Hidden Transport Costs in the Northern Region

The trap of port surcharges in Gdynia and Gdańsk

Gdańsk and Gdynia are our window to the world, but that window has a price that is rarely mentioned when signing major contracts. Most carriers operating in this region use a system of small port surcharges that look inconspicuous on a single invoice. In March 2024, we analyzed the documents of a metal plant in Tczew. It turned out that so-called terminal and handling fees, hidden under enigmatic abbreviations, averaged 284 PLN net per container transport. With 47 transports a month, this amounted to over 13,300 PLN, which no one had questioned before.

The problem is that manufacturing companies often accept these costs as 'market standard'. We at Baltic Synergia Consulting look for holes in everything and check whether these fees actually arise from the port's price list or are just convenient profit for the freight forwarder. Comparing rates from three different terminals was enough to discover that our client was overpaying by 14% relative to the regional average. We know every screw in the logistics budget and know that such details decide whether you close the quarter in the black or in the red. It's not enough to look at the rate per kilometer; you have to look at what was written in fine print under the table.

We often encounter the argument that 'it's always been that way and no one complained'. That's the worst approach in production business. If your company sends goods through DCT Gdańsk, you must be sure you're paying for real work, not for lack of control over invoices. Our audit in Q2 2024 showed that a simple change in the invoice verification procedure saved 8,400 PLN in the first month after implementing the fixes. That's hard money that returned to the company account instead of feeding intermediaries' margins.

Concrete instead of theory: 284 PLN of extra fee on every container is the cost of a new forklift over a year.

Empty runs on the S7 route and the Tricity bypass

Logistics in the northern region suffers from chronic inefficiency in planning return routes. We see this in almost every production plant from Lębork to Elbląg. Trucks deliver raw material to the factory and then return to base or port empty, even though ready-to-ship goods are waiting within 12 kilometers. At Baltic Synergia Consulting, we checked 83 routes serviced by our clients' regular subcontractors. The result was staggering: 31% of kilometers are so-called 'empty runs', for which the manufacturer pays anyway under the general flat rate.

In June 2024, we helped a medium-sized processing plant near Starogard Gdański negotiate new terms with a transport company. Instead of paying for a round trip, we proposed a cost-sharing model with another company from the same industrial park. Thanks to this, the number of empty runs fell by 19, and the unit transport cost decreased by 4.2%. This was only possible because we looked deep into the carrier's GPS reports. Most CFOs don't have time for that, which is why we do it for them. Numbers must add up, and paying for hauling air around the Tricity bypass is pure waste.

It's also worth paying attention to drivers' work time and traffic jams near the tolls on the A1 and at port entrances. Transport companies often add a 'detention fee', which is calculated very optimistically in favor of the carrier. During one of our controls in July this year, we established that waiting time at the ramp was inflated by an average of 35 minutes per loading. On a scale of 156 transports a year, these are thousands of zlotys thrown down the drain. We look for such holes and patch them with specific contract clauses that cut out room for misinterpretation.

Fuel adjustment — how not to be cheated on numbers

The so-called 'fuel surcharge' is a favorite tool of freight forwarders to improve their results at the client's expense. In theory, it is supposed to protect against fuel price spikes; in practice, it often becomes a hidden markup. A Baltic Synergia Consulting analysis conducted on 124 invoices from the last quarter showed that the method of calculating the fuel adjustment differed among each of a single client's three suppliers. One took prices from last Tuesday, the second from the average month, and the third used its own vague indicators. The difference in the final amount to be paid was 3.2% of the invoice value.

For a small factory that spends 45,000 PLN a month on transport, those three percent are over 1,400 PLN. That may not seem like a large sum, but it's money you lose for nothing. We propose a simple solution: a rigid adjustment calculation model based on PKN Orlen data, updated every Monday at 9:00 AM. When we introduced this standard for one of our Pomeranian clients, invoices became transparent, and disputes with the logistics department ended overnight. By the way, most companies think their forwarder takes care of these costs. He takes care of his profit, not yours.

We know every screw in the budget and know that a production's financial stability starts where discretion in fees ends. If your carrier cannot clearly justify why the fuel adjustment this week is what it is, that's a sign you need an audit. We don't look for innovative solutions; we look for honest settlements. In August 2024, we managed to recover 3,700 PLN of overpayment for a client precisely from a miscalculated fuel adjustment for the spring period. That was hard proof that it's worth checking every comma in an invoice.

Risk of damage and Cargo insurance in Pomerania

Transport near the sea also involves specific risks — humidity, salt, difficult conditions during transshipment at the port. Production companies often rely on the carrier's standard OCP, which is a huge mistake. We saw a case from May 2024 where goods worth 67,000 PLN were damaged during strong winds at the Port of Gdynia. The insurer refused payment because the contract included a clause about 'acts of God' and a lack of appropriate protection of the goods against corrosion. The company was left with nothing because no one read the general insurance conditions.

At Baltic Synergia Consulting, we don't deal with fluff about 'safety'. We take the policy in hand and look for exclusions that will leave you out in the cold in case of a problem. Often it turns out that Cargo insurance, which costs as little as 42 PLN per transport, would have saved the situation. Our analysts check if your contracts protect the real interest of the company, not just the insurance company's interest. In one audit in Gdańsk, we discovered that the client's insurance did not cover transshipments in ports, which in his business model was extremely dangerous.

In summary, transport costs in northern Poland are not just fuel and kilometers. It's a jungle of small fees, inefficient routes, and poorly constructed contracts. We at Baltic Synergia Consulting watch your money in the factory because we know that in production, every zloty must be looked at twice. If you feel your logistics are 'swelling' for no apparent reason, you're probably right. Checking invoices is the first step to regaining control over the budget.

If your people don't know what to sign at the ramp in Gdynia, you could lose 21,000 PLN in an instant.