Freight questions, answered straight

Almost always one of five things: the shipment measured larger than declared, it weighed more than estimated, the fuel surcharge moved, an accessorial service was performed that nobody priced, or the freight class was corrected after inspection. Compare the invoice line by line against the quote — the difference will name itself.

The greater of the actual weight and the dimensional weight. Dimensional weight is length × width × height in inches divided by the carrier's divisor. Light, bulky freight is almost always billed on dimensional weight, which is why a pallet of foam costs more than a scale suggests.

A larger divisor produces a smaller dimensional weight, so it favours the shipper. Divisors vary by carrier, service and contract, and a divisor change is a price change even when the rate card does not move. If you ship light and bulky freight, the divisor is often worth more attention than the rate.

As a rough pattern, around six pallets or twelve linear feet, LTL rating starts losing to a volume or partial-truckload quote, and the extra handling stops being worth the saving. Test it with your own shipments rather than adopting the number: your lane, packaging and damage rate move the break point.

No, and neither can anything else that is not connected to live carrier capacity. Rates move weekly and by direction. We explain how a rate is constructed so you can compare quotes; the quotes themselves come from carriers, brokers or a marketplace.

It is a percentage applied to the linehaul, indexed to a published diesel price and reset on a schedule. Because it is a percentage rather than a fixed amount, every increase elsewhere in the charge multiplies through it. Ask for the percentage and the index, not a dollar figure.

Detention is usually a dock scheduling problem. Redelivery is usually a contact-details problem. Sort and segregate can often be designed out of how the pallet is built. Residential and limited-access charges are properties of the delivery point and generally cannot be avoided — only priced in advance.

Only up to the liability limit in the carrier's tariff and the contract of carriage, frequently expressed per pound and varying by commodity. For high-value, lightweight goods that limit can be a small fraction of the value. Declaring a higher value, or carrying separate cargo insurance, are the two ways to change that — both cost money and both should be decided before you ship.

Note the damage specifically on the delivery receipt before the driver leaves — which pieces, what is wrong, how many. Photograph it before unwrapping, keep the packaging exactly as it arrived, and file within the time limit in the contract of carriage. A clean signature on damaged freight is the single most common reason a claim fails.

They solve different problems. Direct relationships tend to win on consistency and price stability for regular lanes that fit a carrier's network. Brokers win on coverage — unusual lanes, peaks, sudden volume. Most operations end up with both, and the mistake is treating a spot-priced broker relationship as if it were a committed contract.

The returns people buy for — routing, fuel from driver coaching — are real but slower than the pitch. The returns that show up first are unglamorous: fewer re-rates, less detention, faster invoice reconciliation and better maintenance timing. If you cannot state your cost per mile today, that alone is usually the first return.

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