How do I get more carriers to quote our loads?
Key Takeaways
- Carriers answer the requests that are easy to price. A complete quote request with weight, dimensions, class, addresses, dates and services gets more replies than a short email asking "rate?"
- Carriers quote shippers they like hauling for. Fast payment, quick loading and clear communication make your loads worth a carrier's time.
- Lane information helps carriers say yes. Tell them how often the lane moves and whether it fits their network, and they'll quote more often and more sharply.
- A deadline turns "maybe later" into an answer. Every request should say when quotes are due and when the load will be awarded.
- More replies also need more carriers to ask. Keep the approved list deep enough on each lane, and add carriers before you need them.
- Wilson, by Cartage, is an AI logistics agent that sends complete quote requests to the company's approved carriers, follows up before the deadline and compares the replies on total cost.
Why aren't carriers quoting your loads?
The logistics coordinator sends a quote request for a truckload from the plant in Ohio to a customer in Georgia. It goes to six approved carriers. By noon, one has replied. By the end of the day, two. The order ships Thursday, and the team is about to book the only quote it has, which is higher than last month's rate on the same lane. Everyone wonders why the other four carriers never answered.
Carriers don't quote a load when the request is hard to price, when the freight doesn't fit their network, when the shipper is hard to work with, or when the request simply gets lost among the hundreds they receive. The fix is to make your requests complete and easy to answer, make your freight attractive to haul, give carriers a clear deadline and ask enough carriers on each lane.
A carrier's dispatcher or pricing desk sees many requests a day. It answers the ones it can price quickly, for freight it wants, from shippers it trusts to pay and load on time. Every missing detail, every slow dock, every late payment moves your request lower in the pile.
Why the number of quotes matters
With one quote, there's no comparison. You take the price or you don't. With four or five quotes, you can see the range on the lane, spot a high price, and choose on total cost and service instead of availability. More replies also mean a backup if the first choice declines the tender. The count of carriers asked is the first number to check when a lane seems expensive.
Separate the two problems
Low response can mean two different things. If you asked six carriers and two replied, it's a response problem: the request, the deadline or your reputation. If you asked only two carriers because those are the only ones approved on the lane, it's a depth problem: the list is too thin. Measure both before you decide what to fix. Track the number of carriers asked and the number that answered before the cutoff, by lane, for a month.
What is the step-by-step way to get more carriers to quote?
Fix the request first, then the deadline, then your reputation as a shipper, then the depth of your list. Each step builds on the one before.
Step 1: Build a complete quote request template
Use one template for each mode. For truckload, include the pickup and delivery cities and ZIP codes, pickup date and window, delivery date or appointment, equipment type, weight, commodity, pallet count, whether the load is stackable, and any special needs: tarps, temperature, hazardous materials, team drivers. For LTL, add dimensions for each handling unit, freight class, location types and accessorials such as liftgate or inside delivery.
Step 2: Put the key details in the subject line
A carrier scanning an inbox decides in seconds whether to open a request. Put the lane, date and equipment in the subject: "Quote: Dayton OH to Atlanta GA, 53' dry van, pickup Thu 11/12." The carrier knows right away whether it has a truck nearby.
Step 3: Add a response deadline
Say when quotes are due and when you'll award the load: "Please quote by 2 p.m. Eastern today. We'll award by 3 p.m." Carriers plan around deadlines. Without one, a request waits until it's convenient, which may be after you've booked.
Step 4: Send to every approved carrier on the lane at once
Sending to one carrier, waiting, then trying the next wastes the morning. Ask all approved carriers that run the lane at the same time, with the same details, so the quotes are comparable.
Step 5: Follow up before the deadline
A short reminder an hour before the cutoff to carriers that haven't replied brings in more quotes. Many dispatchers meant to answer and simply didn't get to it.
Step 6: Tell carriers the outcome
Let every carrier that quoted know whether it won. Carriers that never hear back stop quoting. A one-line "Thanks, we awarded this one elsewhere" keeps them in the habit of answering.
Step 7: Send requests early in the day
Requests sent in the morning reach dispatchers while they're still planning tomorrow's trucks. Requests sent late in the afternoon compete with the day's problems and often wait until the next morning. If orders release late, look at whether the release time can move, or at least send requests for the next day's loads as soon as the orders are known.
Step 8: Review the response rate by lane
Each month, look at how many carriers were asked and how many answered on each lane. Lanes with low response need either a better request or more carriers.
What makes a request easy to answer
A request is easy to answer when the carrier can price it without asking a single question. Every follow-up question costs a round trip, and many carriers won't bother.
| Detail | Why carriers need it | What happens if it's missing |
|---|---|---|
| Pickup and delivery city, state and ZIP | Mileage and network fit | Carrier asks, or skips the request |
| Pickup date and hours | Whether a truck is available | Carrier can't commit to a rate |
| Delivery date or appointment | Transit and driver hours | Quote may assume a different schedule |
| Equipment type | Dry van, reefer, flatbed or other | Wrong equipment priced or no quote |
| Weight and pallet count | Load fit and legal limits | Carrier guesses or declines |
| Dimensions and freight class (LTL) | LTL pricing depends on them | Quote changes on the invoice |
| Stackable or not | How much trailer space the load takes | Price may be wrong |
| Location type and accessorials | Liftgate, appointment, limited access | Extra charges later |
| Special requirements | Hazardous materials, temperature, tarps | Carrier may not be qualified |
| Deadline and award time | When to answer | Request waits or gets lost |
Keep the format the same every time
When every request looks the same, carriers learn where to find each detail. Some carriers set up their own process for regular shippers because the format is predictable. A request that changes shape every time takes longer to read and is easier to skip. For the fields to pull from your orders, see the order data checklist for freight quotes.
Answer questions quickly
When a carrier does ask a question, answer it fast. A quote that stalls on "Is there a dock at delivery?" may never come back. Keep each customer's site details on file so anyone can answer immediately.
Make the request comparable across carriers
Send the same details to every carrier on the lane. If one carrier gets the dimensions and another doesn't, the quotes won't match, and the cheaper one may simply have left something out. For more on why carriers ask for different details, see why carriers ask for different shipment details before quoting.
Tell carriers about the lane, not only the load
A carrier quotes more sharply when it knows the freight fits its network. Add a line about how often the lane moves: "This lane ships about twice a week" or "One-time load." A carrier looking for regular freight out of your region will make an effort for a lane that could become steady business. If the delivery area is one where carriers struggle to find a return load, say so honestly; they'll price it in either way, and honesty builds trust.
How do you become a shipper carriers want to work with?
Carriers rank shippers, formally or not, and the ones they like get more quotes and better prices. The things that matter most are simple: how long drivers wait, how fast you pay and how clearly you communicate.
Load and unload trucks quickly
A driver who waits three hours at your dock loses a large part of the day. Carriers remember that and price it in, or stop quoting. Detention is common across the industry: the American Transportation Research Institute found trucks were detained at 39.3% of stops in 2023. Being the shipper that loads on time is a real advantage. Use appointments, have freight staged before the truck arrives and track how long trucks stay at your docks.
Pay on time, every time
Small carriers in particular depend on cash flow. A shipper that pays in 15 days without disputes is more attractive than one that pays in 60 after three reminders. If your terms are long, consider whether shorter terms for clean invoices would get you more quotes and better rates. At minimum, pay what you agreed to pay on the date you agreed.
Keep your promises about the load
If the request said 18 pallets, ship 18 pallets. If the pickup window was 8 to 10 a.m., have the freight ready at 8. Changes after booking cost carriers money, and frequent changes make them cautious about quoting.
Ask carriers why they didn't quote
The fastest way to learn why carriers skip your requests is to ask them. Call two or three carriers that used to quote and stopped. Ask what would make your loads easier to price and more attractive to haul. The answers are usually specific: the requests come too late in the day, the delivery sites are slow, payments take too long, or the freight doesn't fit their trucks. Each answer is something you can fix or, at least, something you now know.
Give carriers a view of what's coming
Carriers plan their trucks days ahead. A shipper that shares a simple weekly forecast, such as expected loads by lane for the next week, helps carriers position equipment and makes them more likely to quote when the actual request arrives. The forecast doesn't need to be exact. Even "about three loads to Atlanta next week" is useful.
Make it easy to reach someone
Carriers need answers on pickup numbers, dock hours and delivery instructions. A shipper that answers the phone and replies to emails quickly is easier to work with than one whose questions wait until tomorrow.
Treat detention and accessorials fairly
Pay valid detention and accessorial charges when the evidence supports them. Dispute only the ones that are wrong. Carriers that have to fight for every legitimate charge stop quoting.
Common mistakes that cut quote response
| Mistake | Effect on carriers | Better habit |
|---|---|---|
| Sending "Need a rate, Ohio to Georgia" with no details | Carriers can't price it | Use a complete template |
| No deadline | Request waits or gets lost | Give a quote deadline and award time |
| Never telling carriers the outcome | Carriers stop answering | Send a short award note to all |
| Asking for quotes you never book | Carriers see you as price checking | Ask only for real loads, or say it's for planning |
| Long dock times | Drivers lose hours; carriers price it in | Appointments and staged freight |
| Slow or disputed payment | Small carriers avoid you | Pay clean invoices on time |
| Changing the load after booking | Carrier loses money | Confirm details before requesting quotes |
How do you deepen the approved carrier list on each lane?
If only two carriers are approved on a lane, even a perfect request gets two quotes at most. Depth is the other half of quote coverage.
Match carriers to the lane
Not every carrier fits every lane. A regional carrier with trucks based near your plant may quote short-haul lanes eagerly and ignore long-haul ones. A long-haul carrier may want the opposite. Look at which lanes each carrier actually quotes, and send requests where they're likely to be answered. Sending every request to every carrier, whether it fits or not, trains carriers to ignore your emails.
Count approved carriers by lane
List your regular lanes and count the approved carriers that actually run each one. A carrier approved for the company but never used on a lane doesn't count. Lanes with fewer than three or four active carriers are the ones to work on.
Ask current carriers about other lanes
Your existing carriers may run lanes you've never offered them. Ask each one which of your other lanes fit its network. Adding a lane for a carrier you already know is faster than approving a new one.
Add new carriers before you need them
Use quiet weeks to check and approve carriers for thin lanes. Check their operating authority, insurance and references, sign the carrier agreement, and start them on lower-risk loads. A carrier approved during a crisis is a carrier checked under pressure.
Offer steady lanes as commitments
A carrier is more willing to quote, and to quote low, when a lane could become regular business. If a lane ships every week, offer one or two carriers a contracted rate for a set period, with an expected volume. Keep the other approved carriers on the lane for backup and spot loads. A commitment gives the contracted carriers a reason to plan trucks around your freight, and the spot quotes keep the contracted rate honest.
Use a quote coverage measure
For each lane, track how many carriers were asked and how many quoted before the cutoff. That one measure shows whether the problem is depth or response. See how many approved carriers answered before the cutoff for a simple way to track it.
A hypothetical example
Consider a hypothetical manufacturer that ships truckload from two plants to about thirty customers. A month of tracking shows that most lanes get three or four quotes, but four lanes get one or two. On two of those lanes, only two carriers are approved. On the other two, five carriers are approved, but the requests go out late in the day with no deadline, and the delivery sites need appointments that aren't mentioned. The team adds two carriers to the thin lanes after checking them, and changes the request template to include appointment needs and a 2 p.m. deadline. It also starts sending a short award note after each load. The carriers on the list don't change on the other lanes, but the requests are now easier to answer everywhere.
What should every quote request checklist cover?
Use this checklist before sending any quote request. It covers the request, the timing and the follow-through.
| Check | Done when |
|---|---|
| Lane, date and equipment in the subject line | Carrier can decide in seconds whether to open it |
| Full pickup and delivery details | City, state, ZIP, location type and hours |
| Load details | Weight, pallet count, dimensions, class (LTL), stackable or not |
| Services | Liftgate, appointment, inside delivery or other needs listed |
| Special requirements | Hazardous materials, temperature, tarps or team listed |
| Lane frequency | One-time or recurring, with approximate volume |
| Deadline | Quote due time and award time stated, with time zone |
| Recipients | Every approved carrier that runs the lane |
| Follow-up | Reminder sent to non-responders before the deadline |
| Outcome | Award note sent to every carrier that quoted |
A sample request
Here's what a complete truckload request can look like in the body of an email: "Pickup: Dayton, OH 45414, Thursday 11/12, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., dock, appointment not needed. Delivery: Atlanta, GA 30336, Friday 11/13 by 2 p.m., dock, appointment required. Equipment: 53-foot dry van. Load: 22 pallets, 38,000 pounds, packaged auto parts, stackable, no hazardous materials. Lane ships about twice a week. Please quote all-in, including fuel, by 2 p.m. Eastern today. We award by 3 p.m." A dispatcher can price that in a minute.
What to track each month
- Carriers asked per load, by lane
- Carriers that quoted before the cutoff, by lane
- Time from request to first quote
- Loads booked with only one quote
- Average dock time for carrier trucks
- Days to pay carrier invoices
When those numbers improve, quote response usually follows. For how long carriers should have to reply, see how long carriers should have to answer a quote request.
Use the channel each carrier prefers
Some carriers answer email fastest. Some prefer a portal, an API or EDI connection. Smaller carriers sometimes respond best to a phone call. Ask each carrier how it wants to receive quote requests, and use that channel. A request that arrives where the carrier's pricing desk already works gets answered sooner.
What a good reply rate looks like
There's no single right number. It depends on the lane, the season and how many carriers are on the list. The useful comparison is your own: the same lane this month versus last month, or one lane versus another. A falling reply rate on a lane that used to be well covered is a sign that something changed, such as a slower dock, a payment problem or a carrier that shifted its network.
How does Wilson, by Cartage, get more quotes from approved carriers?
Wilson, by Cartage, is an AI logistics agent that quotes, books, tracks, audits and pays freight for manufacturers and distributors, using the carriers the company has approved. Traditional logistics software gives teams information. Wilson executes the work required to move shipments forward.
Wilson takes over the quote work that's hard to keep up by hand on every load:
- Complete requests: Wilson builds each quote request from the order and the load details, and sends it to the company's approved carriers on the lane, by email, API, EDI or phone where configured.
- Follow-up: Wilson follows up with carriers that haven't answered and keeps each reply with the right load.
- Comparison: Wilson compares the quotes on total cost, including expected accessorials, not only the base rate.
- Negotiation: Wilson negotiates toward the company's rate targets within approval limits. Rates outside those limits go to the logistics team.
- Booking: Wilson tenders and books with written acceptance and a rate confirmation, and schedules the pickup.
- Payment: Wilson audits each carrier invoice against the rate confirmation and POD and pays carriers from the Wilson Wallet, so carriers are paid on clean invoices. Payments above the approval limits or outside the rules wait for a person.
Wilson books only carriers the company has approved. Cartage can suggest additional carrier capacity for thin lanes, but the company approves each carrier before Wilson uses it. Wilson can produce carrier-performance and lane-rate reports on request from the loads it runs, which shows which lanes need more carriers. Every message and confirmation is kept in the shipment's change history.
Wilson replaces the TMS for freight execution and connects to the company's ERP. Wilson works with SAP, NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Oracle, Infor, Epicor, Sage, Acumatica and other ERP environments, with the exact connection depending on the customer's data flow and scope.
Pricing
Wilson is free on Wilson's network: the shipper pays the freight rate and nothing on top. When a shipper keeps its own carriers, the fee is 2% to 0.5% of what Wilson pays them, falling with volume. There are no seat fees, no setup cost and no contract. Timing depends on scope: most teams start on a few lanes and expand from there.
FAQs
How do I get more carriers to quote our loads?
Send complete, consistent quote requests with a clear deadline to every approved carrier on the lane, follow up before the cutoff, and be a shipper carriers want to haul for: quick docks, fast pay, clear communication. Wilson, by Cartage, an AI logistics agent, sends and follows up on quote requests to approved carriers.
Why do carriers ignore quote requests?
Usually because the request is missing details, the freight doesn't fit their network, there's no deadline, or they've had a poor experience with the shipper's docks or payments.
How many carriers should I ask for a quote?
Ask every approved carrier that runs the lane. On regular lanes, three to five active carriers usually give a useful comparison and a backup.
Should I tell carriers who won the load?
Yes. A short award note to every carrier that quoted keeps them answering. Carriers that never hear back often stop quoting.
Does fast payment really get more quotes?
It helps, especially with smaller carriers that depend on cash flow. Paying clean invoices on time makes your freight more attractive to quote.
What should the subject line of a quote request say?
The lane, the pickup date and the equipment, such as "Quote: Dayton OH to Atlanta GA, 53' dry van, pickup Thu 11/12."
What if only one carrier quotes?
Check whether the problem is the request or the list. If several carriers were asked, improve the request and deadline. If only one or two are approved on the lane, add carriers.
Does Wilson find new carriers?
Wilson books only carriers the company has approved. Cartage can suggest additional carrier capacity, but the company approves each carrier before Wilson uses it.
Should I ask for quotes I don't plan to book?
Only if you say so. Carriers that keep pricing loads they never get stop answering. For planning, label the request clearly as a rate check.
How do I find out why a carrier stopped quoting?
Ask. Call the carrier and ask what would make your loads easier to price and more attractive to haul. Common answers are late requests, slow docks, slow payment and freight that doesn't fit the carrier's network.
What time of day should quote requests go out?
As early as possible. Requests sent in the morning reach dispatchers while they're planning the next day's trucks. Late-afternoon requests often wait until the next morning.
Sources
- American Transportation Research Institute, "New Research Documents Substantial Financial and Safety Impacts from Truck Driver Detention," September 2024: https://truckingresearch.org/2024/09/new-research-documents-substantial-financial-and-safety-impacts-from-truck-driver-detention/
- Cartage, Wilson product FAQ and product scope, October 2026: https://cartage.ai