Quoting a Freight Shipment? Here are the Details You’ll Need

It’s easy to get an instant shipping quote, but the final price you’ll be charged can change if the important details of your shipment aren’t accurate. Beyond the exact dimensions and weight of your shipment, it’s also critical to consider all the needs of your pickup and delivery locations.

If your materials and products must be re-delivered on account of an error or missing equipment needed for delivery, the fees charged can quickly add up. Incorporating tips from the video below, this quick guide covers the most important factors to consider when planning for and packaging your shipment‐so you can make shipment quoting as accurate as possible.

Use exact measurements, not estimates

Determining costs can be as simple as measuring the height, length, width, and weight of your shipment and entering those details into Freightquote’s online quoting tool.

Taking the time to make sure the measurements are correct will save you the headache and extra fees that can arise when a carrier ends up handling a shipment that doesn’t fall within the exact measurements given during the quoting process.

Part of getting these exact details means including all the packaging included in your shipment, not just the product or materials themselves. Be sure to measure and weigh your freight with the packaging included when providing information for shipment quoting. For example, if you are using a standard 48” x 48” pallet to ship your freight, that could add up to 50 pounds to the weight of your shipment.

Understand the needs of your pickup and delivery locations

Many different factors can impact the delivery process for your shipment, but delays and extra fees can be avoided with careful planning. Here are the most important details to consider about the delivery and pickup locations of your shipments:

Address: Last-mile delivery is often the most expensive part of the shipping process, and it’s important to know from the beginning whether your shipment will be delivered to a residential or commercial address. Residential locations tend to offer more challenges, adding time, gas, and vehicle wear-and-tear to deliveries. Accommodating for the rural, urban, commercial, or residential location of your pickup and delivery shipments can help match your freight with carriers who can meet your needs while avoiding costly fees.

Services and equipment: Specialized shipments and the challenging locations may need a bit of extra help to get the job done. The need for liftgates, inside delivery and pickup, sort/seg. services, and other accessorials need to be accounted for during the shipment quoting process. Not doing this can result in delays and fees that could have otherwise been avoided.

Special hours: Holidays can be a very busy time for any business, but it can also mean a change in operating hours. Always be aware of when your shipment is scheduled to be picked up or delivered so that the transition of freight is seamless. If a location is closed and the shipment must be redelivered, charges and delays are sure to follow.

Use the latest information

Want more tips and information about how you can get accurate quotes, seamless shipments, and real-time updates about your freight? Check out our videos and blogs that cover the most important topics for reliable small business shipping.