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// Controlled Shipping

How Much Does Controlled Shipping Cost, and Who Pays?

Controlled Shipping is expensive, and the supplier pays for all of it. When Ford places you on CS1 or CS2, you carry the cost of the added inspection, the labor, the documentation, and the administration until you exit with clean data. The real question is not whether it costs money, but how fast you can make it stop.

What you actually pay for

The bill is not one number. It is the redundant 100% inspection labor added on top of normal production, the independent third-party inspection at CS2, any sorting and rework of suspect stock, the documentation and reporting the customer requires, premium freight if parts have to move fast, and the internal time your team spends managing it all. The longer you stay on controlled shipping, the more each of these adds up.

Why CS2 costs more than CS1

CS1 is usually run by your own people, so the added cost is mostly internal labor. CS2 keeps that inspection and adds a second, redundant inspection performed by an independent, customer-accepted third party. That third-party layer is an additional, unavoidable cost, which is why suppliers focus on fixing root cause fast enough to avoid CS2 or to exit it quickly.

How to keep the cost down

The single biggest cost lever is time on controlled shipping, so a fast, irreversible root-cause fix and a clean-data exit save the most money. Using a local provider matters too: crews already in the Louisville and Bullitt County area carry no travel, lodging, or mobilization premium and can start the same day, unlike a team flown in from out of state. See our CS1 / CS2 controlled shipping support or the 30-day exit plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who pays for controlled shipping?
The supplier pays for all of it: the added inspection labor, the independent third-party inspection at CS2, sorting, documentation, and administration. That is why a fast, clean exit directly protects your margin.
How much does CS2 cost?
There is no single figure because it depends on volume, part complexity, shift coverage, and how long you stay on it. The main drivers are the added inspection labor plus the independent third-party inspection, multiplied by every day you remain on controlled shipping.
Does a local provider cost less?
Usually, yes. A crew already local to Louisville and Bullitt County carries no travel or lodging premium and can start the same day, which shortens the clock and lowers total cost compared with a team mobilized from out of state.
How long do I keep paying for it?
Until you exit. OEMs typically require a defined number of consecutive clean days or shipments, often around 20 to 30 days with zero escapes, before releasing you, so faster root cause means fewer days of cost.
Can you help lower our controlled shipping cost at KTP?
Yes. We provide the independent inspection and the documented exit data, and because our crews are local we start fast and keep the mobilization cost down. We are independent and not affiliated with Ford.

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