Freight volume shipping quotes are unique in LTL shipping. They fall outside of the normal LTL parameters, but they’re not truckload shipping quotes. If you’re going to ship freight in volume, you need to know about shipping volume quotes. Now’s the time to download our Freight Paper on Volume Quotes. It’s Free.

Freight volume shipping quotes will be required for any shipments that take up more than 12 linear feet of truck space, or weigh over 10,000 lbs. This isn’t set in stone. Different carriers have different practices. But if your shipment meets these two requirements, check with your freight broker.

So what information will you need to provide to get a freight volume rate? Like any LTL freight quote you’ll need the origin and destination zip codes, total weight, and freight class.

When you’re shipping volume, you’ll also need to provide a description of the commodity, pallet count and dimensions, and the date you’re planning on shipping. Shipping volume quotes will expire, and you can’t reuse them. If you have the same shipment two months apart, there is a chance the cost will be different.

That’s just the way it goes with freight volume quotes. It’s also very important to put the quote number on the bill of lading. If it’s not on there, then the carrier will bill the shipment as normal LTL and the price will be much higher.

Volume rates are one of the many reasons to use a freight broker. They can save you money on your volume shipping. But you’ve got to be patient. Volume quotes are not automatic.

They usually can take an hour or more to get, so plan ahead. Freight volume quotes are nothing to be afraid of, in fact, with proper utilization, they can save you shipping costs!