Negotiate with a clear brief. Buy against the right terms.
Bring negotiated rates, RFQs and quotations together around a common requirement. Price, included services, validity and transit times give your team the information to choose and retrieve the agreed terms.
The freight rate is only part of the offer
Two forwarders can quote the same route with different scopes. Pre-carriage, destination charges, validity, transit times and free time all change the total’s meaning. Comparing only the first price line can hide a difference in service or move costs to another stage of the shipment.
OneChain brings rates and relevant terms together. Buyers can examine an offer with its scope and assumptions, then explain why it meets the requirement. The decision is about the service to be delivered as well as the price.
Three responses to one requirement
The offers cover the same lane, with different terms.
- Offer A
- Lower freight rate, excluded service
- Offer B
- Service included, suitable transit time
- Check
- Scope and validity of the terms
Compare the complete price and required service before choosing an offer.
Prepare an RFQ that produces usable responses
An RFQ starts before prices arrive. The team defines lanes, goods, expected services and the period in scope. That brief allows forwarders to respond to the same need and buyers to identify missing information.
A lane, a mode, a volume assumption and the expected cost items provide a first consultation framework. The quality of the request shapes the comparison that follows. Exchanges and supported formats are defined for the RFQ being organized.
Try it yourself · Interactive demo
Which forwarder would you choose?
Compare the three demonstration offers for the same route. Review cost items, transit time and free time to explain your decision. Rate cards and the RFQ process complete the picture.
Try it yourself · Interactive demo
Find the rate for your route.
Review rate cards, their validity period and rate items.
How it works at a glance
One brief, comparable responses.
From the RFQ scope to provider selection, follow the information needed at each step.
Your consultation brief
Scope
Lanes, modes and period
Requirements
Volumes and goods
Selection criteria
Lead times and service conditions
Your RFQ process
Requests · Responses · Selection
From request to selection
Requests
The same brief shared with each provider
Responses
PDF, Excel and email quotations
Selection
Compared offers and a recorded decision
Find the terms that apply when you buy
A rate card has a route, validity period and conditions of use. It provides a reference for recurring purchases. When a shipment falls outside that scope, a spot quotation may fit the situation; the team retains the context that explains the choice.
An offer with a lower freight rate may exclude a service another provider includes. Reading the cost items alongside transit time and terms makes the decision understandable to the person arranging the shipment.
Keep the decision useful after booking
A well-documented purchase also helps when the invoice arrives. The agreed terms provide a reference for explaining a surcharge or checking what was included.
Retaining that context with the shipment connects the purchasing decision to execution and cost review. Provider reviews also gain a more precise starting point than the freight price alone.
Prepare your implementation
Details to work through using your flows and organization.
How does a rate card differ from a spot quote?
A rate card provides a reference for a route, period and defined conditions. A spot quotation addresses a particular shipment; compare their scopes before deciding.
What should we prepare for an RFQ?
Lanes, goods, expected services, the period and volume assumptions give providers a shared brief. Specify the cost items their responses should include.
Can Zach help read offers?
For documents covered by your workflow, extraction prepares prices and useful information. File formats, extracted fields and review points are defined with your team.
Watch the product videos
Comparing transport quotes in OneChain
Review your freight purchasing process
Bring an RFQ, a rate card or representative offers. Together, we can examine what makes the responses comparable.