For fast trucking quotes, don’t fill out online forms. That might seem contrary to all the ads, but it’s true. For a fast trucking quote, pick up the phone and make a call.
Don’t get us wrong, we love it when we receive an email from someone looking for a trucking quote. But in the time it took to complete the form, it would have been possible to make a phone call, provide the information and address any questions that might come up. And that doesn’t even include the time it takes to wait for someone to return the email with questions or a freight quote.
Now, whether you call or submit a form, you can provide specific information to speed the process. Here’s the key information to provide to your freight broker or truckload carrier.
City, State. For truckload services, skip the zip. Be ready with the city and the state of both the pickup and delivery locations.
Weight. When you call, have the most accurate shipment weight you can. Heavy loads and flatbed especially can incur big additional fees if the weight exceeds standards.
Dimensions. This factor is key for flatbed trucking quotes. Even one inch beyond legal restrictions and costs can be substantial. Now, while you can’t change the size of a shipment, especially an over-size one, it’s best to know all the details so you can work with your carrier or freight broker to find the best service and lowest cost.
Class. This element is determined by freight density, shipment value and liability and the overall ease of loading it onto the trailer. To figure out density, determine the volume of the shipment. Then divide that number into the weight of the shipment (W ÷ volume).
Description. This information is vital, particularly if your shipment contains perishable goods, hazardous goods or material in need of special handling.
Fast Trucking Quotes Made Easy
Online or by phone, trucking quotes can be easy to get. It really comes down to how much time and money you want to save. You can call truckload carriers and get quotes to find with the best price for the service you need.
Or you can call a freight broker. They can sort and filter carriers who ship from your location to your destination with the services you require and produce a list of quotes. And that’s all in one phone call or online form. Freight brokers also can assist with analytics and reporting to help develop strategies to lower freight costs in the future.
Carrier-direct or truckload broker, online or by phone, having the above information ready will get you the fast trucking quotes when you need them.