FreightConnect

Agents / Quoting Agent

Quoting Agent

The quoting agent handles rate shopping — querying 50+ carriers simultaneously and ranking offers in seconds.

How It Works

When you post a load:

  1. Quoting agent receives load details — pickup, delivery, weight, equipment, your asking rate
  2. Filters carriers — applies your network filters (FSC score, insurance, territory, etc.)
  3. Determines which carriers to query — prioritizes based on recent activity, capacity, fit
  4. Sends simultaneous quote requests — queries 30-50 carriers in parallel
  5. Ranks incoming quotes — as they arrive (first 60-90 seconds)
  6. Returns ranked list to you — sorted by price, FSC, or your preference

You see quotes in real-time as they roll in. No need to manually contact carriers one by one.

Quote Ranking

By default, quotes are sorted by price (low to high). You can re-sort by:

  • FSC Score (high to low) — most reliable carriers first
  • ETA (early to late) — fastest carriers first
  • Price-to-FSC ratio — best value (not just cheapest)

Example

Route: LA to NYC, Dry Van, 25,000 lbs, asking rate $2.15/mile

Carriers quote:

| Rank | Carrier | Rate | FSC | ETA | Notes | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | 1 | XYZ Trucking | $2.05/mi | 78 | Apr 15 3pm | Cheapest | | 2 | ABC Logistics | $2.12/mi | 85 | Apr 15 2pm | Best FSC | | 3 | Fast Freight | $2.15/mi | 72 | Apr 14 11pm | Fastest |

Recommendation (based on your settings): Accept ABC Logistics — $2.12 is only $0.07 more than cheapest but FSC is 7 points higher = more reliable.

Carrier Selection

The agent queries carriers based on your Carrier Network settings. It prioritizes:

  1. Geographic fit — carriers with recent pickups/deliveries near your route
  2. Equipment — only carriers with the equipment type you need
  3. Availability — carriers with confirmed available truck on your timeline
  4. Rate fit — carriers whose typical margins suggest they'll quote competitively

Improving Quote Quality

To get better quotes:

  1. Keep your network fresh — remove underperforming carriers
  2. Set realistic rates — if you ask too low, carriers won't quote; too high, you won't get competition
  3. Use preferred carriers — set standing rate agreements with reliable carriers (they get priority)
  4. Provide complete load data — more details = better quotes from carriers

Quote Expiry

Quotes expire after 60 minutes. If you don't accept a quote within 60 minutes:

  • It disappears from your list
  • Carrier assumes you found another option
  • You must re-post the load to get new quotes

This keeps quotes relevant and prevents stale offers.

Adjusting Rate Mid-Quote

If quotes aren't coming in or are all too high:

  1. Click Adjust Rate (while quotes are arriving)
  2. Lower your asking rate by $0.05-$0.10/mile
  3. System re-queries carriers with new rate
  4. Previous quotes expire; new ones arrive

This helps you find the sweet spot where carriers are willing to bid.

Force Refresh

If it's been 60 seconds and you're not happy with the quotes, click Request More Quotes:

  • Agent re-queries carriers who haven't quoted yet
  • Sends follow-up requests to get more competition
  • This can take another 30-60 seconds

Use this if only 2-3 carriers quoted and you want more options.

No Quotes Scenario

If zero carriers quote:

  1. Rate too low — your asking rate is below carriers' minimum margins
  2. Pickup too soon — carriers need more lead time
  3. Route unpopular — few carriers go to your destination
  4. Carrier network too small — you need more carriers in your network

Solutions:

  • Raise your asking rate by $0.10-$0.20/mile and re-post
  • Extend pickup date by 1-2 days
  • Invite more carriers to your network
  • Contact the agent (if enabled) — it can analyze why and recommend actions

Quote Negotiation

After receiving quotes, you can negotiate directly:

  1. Click a quote from Carrier ABC
  2. Click Message Carrier
  3. Propose a counter-offer: "Can you do $2.10 instead of $2.15?"
  4. Carrier responds (usually within minutes)
  5. If you agree, click Accept

Negotiation happens outside of the quoting agent (manual, direct carrier communication).

Rate Lock-In

Once you accept a quote:

  • Rate is locked in
  • Carrier confirms acceptance
  • Shipper is notified with tracking link
  • Load moves to Active Shipments

You can't change the rate after acceptance.

Carrier Feedback Loop

The agent learns from your acceptances:

  • Which carriers you consistently pick (performance + FSC + rate)
  • Which rates you accept (too low? they learn to quote higher)
  • Which quotes you ignore (why didn't you take the cheapest?)

Over time, the agent gets better at pre-filtering carriers and presenting only relevant quotes.

Enterprise Features

Auto-Accept Quotes (Enterprise only):

  1. Go to Settings → Agents → Quoting Agent
  2. Enable Auto-Accept Best Quote
  3. Set criteria: "FSC ≥ 80 AND rate ≤ $2.20/mile"
  4. When a quote matches, it's auto-accepted

The load moves to shipment immediately without your input. Useful for routine loads where you have high confidence.

Rate Bounds (Enterprise):

Set a minimum margin threshold:

  • "Don't accept quotes that give margin < $100"
  • "Don't accept if margin % < 12%"

If the best quote fails to meet your margin requirements, it's flagged instead of auto-accepted.

Troubleshooting

Only 1-2 carriers quoted: Your network is small or rate is too low. Expand your network and/or raise the rate.

Quote arrived after 2 minutes, seems high: Carrier might be capacity-constrained. Try again on a less busy day or adjust your rate.

Carrier quoted but then disappeared: Quote expired (60 min) or carrier withdrew. Re-post if needed.

Same carrier always wins (lowest price) but late delivery: Accept quotes with higher FSC scores instead. You'll pay more but get reliability.

Next Steps

Last updated: April 2026