costs continue to affect freight, parcel shipping, food service distribution, construction deliveries, travel, and fleet operations. As a result, departments will likely see higher expenses in these areas. To help your department manage expenses proactively, Procurement Services has outlined several practices that can reduce the impact of fuel-related volatility on university budgets.

Shipping and Delivery Tips

The university relies on a wide range of shipping and delivery services to support daily operations. Early planning and thoughtful choices can help avoid unnecessary fuel-related charges.  

Use Preferred Suppliers

• Use preferred suppliers - several (e.g., ODP and Amazon Business) offer free shipping

Plan Your Purchasing

• Consolidate orders and coordinate with colleagues to reduce multiple deliveries from the same supplier
• Place orders on regular cycles to avoid large or urgent delivery fees
• Source locally or regionally when feasible to reduce fuel-related surcharges
• Plan ahead and choose ground shipping whenever possible to avoid urgent, expedited, or air-service deliveries that are most sensitive to fuel price fluctuations

Travel Booking Tips

Fuel volatility also affects airfare, ground transportation, and other travel‑related costs. As you arrange university travel:

• Use CTP (Collegiate Travel Partners), ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s preferred travel provider for negotiated rates, fare protections, reduced fees, and better visibility into price changes
• Book early to secure more cost-efficient rates
• Avoid last-minute bookings, which are more likely to reflect fuel-driven price increases

Partnering to Monitor Fuel-Related Supplier Costs

Procurement Services encourages departments to stay attentive to supplier pricing during periods of fuel volatility. Please:

• Review invoices and quotes regularly to ensure consistent/agreed upon pricing
• Question any non-contracted increases or surcharges
• Document temporary fuel-related premiums so they can be revisited when fuel prices decline. The provides official national and regional fuel price benchmarks that departments can use to assess vendor claims about fuel-driven surcharges.

Procurement Services is available to assist with validation and benchmarking. We will continue to monitor fuel‑related cost trends and share updates as appropriate. If your department has questions or would like help identifying cost‑efficient purchasing or travel options, please contact us — we are here to support you.

Visit the Purchasing Policy and Procurement Services website for additional information and guidance. For questions, please contact Shawn Facchiano (sfacchia@andrew.cmu.edu), Director of Procurement Services.