Download free freight quote templates for trucking companies, freight brokers, and logistics businesses. Includes per-mile, per-load, and FTL/LTL quote formats — all free to use.
How Freight Companies Use Quotes
Freight quotes are typically based on shipment weight, dimensions, distance, freight class, and service type (FTL, LTL, intermodal). A TL (full truckload) for 1,000 miles might run $2,000–$4,000; an LTL quote depends on freight class and linear feet of trailer needed.
Brokers and carriers use quotes to lock in pricing before a load is tendered. A formal quote protects against fuel surcharges or accessorial charges not disclosed upfront. Many shippers request itemized freight quotes so they can compare lane rates across carriers.
Eonebill's freight quote templates include fields for pickup and delivery addresses, commodity details, weight, freight class, and all-in pricing. Print or email directly to shippers.
What to Include on a Freight Quote
- Carrier or broker name and MC/DOT number — Required for regulated motor carriers
- Shipper and consignee information — Full addresses, contact names, phone numbers
- Commodity description and freight class — NMFC class (50–500), packaging type, and hazmat flag
- Weight and dimensions — Total weight (lbs), pallet count, and linear feet of trailer needed
- Service type — FTL, LTL, intermodal, expedite, or white-glove
- Pickup and delivery dates — Required pickup window and guaranteed delivery date if applicable
- Rate base — Per-mile rate, flat rate, or FAK (freight-all-kinds) class rate
- Accessorial charges — Liftgate, residential delivery, inside pickup, reweigh, etc.
- Total all-in price — The final quoted amount the shipper will pay
- Valid through date — Fuel surcharge adjustments and quote expiry
Sample Freight Quote
Imagine a freight broker quoting an LTL shipment of palletized auto parts from Chicago to Dallas. The header shows the brokerage name, MC and DOT numbers, and contact info, followed by the shipper and consignee addresses. The commodity line reads "4 pallets, auto parts, NMFC class 70, 3,200 lbs, 8 linear feet." The rate section lists a base linehaul rate, a fuel surcharge as a separate percentage line, and accessorials for a liftgate at delivery and a residential delivery fee. An all-in total sits at the bottom with a transit estimate of two business days, a quote number, and a "valid through" date five days out, because lane rates and fuel move quickly. The broker emails it as a PDF so the shipper can compare it against other carriers on identical line items.
Why Freight Quotes Need More Detail Than Generic Quotes
Freight pricing is built from variables a generic quote never captures — and leaving them off is how a clean-looking number turns into a billing dispute. The same lane can price very differently depending on freight class, density, accessorials, and fuel. A quote that says "Chicago to Dallas — $850" without stating the class, weight, and what's included invites a reweigh or reclassification charge the shipper never expected.
The detail also protects the carrier or broker. When the NMFC class, weight, accessorials, and fuel basis are written down, a load that arrives heavier or needs a liftgate that wasn't disclosed becomes a documented revision, not an argument. Shippers comparing several carriers want apples-to-apples line items; the quote that shows class, linear feet, and accessorials clearly is the one that earns trust on a high-dollar lane.
Common Freight Line Items Shippers Compare
Once a shipper understands the lane, they stop comparing bottom-line totals and start comparing what's actually in each rate:
- Base linehaul rate (per mile, per load, or per hundredweight)
- Freight class and any reclassification risk
- Fuel surcharge basis and percentage
- Liftgate, residential, and limited-access fees
- Inside pickup or delivery
- Detention and layover terms
- Reweigh and reclassification policy
- Transit time and guaranteed-delivery options
Showing these clearly is how you defend a higher all-in rate against a cheaper quote that hides accessorials.
Mistakes to Avoid When Writing a Freight Quote
The first mistake is quoting without freight class or density. An LTL rate built on the wrong class collapses the moment the carrier reclassifies the shipment, and the difference comes out of your margin or your relationship with the shipper.
The second is burying or omitting accessorials. Liftgate, residential delivery, inside delivery, and detention are where "cheap" quotes quietly become expensive. List them upfront so there are no surprise charges on the invoice.
Other avoidable errors: leaving the fuel surcharge basis unstated, forgetting a "valid through" date when fuel and lane rates move daily, and not noting that a reweigh may revise the price.
How to Make Your Freight Quote Easier to Approve
Shippers approve faster when the quote answers the questions they actually have: what's the all-in price, what's included, how long is transit, and what could change it. Put the total, transit estimate, and validity date where they're easy to find, and separate the linehaul from fuel and accessorials so the shipper can see exactly what drives the number.
State your assumptions plainly — the class you quoted, the weight you based it on, and the accessorials included — so a heavier or different load is a clear revision rather than a dispute. A quote that's easy to compare on identical line items is the one that wins the lane.
Final Thoughts
A strong freight quote does more than name a rate — it documents the class, weight, accessorials, and fuel basis the rate depends on, which is exactly what protects both sides when a load doesn't go to plan. Use the free freight quote template above to present clear, comparable, all-in pricing — and send it as a PDF so your line items stay exactly as you quoted them.