A quote is only as accurate as the details behind it. When a request arrives with half of them, the first reply is a list of questions, and a day goes by before anyone talks about price. Here is everything a broker needs in one email, so the first reply can be the quote.
Copy this list
- Pickup: city, state and ZIP, and whether it is a business, a job site, a port or an auction yard.
- Delivery: city, state and ZIP, with the same detail.
- Ready date, and the latest date it can be delivered.
- What it is: year, make and model for equipment, or a short description of the freight.
- Dimensions as it will ride: length, width and height.
- Weight.
- How it loads and unloads: forklift, crane, loading dock, or driven on and off.
- Whether it runs, for anything with an engine.
- Anything unusual: tarping, site access limits, or appointment times.
Why each detail matters
Dimensions and weight decide the trailer and whether the load needs permits. A machine over legal width or height needs a permit from each state on the route, and that changes both the price and the timeline. If you are not sure which trailer fits, our trailer guide explains the options.
The pickup and delivery locations decide the miles, but the kind of location matters too. A job site with soft ground or no room to turn needs a different plan than a loading dock.
The dates decide which carriers can take it. A load with flexible dates can wait for the right truck. One with a hard deadline is planned backwards from that deadline.
How it loads decides what the driver brings. A driver who expects a forklift and finds none cannot load, and a wasted trip can be billed.
What happens next
With these details, a broker can give you a price range and the next steps. A first quote is a range, and it firms up once a carrier is confirmed and, for an oversize load, once the permits are priced. If anything changes after the quote, such as the dimensions, the dates or the pickup site, send the change right away so the price and the plan can be checked again.
You can also skip the email: the quote form asks for the same details in three short steps.
Tell us what you’re moving.
Three fields to start, no account. One coordinator owns the load from quote to delivery — and signs every message.
