A freight RFP template carriers can actually bid on
Six sections, every field a carrier needs to price your lanes and your team needs to score bids consistently.
The template
- Company and program overview: locations, annual freight spend by mode, contract term, contact, and timeline.
- Lane data: origin and destination, volume, equipment, commodity and average weight, seasonality.
- Service requirements: transit time, appointments, tracking and integration, claims and cargo insurance.
- Carrier qualification: minimum FMCSA Safety Rating and SMS BASIC thresholds, insurance minimums, time in operation, references.
- Pricing structure: base linehaul by lane, a fuel surcharge table pegged to a public diesel benchmark, accessorial schedule, rate validity.
- Award and scoring: scoring weights, primary and backup awards, deadlines, onboarding timeline.
Mistakes that make bids incomparable
- Letting carriers propose their own fuel surcharge table.
- Leaving accessorial pricing out of the RFP and negotiating it after award.
- Not stating minimum FMCSA safety thresholds upfront.
- Skipping a documented scoring method.
Frequently asked questions
How far in advance should I send a freight RFP?
Most shippers run RFPs 60–90 days before the contract start date, giving carriers time to price accurately and your team time to negotiate and onboard awarded carriers.
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