Flatbed Hauling Trucking Companies, Flatbed Freight Shipping Rates, Transportation Quotes
Flatbed trucking companies usually provide their clients with an over-dimensional freight quote for their shipping services. However, these quotes usually differ from the actual freight rate the client ends up paying. You may be wondering why this discrepancy occurs.
The differences between the initial freight quote estimate and the actual freight rate paid can be explained due to several factors. Here are some reasons why freight quotes differ from freight rates.
Some over-dimensional shipping companies charge differently for shipments made during holidays. These trucking companies may have less equipment available on holidays, so it could be more expensive to transport your over-dimensional freight on these days.
The cost of using equipment on a holiday can be difficult to estimate in the initial freight quote because the availability of equipment won’t be known until the shipping date itself. Due to this reason, your freight rate may vary from your initial freight quote if your cargo is shipped on a holiday.
The price of fuel is rarely stable for more than a few days at a time. This means the fuel price used in your initial freight quote estimate could differ from the fuel price used in your final freight rate. You should take these fuel price changes into account when you are planning to ship over dimensional freight later in the future.
Trucking companies often encounter unexpected costs when they are shipping unfamiliar freight to unfamiliar locations. This makes calculating freight quote estimates for one-time shipments more difficult than providing estimates for contracted freight that is shipped regularly.
These companies can provide you with more accurate freight quotes if you have shipped with them before. It’s much easier for them to come up with freight quotes if they know the freight rates from your previous shipments.
However, if your freight has to be a one-time shipment, it’s better to use an experienced over-dimensional freight delivery company. This company may be familiar with transporting similarly sized freight close to your delivery location, so they will be able to provide you with an accurate freight quote.
Your over-dimensional freight may cost more to ship than initially expected if it has unusual dimensions. Specialized equipment may be required to load and unload this freight from transport trucks.
If the cost of using this specialized equipment isn’t factored into the initial quote, your final freight rate could be higher than expected. You may be able to reduce the likelihood of this problem occurring by providing the trucking company with a detailed description of your freight and explain how it will need to be loaded and unloaded.
If you’re concerned about paying a freight rate that is wildly different from your initial freight quote estimate, you should use the services of an experienced trucking company. It should also schedule your shipment as early as possible to prevent changes in fuel prices from creating discrepancies between your freight quote and freight rate.
