Freight Information Needed for Accurate Freighting Shipping Rates and Quotes

At ShippingDiscounts.com, we receive numerous requests throughout the day from customers looking for the best freight shipping rates and quotes. Though each customers’ shipping needs are unique in some way, there are always required pieces of information that any freight forwarder needs in order to give an accurate freight quote. This freight information is critical for the customer for both attaining the lowest freight rate and making sure the stated freight quote does not change when freight shipments  are reassessed by the freight carrier after pickup. The freight information required and the reasons for their importance are listed below.

Freight Location Zip Codes – Because freight rates are partly based on mileage, it is necessary to have the zip codes of the pickup location and destination location.  Most often, the shorter the distance, the cheaper it is to ship the freight.

Details of Freight Shipment – Other than mileage, a few other factors go into determining the freight quote of an item. They include weight, dimensions and description of what is being shipped. All these factors go into determining the freight class of the shipment.

Weight – Yes, weight does matter. We are constantly surprised at how many customers don’t realize that weight plays a factor in the cost of freight shipping. The heavier something is, the tougher it is to move around, the more gas it takes to move the truck down the road, etc. With freight, even if you don’t know an exact weight, try to get within at least a hundred pounds so we can give you an accurate estimate.

Dimensions – Some freight classes are density based. Because of this, we must know the length, width and height of the item being shipped rounded to the nearest inch.

Description of the Item – Freight rates are also dependent on the fragility and value of the item being shipped. As an example, a flat screen TV with similar weight and dimensions as an old computer will have a higher freight cost.

Type of Freight Location – The price of the freight shipping also depends on whether the freight is getting picked up or dropped off at a residential or business location. Freight rates increase when shipments are picked up from a residential location or delivered to a residential destination because freight carriers consider these roadways to be less navigable and more complex to facilitate an easy pickup. We always advise our customers to utilize a business location if possible or take the shipment to the nearest freight terminal of the freight carrier being used.

Other Freight Services – In addition to the information above, there are supplementary services that are quite commonly requested by our customers and carry added fees.

Lift Gate Trucks – If the freight requires a lift gate at either the pickup or destination location, this will increase rates as freight carriers have to send out a special truck to the location. A freight shipment usually requires a lift gate if the shipment weighs over 100 lbs and there is not a loading dock or forklift at the location or someone to help unload the freight. The lift gate is at the back of the truck and is used to raise and lower the freight on and and off of the truck.

Notify Consignee - There may be a small added fee if the shipper requires that a consignee be notified upon arrival. This might take place if a freight shipment is delivered to the freight terminal and the shipper requests that the receiver of the shipment be notified upon arrival.

ShippingDiscounts.com looks forward to helping you with your next freight shipment. If you are ready with all these freight details on hand, it only takes a few minutes to setup a shipment. If you are an individual repeat shipper or your business ships, we can set you up with a customer login and show you how easy it is to process shipments yourself and utilize our deeply discounted freight rates. It is completely free, you only pay for actual shipping costs…look forward to serving you soon!