[SOURCE_CITY] – October 17, 2026 -- Bunker Adjustment Factor (BAF) surcharges can swing 15–25% within a single quarter, making them one of the most volatile cost lines in freight procurement, according to a new procurement playbook from Freightos.
The guide argues that rigid annual contracts and slow negotiation cycles cannot keep pace with disruptions ranging from the pandemic and geopolitical tensions to climate-related events and market volatility. It promotes an agile model built on short-term tenders, real-time data and flexible supplier relationships.
Mini-bids replace annual tender cycles
Under the agile approach, enterprise procurement teams run frequent mini-bids instead of waiting for the next annual tender. The playbook says this lets teams identify overpayment, optimize carrier selection and act on savings opportunities as they arise.
Freightos Terminal benchmarks rates against $50B in freight spend
Freightos positions its Freightos Terminal platform as the benchmarking tool for this workflow. Teams can compare contracted rates against more than $50 billion in annual commercial freight spend, using daily-updated spot and contract data across ocean and air freight.
Freightos says the data comes from real commercial transactions, unlike self-reported data used by some competitors. It says this gives procurement teams an independent view of their rate position before they negotiate.
Structured BAF updates run between full tenders
The playbook recommends that teams manage BAF through structured update cycles between full tenders. Teams can either apply their own methodology or request updated submissions directly from carriers, rather than passively absorbing surcharge changes.
The guide also covers three operational areas:
- Standardizing, centralizing and automating procurement workflows, including fuel and BAF updates
- Benchmarking contracted rates against real commercial freight spend and running regular mini-bids
- Tracking procurement KPIs and optimizing freight costs between tender cycles without a full renegotiation