Maybe you pay some broker who doesn’t really add any value to the process.
You should probably stop that if so.
When it comes to LTL, we generally use we use Freightera for most simple US/North American stuff. Maybe you should try them.
Full disclosure: If you use that link and register, you get a $25 code off your first shipment. If you book at least one shipment, I get a $50 gift code for my next shipment.
Here’s a simple freight class estimator that will let you figure out what your freight class is.
I stick to my freight choice and they’ve always been competitive. Haven’t used them for Canada. But they moved our extractor cross country np. LTL is definitely a Learned environment
I personally like shipping with t force most of the time. Ups knows a bit about shipping. I will use any of the big names. Saia, RL, FedEx. I avoid the cheapest shipping cause most of the time it’s deferred ltl not standard.
When getting rates there is usually 3 rates…
Deferred, standard and guaranteed.
When i was shipping freight multiple times a week i would usually use https://www.freightcenter.com/ for anything that wasnt super time critical. they will almost always find the cheapest price.
Yeah I want to be honest and say I don’t actually book the freight. My opinion is likely based on the bottom of the barrel shipping option.
Once upon a time When I was supplying a job in Aspen I was shipping everything FedEx Priority Freight… one shipment I forgot to tag priority and It went Economy LTL. Ended up having to book a $1400 hot-shot to bring the same shit out to the job after a week of originals being in transit.
Freightera has been considerably cheaper so it is definitely a great tool, but when you use a 3rd party service like this you are open to risk on the class system. We have used Uship in the past which is essentially the same as Freightera. We shipped a reactor and they rolled it in transit. We had it listed as a class 175 which has like a 16k value reimbursement and despite us booking through Uship as class 175, Uship booked with the carriers at class 55. We only got back like $1500 for a 18k reactor. When I complained they sent me a reply from their legal team that “their website is an independent marketplace, they aren’t responsible for the accuracy of quotes, etc.” They were either inept with their system operations, or they created a legal gray area and a method of booking shipments at artificial rates to gain market share, margin, etc.
If you use insurance this shouldn’t be an issue. Basically assume they are booking everything at class 55
Read the fine print for the accuracy of quotes. Contact with the trucking company directly to confirm all details.
Get your procedure down for when you file a claim. You are not a shipper, you are a lawyer and you need all the evidence to win your case. The freight companies will use any and all methods to deny your claim. The claims department whole job is to give you the least amount of money possible so prepare for a fight every time
Full disclosure, I’m an employee at Freightera and I came across your comment and wanted to pitch in.
Let me start off by saying that I’m sorry this happened to you.
When it comes to freight shipping in the USA it’s important to know that there’s only one credible source for classing freight and that’s classIT. They are the sole authority on freight class and they’re a subscription based service (which we’re obviously subscribed to) and googling a class usually returns bad results.
With that said, I don’t know how this was allowed to happen to you as freight rates that depend on class increase along with the class. That means that a shipment with class 50 (or in your case 55) will be significantly cheaper than a shipment classed 175. It sounds to me, and I don’t mean to assume, that you received a significantly higher quote than what your shipment would have cost in reality.
I know that on our end we have people checking our clients’ class just in case so that cases like this don’t happen.
Anywho, whether you’re our client or not, feel free to drop by our website and ask for an accurate class on chat. We don’t charge for this service and it might save you some trouble.
Another thing you could do is specify the NMFC code you received (you have to get one along with your class) and class in the special instructions section of the BOL so as to have proof. A BOL is a legally binding document and if it shows that you booked your shipment using class 175 that should be plenty for the carrier or broker to adjust charges.
