Shipper tools

Dimensions and weight in, density and the likely class out, so the quote starts from the right number.

Find what you ship, see what moves its class and a worked example on the density scale, then check your own size and weight.

Shipper, consignee, who pays and what's shipping in, a straight bill of lading out, with the class on every line, ready to print or save as a PDF.

Pallets and sizes in, the linear feet they take drawn to scale in a 53' trailer, and whether the load usually quotes best as LTL, volume or truckload.

Two ZIP codes in, the lane on a map, the road miles, and the transit most carriers quote for LTL, a truckload or an expedited team, all marked as estimates.

Paste a shipment e-mail, a bill of lading or your notes, and the quote form fills itself in for you to check before you send it.

Six questions about the pickup and the delivery, and a list of the charges a carrier is likely to add, before they turn up on a bill.

The advance warehouse deadline and the move-in window in, the dates to book and ship by out, and the paperwork the show will ask for.

This week's national diesel price from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, and how carriers turn it into the surcharge on your invoice.

What to do at the dock, what to keep, and how to file a freight claim that gets paid, as a checklist you can work through.

A question in plain words, answered from what DTS has written on the subject, with the pages it came from.

Your number and a good time. A coordinator calls you back, Monday to Friday.