How Are Small Businesses Keeping Shipping Costs Under Control?

I run a small online store with a friend, and shipping expenses have been getting harder to manage as we scale. We’ve been researching cost effective cargo services in usa, but every option seems to come with trade-offs between price, speed, and reliability. Some providers look affordable at first, but extra fees add up quickly once shipments increase. For those handling regular freight or deliveries, what strategies or services have actually helped reduce costs without hurting delivery timelines? I’d really appreciate hearing real experiences and any lessons learned from trying to cut shipping expenses.