What Factors Affect My Specialized Freight Quote?

If you are like most people who are interested in receiving a shipping quote for a specific item, you know how frustrating it can be to receive wildly different quotes for different loads, or even for the same item from different companies. Often, it can seem as if the quotes that you are receiving come out of thin air, with no rhyme or reason to their calculation. However, there exists a set of key factors that will influence your specialized freight quote, and it is important to know what those factors are before you reach out to various companies for quotes.

Freight Quote, The Job Itself

One of the most frequent mistakes made by customers when searching for a logistics company to partner with is not having an accurate idea of the job you need to be done. If you call a shipping company prior to thoroughly thinking through your needs, you will likely end up providing each company that you speak with a slightly different version of the work that you need to be done. This will naturally lead to confusion and widely different quotes from each of the companies that you speak with.

In order to avoid this confusion, it is imperative that you create a thorough and conclusive list of what exactly your shipping need is. Then, create a script or list of bullet points that you use when speaking with each potential shipping company. It is important that you do not deviate from this list. Only once you have a solid and consistent description of the job you need to be done should you reach out to secure a specialized freight quote.

Freight Quote, Why Have Rates Changed Even As Gas Prices Go Up?

Many customers wonder why shipping costs have seemed to increase over the past decade, even as the cost of fuel continues to go down. One of the primary reasons for this increase in cost is the introduction of new federal rules which regulate how many hours a day a driver is allowed to drive. A reduction in working hours per day inevitably leads to longer delivery times and increased costs.

Weight and Density

There are two key factors that influence the rate of shipping a particular set of items: the weight and density of an item. A heavier item costs more money overall to ship because it uses more gas per mile to ship the item. In addition, dense items tend to cost less per square pound because they take up less space on the truck, allowing the shipping company to also ship several other items in the same truck container. For instance, a four-foot by four-foot box of pillows and metal beams has the same opportunity cost for a trucking company.

Distance Traveled

Another key factor in the price of your specialized freight quote is the distance traveled. An item that is only being shipped 100 miles will cost much less than an item that needs to be shipped from California to New York. Similarly, another key factor is the route that a truck must take in order to deliver your goods. A delivery from New York City to Boston is only four hours, but it is a route that is frequently traveled and odds are that your truck driver can make that delivery with only a minor detour. On the other hand, a delivery from Denver, CO to Casper, WY takes the same amount of time but is likely to cost more because it is unlikely that there are enough customers along that route to provide a full-truck load worth of items.