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Freight quote requirements: what to prepare

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Published by Pelham

Pelham warehouse worker completing shipment paperwork on a carton

The short answer

To request a useful freight quote, provide pickup and delivery locations, goods and packaging, pallet count, loaded dimensions, weight and a ready date. Add the service preference and receiving requirements if known. State units and distinguish weight per pallet from total shipment weight.

Freight quote checklist

Missing dimensions or a vague delivery address slow a quote down. Giving these details upfront gets you a more accurate rate on the first try and avoids adjustments later:

  • Pickup: business name, city/state/ZIP, contact and the date the goods will be ready.
  • Delivery: receiving business, city/state/ZIP and any access instructions, such as restricted access, appointments or limited hours; include street addresses when available. Say whether the receiver needs a liftgate. Pelham delivers to businesses; if you are already a customer and an occasional shipment goes to a home address, tell the team.
  • Goods: what is being shipped (for example, printed packaging or machinery parts), how it is packed (pallets, crates or loose boxes) and the pallet or piece count.
  • Measurements: length × width × height of each pallet after it is loaded and wrapped, including any overhang, for each size group; specify inches or other units.
  • Weight: weight per pallet and total shipment weight, with units. Pelham bills the greater of the actual weight and the dimensional weight, so use scale weights rather than guesses.
  • Service: LTL level, FTL or “Help me choose”; identify any palletizing or transfer need.

A message you can copy and complete

Pickup business and city/state/ZIP: [details]
Receiving business and city/state/ZIP: [details]
Ready date: [date]
Required delivery date: [date]
Goods and packaging: [description]
Pallet count: [count]
Loaded dimensions per size group: [length × width × height, units]
Weight per pallet and total: [values, units]
Service preference: [LTL level / FTL / help me choose]
Receiving or handling requirements: [details]

What if some information is missing?

Mark unknown details as unknown and ask the supplier or receiver to confirm them. You can start an enquiry with the information available to get an initial budget; the price is confirmed once measurements and weights are confirmed. Do not present estimates as measured values: a scale ticket avoids weight corrections later.

Three errors that create avoidable follow-up

1. Writing “two pallets” without dimensions or weight

Pallets come in different sizes. A standard 48 × 40 in pallet takes up different trailer space than an oversized 96 × 48 in one, so the team cannot calculate space or price without loaded dimensions and weight.

2. Giving the overseas destination for a Miami forwarder

If the goods are going to South America but Pelham picks them up in Los Angeles and delivers them to an export forwarder in Miami, give the Miami warehouse address. The quote covers where Pelham delivers.

3. Giving a deadline without a ready date

“It must arrive by Friday” is not enough if the team does not know when the goods will be packed. Give the ready date at pickup and the required delivery date, with the receiver’s appointment requirements.

Check the response before booking

  • Is the service correct: LTL level or FTL?
  • Which charges are included, such as fuel, a liftgate or an appointment?
  • Do the pickup and delivery addresses match your bill of lading (BOL)?
  • Are the pickup arrangements and expected timing clear?

An enquiry is not a booking. If the load, ready date or receiving details change, ask whether the quote still applies. To compare alternatives, see what it costs to ship a pallet from California to Florida.