Start with one shipment brief
Give every provider the same packed dimensions, gross weight, package count, product description, ready date and destination. Include the pickup location and final delivery postcode. If one quote starts at a warehouse and another includes collection from the supplier, their freight totals describe different jobs.
Record the trade term and its named place, then ask the provider to spell out the actual services in the quotation. Maersk describes LCL as a sequence that can include pickup, consolidation, documentation, clearance support and onward delivery. Confirm which of those stages your offer includes.
Put the charges into comparable rows
Use the same currency and shipment scope before adding amounts. Keep a separate line for an unknown cost rather than treating a blank cell as zero. The following figures are an invented arithmetic example, not current rates or a service offer.
| Charge in USD | Quote A | Quote B |
|---|---|---|
| Main transport | 180 | 260 |
| Origin handling | 90 | Included |
| Destination handling | 160 | Included |
| Delivery | Not quoted | 95 |
| Known subtotal | 430 + delivery unknown | 355 |
Quote B has a lower known subtotal in this example, but neither quote is ready for a final purchase decision until taxes, clearance, validity and other exclusions are checked. If the offers use different currencies, keep separate totals until you choose and record an exchange-rate assumption.
Check the billing unit and minimum
Ask whether the transport line is per parcel, per chargeable kilogram, per revenue tonne or per container. DHL Global Forwarding explains that weight and volume can produce different chargeable weights and that conversion factors vary with the mode and carrier. A rate with no billing basis is difficult to compare.
Request the minimum charge, rounding rule, stackability assumption and any additional handling charge. If the supplier later adds a pallet or changes the carton size, request a revised calculation using the packed shipment.
Separate transport time from the delivery deadline
Write down where the stated transit clock starts and stops. A port-to-port estimate leaves collection, consolidation and final delivery to be planned separately. Ask whether the estimate uses calendar days or working days, and what happens if cargo misses the planned departure.
In the RFQ workspace, keep tariff data, research references and your own assumptions identifiable. The estimated document helps explain a comparison; it is not a booking, invoice or confirmation of cargo acceptance.
Send a short clarification before choosing
- Does this quote cover the same pickup and delivery locations as the other offer?
- Which origin and destination charges remain payable, and in which currencies?
- What weight, volume, minimum and rounding rule were used?
- What cargo-ready date, validity period and transport endpoints does the quote assume?
- Who will confirm product acceptance and the destination document requirements?
Sources and scope
First-party references checked on 29 October 2026. Carrier information explains the underlying concepts; it does not establish RFQ service availability or pricing. Worked examples and checklists are editorial illustrations.