Freight Shipping Costs and Quoting
How freight rates are calculated, and how to get accurate, all-inclusive quotes
Freight shipping costs are based on a combination of lane (origin → destination), distance, shipment size and weight, equipment type, and any extra services required at pickup and delivery. For LTL (less than truckload), factors like stackability, density, and freight class (in the USA) also play a major role. For FTL (full truckload) pricing focuses more on the lane, trailer type (dry van, reefer, flatbed, etc.), and market capacity, with fuel surcharges and accessorials layered on top.
In this section, you’ll learn what freight quotes are based on, how to read and compare quotes, and how to avoid common invoice adjustments such as reweighs, reclassifications, accessorial add-ons, detention, and layovers.
This Freight Shipping Guide has been created by Freightera’s logistics team (20+ years of combined experience in freight shipping) and reviewed by Freightera co-founder and editor-in-chief Zhenya Beck. Our goal is to give you practical tools to understand your shipping costs, quote accurately, and ship with confidence and peace of mind.