Provide high-level details that will contextualize all downstream budgeting decisions.
Project or fiscal year name/code
Budget owner (department, division, or cost center)
Total approved logistics budget (base currency)
Budget effective start date
Budget effective end date
Primary currency for reporting
Will this budget be split across multiple currencies?
Budget approval authority level
Department Head
Finance Director
CFO
Board
Other
Capture planned spend for each transportation mode. Include base rates, fuel indices, and contingency buffers.
Mode-wise budget breakdown
Mode (e.g., Ocean FCL, Air Express, Road FTL) | Expected shipments | Planned rate per shipment | Fuel/BAF surcharge budget | Contingency buffer (%) | Total budget | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ocean FCL | 120 | $1,400.00 | $150.00 | 5 | $195,300.00 | |
Air Express | 60 | $3,500.00 | $400.00 | 8 | $252,720.00 | |
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Do you index fuel surcharges to an external price index?
Will you hedge currency exposure for foreign-denominated freight contracts?
Detail fixed and variable storage costs, including labor, space, and inventory carrying charges.
Annual fixed warehouse rent/lease
Variable handling cost per pallet
Average pallets on hand
Annual inventory carrying cost rate (%)
Will you use third-party logistics (3PL) warehousing?
Cost components included in carrying cost (choose all that apply)
Capital cost
Storage cost
Service cost
Risk cost (obsolescence, damage)
Insurance
Primary inventory valuation method
FIFO
LIFO
Weighted Average
Standard Cost
Other
Capture expected import/export charges, including duties, taxes, broker fees, and compliance costs.
Estimated total dutiable value of imports
Average duty rate (%)
Customs broker fees
Inspection/quarantine fees
Will you leverage any free-trade agreements (FTAs)?
Do you require an ATA Carnet for temporary imports?
I have included an allowance for regulatory changes (e.g., tariff hikes)
Budget for cargo insurance, deductibles, and risk-management tools.
Annual cargo insurance premium
Average deductible per claim
Do you use self-insurance or captives?
Insurance coverage basis
CIF +10%
Invoice value + freight
Selling price
Replacement cost
Other
Will you purchase supply-chain disruption insurance?
Allocate spend for TMS, WMS, visibility platforms, EDI, and analytics tools.
Transportation Management System (TMS) annual license
Warehouse Management System (WMS) annual license
API/EDI transaction fees
Implementation & training budget
Will you adopt IoT or RFID for real-time tracking?
Cloud hosting model
Public cloud SaaS
Private cloud
On-premise
Hybrid
Do you budget for cybersecurity measures specific to logistics data?
Include costs for carbon offset, green fuels, reusable packaging, and circular economy programs.
Carbon offset purchases
Premium for sustainable fuel (e.g., biofuel, green hydrogen)
Reusable packaging investment
Do you plan to certify to sustainability standards (e.g., ISO 14001)?
Will you participate in a plastic credit scheme?
Set aside reserves for force majeure, geopolitical disruptions, and demand volatility.
Force majeure contingency (% of total logistics budget)
Geopolitical disruption reserve (e.g., sanctions, war, piracy)
Demand surge buffer (e.g., peak season, promotions)
Do you maintain a rolling scenario-analysis fund?
Define measurable targets and assign governance responsibilities.
Target cost variance (%) vs budget
Target on-time payment rate (%) to vendors
Primary cost-control methodology
Zero-based budgeting
Activity-based costing
Kaizen costing
Standard costing
Other
Will you run quarterly cost reviews?
Do you use a logistics cost dashboard?
Rate the following cost-control practices in your organization
Scale: 1 = Not implemented, 2 = In progress, 3 = Partial, 4 = Advanced, 5 = Best-in-class
Real-time freight audit | |
Automated accruals | |
Contract compliance tracking | |
Carbon cost visibility | |
Scenario planning |
Confirm accuracy and secure required approvals.
Prepared by (name & role)
Preparation date
Reviewed by (name & role)
Review date
Signature of budget owner
I confirm that all figures are accurate to the best of my knowledge