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Freightquote by C.H. Robinson Blog

Find articles, helpful tips and information about freight shipping processes, freight industry updates, news and trends.

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10월 18, 2022
Whether you ship locally or across the country, FOB and the terminology surrounding it has important implications for your business. To help you optimize your shipments, our guide will walk you through the basics of what FOB means and how you can navigate the liability, profitability, and risks.

10월 11, 2022
Classifying your freight can be a serious headache. While the freight class system created by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) has played a critical role in the LTL shipping industry, its codes and references quickly become a difficult maze to navigate.

9월 20, 2022
Freight classes offer a standardized method for identifying how difficult it is to ship a particular type of freight, giving both shippers and carriers consistently fair pricing. However, the price for shipping is more than just a standard rate: you’ll also need to consider tariffs and additional fees associated with the established freight class and destination.
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5월 26, 2021
Logistics experts and carriers have spent decades trying to get perishable goods from one location to another while maintaining freshness. In this article, we'll explain how to send fresh goods to your customers using temperature-controlled shipping. We'll also explore the unique needs of different food and produce items to help you make the best choice for your goods.
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8월 19, 2020
Tower Inspection, Inc. specializes in the inspection, maintenance and installation of towers and related antennas worldwide. With end customers such as the U.S. Navy and clients such as AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint, Tower Inspection must have a reliable freight shipping provider able to quickly and efficiently transport large equipment to and from various locations across the U.S.
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8월 12, 2020
Tower Inspection, Inc. specializes in the inspection, maintenance and installation of towers and related antennas worldwide. With end customers such as the U.S. Navy and clients such as AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint, Tower Inspection must have a reliable freight shipping provider able to quickly and efficiently transport large equipment to and from various locations across the U.S.
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5월 21, 2019
The freight shipping process can appear complex on the surface, especially to first time shippers. While we all wish shipping freight could be as simple as sending a message in a bottle, the reality is, there are a number of regulations and processes in place to ensure valuable freight is safely delivered to its final destination. In this list, we've put together 10 of the most common freight shipping questions to help clear the air and simplify the process from start to finish.
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4월 7, 2019

The phrase special delivery often creates a sense of excitement that someone is about to get something really great. Well, if one considers extra fees a prize, they’re in luck! 

It’s more likely, though, someone is not expecting to pay extra for a delivery to a location considered special, which are more commonly called Limited Access or Non-Commercial destinations.

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1월 13, 2019
You've dotted the i's and crossed the t's with your freight shipment - from arranging proper packaging and accurately filling out all of the necessary paperwork, to declaring the correct NMFC freight classification - now it's on its way and out of your hands. But don't worry, LTL tracking allows you to stay connected from point A to point B.
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12월 13, 2018
When you ship goods to different locations throughout the United States, you may notice freight rates fluctuate depending on the origin and destination. 
While there is a pretty widely used formula for generating freight rates, each state is unique and a number of state-specific factors can affect freight costs throughout the year. Here is a state-by-state list of shipping facts that explain how rates are impacted when shipping to or from any of the 50 states.
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12월 11, 2018
The freight shipping industry is filled with paperwork, proposals, and acronyms. Acronyms shippers will often use are RFP, which means “request for proposal,” and RFQ, which means “request for quotation.” Both of these kinds of documents are designed to help to align pricing and services with shipping needs.
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11월 29, 2018
If you’ve ever shipped freight, you probably understand that accidents and natural occurrences can impact goods as they are shipped. Try not to worry though. There are measures in place, including carrier liability, to protect your goods through the rigors of over the road transportation.
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11월 7, 2018
The list of products hauled by flatbed is long and diverse, everything from construction material to airplane wings. When you consider the trailer variations needed to move this assorted freight, finding the right truck may seem like a challenge - flatbed shipments do require special attention to detail. 
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7월 27, 2018
The customer experience is often at the forefront of a business’ success. Taking the steps needed to make sure a customer is satisfied with an experience can be difficult, but a good portion of that has to do with how you’re allocating your time and energy. With the help of technology like application programming interfaces (APIs), you can improve the customer experience and drive sales while allocating time to other aspects of the business.
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6월 21, 2018
We help businesses ship a wide variety of freight. Some of the most common goods shipped include furniture, auto parts, machines, food, home improvement wares and electronics. Along the way, we’ve found that the most commonly shipped goods typically come with their own sets of requirements. Some may demand specific temperatures and packaging, while others may need special services such as lift gates. If you’re looking to ship one of these types of goods, we have a few tips of our own on how to do so effectively.
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8월 18, 2017
The Commodity Classification Standards Board (CCSB) has recently invoked new freight density changes that took full effect on Aug. 5th, 2017. These freight density changes will bring an immediate impact to how some products are now packaged, along with additional costs to shippers – particularly those shipping freight via less than truckload (LTL). 
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7월 21, 2017
Yes, it’s still summer, but fall is on its way, which means General Rate Increases (GRIs) will soon follow. A General Rate Increase is the average increase of base shipping rates from carriers. Although some may consider the increase unnecessary, it’s all dictated by the supply and demand chain with the average increase around 4-6% each year. 
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4월 28, 2017
As of April 2017, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be fully enforcing the latest regulations regarding the new Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food (STF) rule. The Act, which was passed by congress and signed by the President recently went into law.
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4월 5, 2017
Basic freight shipping services typically include a contract carrier pulling up to a dock, where the shipper loads their freight and it’s on its way. The delivery process is similar. Drivers are likely pulling up to a dock where consignees are prepared to receive and unload the shipment. Freight carriers are not usually expected to touch the freight.
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5월 7, 2015
Freight shipping's role in commerce has developed alongside business growth, and that business growth is driven by buyers who expect their goods to be delivered in a timely manner. To be frank, freight shipping keeps the United States' wheels turning. We've put together a list of 20 fascinating freight shipping statistics that clearly illustrate freight shipping's role in the economy.
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Freightquote assists many customers in arranging domestic and international intermodal shipping. This simply means that the freight is shipping via several different modes of transportation. Domestic intermodal shipping generally consists of rail and truck freight carriage. In international shipments, intermodal freight can be carried by any combination of truck, rail, air and ocean-going carriers.

As a small business owner, you’re looking for a freight service provider that makes shipping simple and affordable. You also want one that tailors to small businesses. But what does a small business freight service provider really mean?

2020 has been a difficult year for small businesses. Between an ongoing pandemic and the usual fractured attention span of news organizations during an election year, small businesses struggle to stay in the headlines. Learn how Freightquote stands for small businesses this Small Business Saturday by helping companies reduce their freight shipping costs.

One of the greatest challenges shippers in America face is staying on top of the ever-changing truckload shipping market. Whether it’s industry-wide issues like driver shortages and market regulations, or seasonal shipping increases like Christmas tree season in the Northwest and produce season in the Southeast, changes in the market can directly affect shippers across the country.

Partial truckload shipping is an under-utilized mode of transportation that avoids the cross-docking of LTL shipments and can lead to the big savings and fast transit times of full truckload shipping.

This shipping method can be a solution for those shippers that face a conundrum with mid-sized shipments on a daily basis. These shippers often only consider a less than truckload or a full truckload carrier. 

Many people think that shipping wine is just like shipping anything else, but it isn’t. Freightquote has been a key player in the wine distribution business for many years so we have gotten used to all the intricacies. First, we handle shipments coming off the ship and load them to our trailers to be delivered all over the country. There are many moving parts to this process and it has to be coordinated perfectly from the ship to door. 

When a natural disaster strikes the nation, some aspects of the affected area must come to a stand-still in order to access, and even process, the damage. While that’s true for many things, it does not apply to truck traffic. Allowing trucks to continue their routes is critical to the safety and well-being of those in the immediate area, as well as for Americans throughout the country.

Less than truckload shipping is the ideal solution for shippers with too much freight for parcel carrier services but not enough to warrant a full truckload, with LTL shipments generally weighing 151-15,000 lbs. However, sometimes shippers get stuck when deciding between freight shipping options, since the decision can depend on a number of variables.

To trade goods, you must have a way to move them. Freight shipping has always been a part of industry, but it has seen a lot of change since the days of the Silk Road. For one, you’re not likely accepting your delivery from a camel today. Our freight shipping infographic demonstrates how freight shipping has changed through the years.

The first half of the year is in the books and freight shippers are planning for the next installment of 2015. To effectively prepare for the upcoming months, it's important to reflect on the industry trends observed this year. There were plenty of noteworthy news stories and statistics in the first two quarters of 2015.

When you're vetting online freight shipping services, the sheer number of available options can present a challenge. However, with adequate research, you can easily narrow it down. To simplify this process, we've outlined what we see as the key attributes of a dependable freight shipping service.

We are celebrating Truck Driver Appreciation Week by talking about the trucker's crucial role in our lives, transporting goods businesses and people depend on. Driving a truck calls for a unique skillset that helps to ensure those items arrive efficiently and safely.

Though we provide the most accurate information possible on the bill of lading (BOL), freight shipping adjustments happen on occasion. A freight shipping adjustment occurs when the carrier corrects shipment specifications, resulting in additional charges due to the inaccurate information.

The U.S. transportation system ships a reported daily average of 54 million tons of freight worth almost $48 billion each day or about 63 tons of goods per person per year - a total expected to grow. 

Freight class - one of those things you must know when shipping LTL freight. The National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) organized a system of groupings that include freight classes and their definitions to provide shippers and carriers with a practical and standardized means to base rates for shipments.

Companies that rely on LTL carriers to move products across the country are beginning 2016 with nearly a 5 percent increase in their shipping budgets. That's because last fall, the major carriers announced General Rate Increases (GRIs) averaging 4.9 percent, most of which have already taken effect.

Temperature controlled shipping, in the most basic terms, is the transport of goods that are sensitive to climate conditions. You want your produce fresh, your flowers blooming and your chocolate only melting in your mouth, right? Those items require special handling and storage during transport to maintain stable temperatures from dock to dock. 

We'll get to truckload shipping, but first, let's talk about chili. Talk to fans of the cold weather staple that ranges from bland and beany to meaty, melt-your-face spicy and you'll get a different recipe from each for an award-winning, best-ever chili. It's up to you to find the one that delights your taste buds - and that's often a combination of different techniques.

Location, dimensions and weight, shipping mode and freight type are the main components that impact freight shipping rates. While the freight shipping process involves many facets, thorough research and planning can better position you to find the most competitive rates.

In many circumstances, a drop trailer program creates efficiencies for all parties involved in moving freight. That includes shippers, consignees (receivers) and carriers. These programs can be individually tailored for all trailer types, but are primarily for dry vans, flatbeds and temperature controlled trailers. Here are three things to help you decide if drop trailers will benefit your business. 

The old adage "you get what you pay for" holds true in many situations and it's no different when it comes to selecting an online freight service provider. When you are shipping your company's goods, it's worth the extra time and potentially money to research providers and up your odds of safe and on time deliveries.

About 122.5 million households, 7.5 million businesses and north of 90,000 governmental units rely on freight shipping every day to get their goods to those waiting on the other end. The challenge is, the senders and receivers of this freight are often times separated by hundreds or thousands of miles.

When moving freight, do you consider intermodal shipping as an option? Many believe you have to spend a minimum amount on freight annually in order to ship by rail – that is a myth. With the softening of the market and need for additional freight, railroads have become diligent about converting truckload moves to steel tracks.

When your business requires you to ship or receive freight, you may find yourself looking for ways to save money, and for good reason. At the end of the day, businesses are looking for the best way to get their goods from one place to another at the lowest rate possible. 

Summer in most parts of the United States typically means an abundance of sun and as a result, high temperatures. While sitting on a park bench and eating an ice cream cone can result in a melted mess with a simple cleanup to follow, damage done to temperature-sensitive goods as a result of the heat can be much more problematic for shippers. 

The shipping industry is on the peak of a massive transformation as today’s modern freight shippers rely on new and powerful digital technologies to accelerate efficiency. Change can be tough, but shippers realize that if they want to compete, they’ll need to abandon their old methods to truly find success.

Out with the old. In with the new. At the end of the year, most drivers will be required to ditch their paper logs and start using electronic logging devices (ELDs). While the mandate creates a lot of confusion for carriers, it also opens opportunities to improve safety and efficiency. 

The FMCSA’s ELD mandate will go into full effect by the end of 2017, which means all trucks that aren’t currently complying with the new law will soon have to ditch the paper logs and start using the new electronic logging devices (ELD).

Are you convinced that less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping is the old way of doing things? Maybe it’s time to take another look. As both the manufacturing and shipping industries have evolved and modernized, LTL has become less of a stopgap or ad hoc service and more of an integral part of many supply chains.

In recent years, online freight service providers have become a welcomed aid for retailers everywhere who are aiming to achieve online and omnichannel success. In the broadest sense, businesses work with them to take care of supply chain needs, such as transportation of goods, warehouse management and reporting and forecasting. As an endless amount of goods are warehoused, sorting and distributing each shipment in and out is crucial for keeping the supply chain moving.

The e-commerce industry is growing year after year and presents many opportunities for traditional brick and mortar stores as well as online retailers. However, companies that sell products online or have warehouses spread across the country must consider the shipping aspect of their business and its impact on operations.

If you’re shipping freight, chances are it will require palletization. Shippers use pallets for varying reasons but primarily because they keep freight together and safe in transit. Unfortunately, both novice and expert shippers can make costly mistakes when it comes to preparing their pallet shipment.

Before choosing LTL as a shipping method, it’s necessary to familiarize yourself with some of the basics. Here at Freightquote, we feel that it is our responsibility to educate our current and future customers so they can make more informed decisions. So, when it comes to LTL shipping, we have decided to share our tried and true best practices with you.


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