CUSTOMER SUCCESS STORY—ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION

How Rexel USA cut freight costs across 500+ branches.

One of the world's largest electrical distributors needed visibility, control, and savings across a complex, nationwide logistics network. AFS delivered all three—and a partnership that's now in its 26th year.

HIGHLIGHTS
75%
Reduction in LTL carriers per distribution center
$238K
Returned through LTL freight claims in the first 15 months
$1.17M
In total parcel savings generated in one year
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AFS helped Rexel improve visibility and reduce freight costs.

Could your company benefit from a freight budget assessment? Contact our team today.
THE CHALLENGES

With nearly half its U.S. workforce focused on logistics, Rexel struggled to control shipping costs, manage claims, and ensure consistent service. Missed or delayed deliveries disrupted customers—sometimes halting operations for days—and became sunk costs with no claims process to recover them. A large carrier roster, limited reporting, and unclear charges made it nearly impossible to track performance or get ahead of annual General Rate Increases.

THE AFS SOLUTIONS

AFS partnered with a shipment visibility provider to deliver a custom solution giving Rexel access to high-fidelity transportation data and predictive insights. AFS identified and corrected accessorial charge errors—detention, reconsignment, layover fees—and led an LTL carrier consolidation initiative, aligning Rexel with performance-driven partners. A parcel claims audit process gave Rexel real-time visibility into delivery issues, while ongoing rate and service audits ensured contract compliance. Close collaboration on GRIs helped protect their divisions and branches from unexpected cost spikes.

ABOUT REXEL USA

Rexel USA specializes in commercial and residential wholesale electrical, industrial, lighting, tools, controls and automation products. Rexel Group is one of the world's largest electrical distributors, with a U.S. presence serving millions of customers from more than 500 branches and distribution centers across the country.

"From providing guidance on RFPs to just offering a sounding board and providing expert feedback on our internal processes around transportation, AFS is truly on our side and looks out for our best interest."

Travis Gordon—National Transportation & Logistics Manager, Rexel USA
RESULTS

The numbers—and the partnership—that keep compounding.

75%
Reduction in LTL carriers per distribution center—from eight to two
$238K
Recovered through a streamlined freight claims process in the first 15 months
$1.17M
In annualized parcel savings generated in year one
The numbers only tell part of the story. Now in its 26th year, the AFS–Rexel relationship continues to evolve. AFS supports Rexel's corporate initiatives including sustainability tracking and dedicated fleet analysis. The AFS Advanced Analytics team works closely with Rexel's transportation leadership to build custom data feeds, KPIs, and dashboards—uncovering insights that simply weren't visible before.

"The biggest impact we didn't anticipate was the relationship our team would have with our account manager. We work directly with the AFS team when necessary and response time is always quick. This is truly the support we needed."