How to Fill Out an LTL Quote Form

4 Steps on How to Fill out an LTL Quote Form

Step 1: Shipping Mode 

• Determine if you are shipping less than truckload (LTL) or full truckload (FTL). In our example, we’re shipping LTL, so let’s check that.

Step 2: Start/Origin Location 

This is the consignor’s—or the shipper’s—location. 

• Fill out the start location zip/postal code. Easy enough. The hardest part will be ensuring you’ve entered the zip code correctly.
• Now, select the location type. You have options here and must choose the right one to get an accurate quote. Specific locations require additional services. We’ll get to that in a minute. It’s easy for the lines to blur a bit between each location type, so here’s a breakdown:
• Business: If your business doesn’t have a loading dock or access to a forklift, add a liftgate pickup as an extra service. In addition, if you’re shipping your items to a trade show, opt for tradeshow delivery to ensure your items will be placed in holding until you’re ready for them to arrive at their end location.
• Freight Carrier Terminal: The best and cheapest way to ship. Terminals already have a dock, which means you won’t have to add (or pay for) a liftgate with this location type. Contact us to find the terminal closest to you.
• Home-Based Business: This is still considered a residential location, so check the residential area as an extra service at pickup or at delivery. You may be checking a residential area for both the pickup and delivery locations. You will want to add a liftgate unless you have a forklift at your house and can use it to load your shipment on/off the truck.
• Residential/Home: Same as above.
• Limited Access Location: Locations that present challenges or additional requirements for carriers when entering the site. These locations typically involve extra time, effort, or resources to access or handle the freight. For a detailed list and more information:  limited access locations 
• Trade Show or Convention: Picking up from a trade show has a whole different set of rules. Please choose this option when quoting to alert our team that you are picking up from a trade show.

Step 3: End Location  

This is the consignee, delivery, or recipient’s location. All the same rules apply, with a few additions:

• Call Before Delivery: Just like it sounds. Have a truck driver call you before they drop off your shipment to guarantee someone will be available. Remember that some carriers automatically include a delivery notification as part of their standard operating procedure. Some carriers do not. Ask your FreightCenter agent which way your chosen carrier operates.
• Suppose you are shipping to a residential/home, home-based business, or freight carrier terminal location, and a delivery notification is not included by default with the carrier. In that case, you will want to opt for it.
• If you are shipping to a business, carriers will assume you are operating under the hours of 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. M-F and that someone will be available to accept the shipment at any time during those hours of operation. If this is not the case for your business, you will also want to inform your agent of your unique business hours and opt for a call before delivery.
• Hazmat: We can ship hazardous materials. We need to know about it beforehand. Choose the hazardous materials option under extra services at pickup to let us know you are shipping hazardous goods.
• White Glove: If you need your shipment delivered into the building or need some packaging disassembled, then white glove services would be a great option to choose.
• Guaranteed: Choose this option when you need your shipment delivered in the standard transit time listed on your quote. It does not guarantee a pickup, but it does give your shipment priority and tells the carrier you need the shipment delivered by a specific day. Give us a call if you need a time-critical or expedited shipment.

Step 4: Items to be Shipped  

Enter all the information regarding your item. This is a relatively easy step, but you must ensure all information is correct.

• Packaging: When you measure the dimensions of your freight, ensure to include the measurements of your packaging to avoid oversize fees.
• Weight and Dimensions:  If you’re unsure of the weight, try visiting a junkyard or contacting a freight terminal and asking if you can use their scale to weigh your freight. The carrier will reweigh your shipment; make it precise. If the carrier’s certified scale shows an additional 300 pounds, contrary to the information you entered when getting a quote and what is on the bill of lading. Additional charges may occur.
• Freight Class: When you get to freight class, this is where things can get tricky. If you don’t know the freight class, you can either call your FreightCenter Account Manager or use our Freight Class Lookup Tool to help you determine the class. If you enter “I don’t know” as the freight class, it will default to class 85. However, if it is determined that the correct class is, in fact, 200, the cost to ship will increase (the higher the class number, the higher the price). It’s perfectly okay to enter I don’t know, but please keep in mind that when an agent helps you complete the booking of your shipment, they will need to change the freight class to the correct one, and this may cause a change in price.

Pro Tip:

Be as accurate as possible. You may get a cheap quote and incur additional charges if you are not exact on your weight and dimensions. For example, when a driver picks up your freight. They do not have a scale or a way to validate the weight and measurements of the shipment. The most crucial piece of information is to remember to always measure around the widest and tallest points for the dimensions and add the weight of the pallet and any packaging to your total weight.