Workspace
Rate requests (RFQ)
Ask several carriers for a price on a lane or a load, collect their answers, and award one.
A rate request (RFQ, request for quote) asks several carriers at once what they would charge for a lane. Each carrier is emailed at its FMCSA-registered address. Answers come back through the carrier portal, or you type in what a carrier told you by phone. Then you award one price: to the load's Rate board, or as a lane rate.
- Where
- Workspace › Rate requests (/rfqs)
- Who opens it
- Loads · view
- Who creates a request
- Loads · create
- Who enters answers, awards, closes
- Loads · edit
- Numbering
- RFQ-0001, RFQ-0002…
- Carriers per request
- 1 to 25
- Audited
- rfq.create, rfq.quote, rfq.decline, rfq.award, rfq.close
What you see
The numbers band
| Number | What it counts |
|---|---|
| Open requests | Requests still taking answers. |
| Prices to review | Answers with a price, waiting for a decision. |
| Carriers not answered | Invited carriers who have not answered yet. |
Filters
Open (the default) or All. The list is paged.
Each request
The number, the lane, equipment and pickup date, the linked load (if any), and a status: Open, Awarded or Closed.
Below it, one line per carrier, cheapest price first:
| Carrier state | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Waiting | Invited, no answer yet. |
| Quoted | Gave a price (all-in rate, transit days, note). |
| Declined | Said no. |
| Awarded | This price won. |
Each line also says how the carrier was asked: Emailed to …, or No FMCSA email — ask by phone.
Ask carriers for a rate
Press Ask carriers for a rate
Or press Ask carriers on the Rate board: it opens this form filled from that load.Describe the lane
From and To (required, must differ), equipment, pickup date.Link a load (optional)
Enter the load reference. Answers can then be awarded straight onto that load's Rate board.Note to carriers
Optional, up to 500 characters.Choose the carriers
1 to 25. Rejected carriers are not offered.Send
A message says how many were emailed and how many need a phone call.
The email gives the lane, equipment, pickup date and your note, and a link to answer in the carrier portal if the carrier has one (otherwise it asks them to reply by email).
If the request is linked to a load, a line goes into that load's activity feed.
Record an answer
Carriers with portal access answer in the carrier portal. For anyone else:
Press Enter answer
On the carrier's line (Change answer if there is one already).Give the price or decline
All-in rate, transit days (0 to 60) and a note; or Decline.Save
The line shows Quoted or Declined.
An answer can be changed until the request is awarded or closed.
Award a price
Press Award on a quoted line
Only quoted prices can be awarded.Confirm
The request becomes Awarded; the other carriers' lines stay as they were.
What happens depends on whether the request is linked to a load:
| Linked to a load | Not linked |
|---|---|
| The price is added to the load's Rate board as a rate with source RFQ. The carrier is not put on the load: a person still takes the rate there. | The price becomes a spot buy rate on Lanes, valid from today for 30 days. |
| Any carrier can be awarded; the Rate board shows its compliance. | The carrier must be cleared by compliance. Otherwise: This carrier is not cleared by compliance (R1), so it cannot be given a lane rate. |
The person who created the request is notified if someone else awards it.
Messages you may see
| Message | Why |
|---|---|
| The carrier changed its price since you looked. Check it, then award. | The carrier updated its answer while you had the page open. |
| Someone else has just acted on this request. Reload and check. | Two people tried to award at once. |
| This request is closed. | It was awarded or closed already. |
| One of those carriers is not on file, or was rejected. | Pick carriers again. |
Close without an award
Press Close without award on an open request when you do not need it any more. Carriers can no longer answer.