What’s included in a Freight Quote?

We all know that truckload costs tend to differ very often. But why does that happen? In order to understand these changes, we have to figure out what’s included in the Freight Quote. We start with the full truckload rates at first, as this is used when a shipper will have the cargo needed to full up the truck. The truckload rates are known for being simple to calculate since you just study the cost per mile. Or you can study the door to door rate.

What should you consider when you determine the Freight Quote?
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• Mileage is very important. Longer distances tend to require higher charges as you need more vehicle and driver time. Of course, the complexity of that run can also increase the costs, even if the mileage is low.​
• Trucking lanes will also tend to change the costs. Studying this from the beginning will help you a lot. Plus, some cities have a high ratio of trucks, which helps lower the costs. On the other hand, if there are fewer trucks shipping/from a region, the costs will be higher.
• Market capacity changes mostly due to seasonality. Seasonal product shipping will be expensive most of the time. But of course, there will be shippers that try to keep a good ratio of items they can work with. Market capacity and trucking seasonality have a huge influence on costs.
• Unattractive orders can also lead to surcharges. Things like backhaul availability, if the access is blocked and stuff like that will make shipping less desirable. And if it’s less desirable, it’s costly.
• Extra service costs can be added if you have requirements like fragile items if your order needs extra communication, attention and so on.
• Accessories might be needed for some hauls. If that’s the case, you can see stuff like this ending up very expensive. That doesn’t mean it will be a bad thing, but it will totally be a problem in some situations if you don’t handle it the right way, so try to consider that. If you need accessories, you have to pay more.
• Fuel surcharges tend to appear when fuel prices change. That’s why you have to study the fuel costs beforehand, just to be safe.
• Improper lead times can increase costs too. When you give enough notice, things are better for the shipper. But fast shipping without good notice times will certainly be a problem.
• Recurring shipping will cost less than a one-off contract. Which is why you may want to opt for recurring shipping whenever you have the possibility.
• Is there any flexibility or not? If you don’t offer enough flexibility for the driver to fulfill your shipment, then the costs can go up.

Every one of these things can add up to the total cost. That’s why you have to take your time as you fight the right Freight Quote. Remember, the best thing you can do is to ask for a quote from multiple companies, then compare and see which one works for you. In the end, you can get a very good deal and that might help you a lot!