About Author

Joseph P. Loughran

Career

Joseph P. Loughran is President of Parcel Rate Solutions, LLC and a 35-year veteran of the small package industry. He specializes in carrier pricing and cost analysis and is a leading provider of rate analysis and negotiation strategies for clients nationwide. Mr. Loughran has extensive expertise in the carrier side of the small package industry, enabling him to offer an innovative, engineered “inside” approach to cost reduction for companies utilizing small package services.
Prior to starting Parcel Rate Solutions, Mr. Loughran spent 20 years with SmartTran, Inc., as President and Co-Founder. He previously served as a Corporate Officer and Vice President of Operations Planning and Engineering for RPS, Inc. (now FedEx Ground). He joined the company in 1984 at the beginning of the research and development phase and served a prominent role in the many innovative services and operational techniques that differentiated RPS and enabled it to gain a foothold in the industry.
Mr. Loughran assists shippers with carrier rate analysis and contract negotiations to ensure the proper level of discount is being received. All relevant areas are examined to increase profit through cost reduction, including package characteristics, accessorial charges, surcharges, dimensional weighing, and minimum charges. Mr. Loughran has written the popular annual UPS Rate Increase Analysis for over 20 years, detailing the true impact of the annual rate increase – as no one else does. It is available at parcelratesolutions.com.

Education

Mr. Loughran earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Administration and Management Science and a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Carnegie Mellon University and a Master of Science degree in Operations Research from New York University – Tandon School of Engineering.