#523 Rethinking Shipping: Brent Barkin on Data, Strategy & Supply Chain Growth
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In this episode of Shoe & Show, hosts Matt Priest and Thomas Crockett welcome Brent Barkin, Executive Vice President of Ship Sigma, to discuss the overlooked complexities of shipping contracts and supply chain optimization. Brent shares his deep roots in the footwear industry, growing up in Mobile, Alabama, and working at his family’s Shoe Station store from age 10. His journey from retail floor to CEO gave him firsthand experience with the hidden costs and negotiation pitfalls in shipping—especially with carriers like UPS and FedEx. He reveals that shipping contracts are far from static: rates can change up to 12 times a year, and many companies unknowingly overpay due to residential surcharges, dimensional weight rules, and minimum package fees. Ship Sigma’s solution is a data-driven analysis that uncovers these inefficiencies in just three days, offering actionable insights and negotiation leverage. Brent emphasizes that renegotiation is not only possible but essential—especially when carriers adjust rates frequently. He also highlights the importance of using data to frame reasonable, carrier-friendly asks that align with the carrier’s own cost structures. The episode concludes with a strong call to action: companies should run a free analysis with Ship Sigma before signing or renewing contracts, as the process is low-risk and high-reward. The hosts praise the service for turning shipping from a black box into a transparent, negotiable process. Key takeaways include: 1) Shipping contracts are always negotiable and should be renegotiated regularly, not just at renewal; 2) Hidden fees like dimensional weight, residential surcharges, and minimum charges can inflate shipping costs by up to 35% over three years; 3) A free, three-day data analysis can reveal how much a company is overpaying and provide a clear roadmap for savings; 4) Use data to frame reasonable, carrier-aligned negotiation requests—don’t just demand lower rates; 5) Ship Sigma offers proactive monitoring so companies don’t miss rate changes; 6) The best negotiation strategy is to use your carrier’s own data to justify your ask; 7) The analysis is risk-free—Ship Sigma only earns when savings are achieved; 8) Even if no savings are found, the analysis still adds value by improving future decision-making.
Shipping contracts are always negotiable and should be renegotiated regularly, not just at renewal.
Hidden fees like dimensional weight, residential surcharges, and minimum package charges can inflate costs by up to 35% over three years.
A free, three-day data analysis can reveal how much a company is overpaying and provide a clear roadmap for savings.
Use data to frame reasonable, carrier-aligned negotiation requests—don’t just demand lower rates.
Ship Sigma offers proactive monitoring so companies don’t miss rate changes.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Welcome to the Show: A Southern Footwear Connection
The hosts kick off the episode with a warm welcome, highlighting their shared ties to Alabama and introducing Brent Barkin, whose family roots in Mobile and deep experience in the footwear industry make him a perfect guest for this conversation.
Brent’s Shoe Story: From 10-Year-Old Helper to CEO
“I started in the business, don't tell the Alabama Department of Labor, but when I was 10. They don't care, I promise you they don't care.”
The Hidden Costs of Shipping: Beyond the Surface Rate
“If you don't renegotiate three years after your contract, you could be paying as much as 35 percent more three years later than you were paying.”
Negotiation Is a Right, Not a Privilege
“You have every ability and every authority to come back to them and say, look, we recognize we have a contract with you, but that contract is about to be due. And we need to make a change.”
How Ship Sigma Works: The 3-Day Analysis
“We basically, and, um, and thank you for calling me in that hypothetical. But no, it's, it's like a whoop. I mean, we're basically uploading their invoice data. And in three days, we tell them how much they should have been paying, how much they are paying.”
“If you don't renegotiate three years after your contract, you could be paying as much as 35 percent more three years later than you were paying.”
“You have every ability and every authority to come back to them and say, look, we recognize we have a contract with you, but that contract is about to be due. And we need to make a change.”
“I started in the business, don't tell the Alabama Department of Labor, but when I was 10. They don't care, I promise you they don't care.”
Hosts
Guest
Brent Barkin
person
Ship Sigma
organization
Shoe Station
organization
UPS
organization
Thomas Crockett
person
FedEx
organization
Matt Priest
person
Mobile, Alabama
place
Carnival
organization
Monroeville, Alabama
place
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