Cost & quotes
Freight Shipping Quote: What Makes It Bindable
A freight shipping quote should state mode, fuel logic, and facility extras. Incomplete data produces a number you cannot tender.
Updated 2026-08-20 · freight shipping quote
A freight shipping quote is a priced offer for a defined shipment, not a conversation about “what trucks usually cost.” If origin, destination, pieces, weight, dimensions, commodity, and facility constraints are missing, you do not have a quote—you have a guess with a logo on it.
COL Freight Solutions prices FTL, LTL, and cross-border moves as a licensed property broker (USDOT 4427559, MC-1741651). Send a complete request and we return a quote you can put on a bill of lading. Call 561-880-9808 or email shipping@colfreightsolutions.com.
What a freight shipping quote must specify
Mode (FTL exclusive use versus LTL), equipment, pickup and delivery windows, and whether fuel is included or listed separately. On LTL, the quote should name the class or density assumption. On FTL, it should name trailer type and any multi-stop logic.
Validity matters. Capacity can reprice between the afternoon you received the number and the morning you need the truck. Ask how long the quote holds and what happens if the weight on the dock is higher than the email.
Quote versus estimate versus rate confirmation
An estimate is a planning band when dimensions are still “about two pallets.” A quote is priced against stated facts. A rate confirmation is the operational document that locks carrier, price stack, and references once you accept. Using the words interchangeably is how disputes start.
Data that prevents a rewrite at the dock
Carriers reweigh and remeasure. If you quoted 1,800 lb of class 70 and the terminal sees 2,400 lb of class 92.5, the invoice will not match the PDF. Palletize, measure the stack including overhang, and use a calibrated scale when you can.
- ZIP or full city/state/country for both ends.
- Piece count, pallet count, weight, and L×W×H.
- Commodity and NMFC class if you already have it.
- Dock versus liftgate, appointments, and any border crossing.
How COL Freight returns a quote
We match equipment to cargo, flag accessorials the addresses imply, and show fuel logic instead of burying it. If LTL cube suggests you are near an FTL break-even, we will say so rather than sell the wrong product.
Shippers with a steady cadence can ask whether the Transportation Cost Recovery Program™ applies after the operational quote is in place. The program is not a substitute for accurate shipment data; it rewards consistency on qualified volume.
Ready to request yours
Offices in Saint Petersburg, FL and Los Gatos, CA. Use the quote checklist, then send the pack to shipping@colfreightsolutions.com. You will get a human desk, not a form letter that ignores the liftgate on delivery.