Where this applies
Ordinary U.S. truckload planning. Special cargo, temperature control, permits, border crossings and safety requirements need additional verification.
Gather first
- Origin and destination addresses, ready times and appointment windows
- Cargo weight, dimensions, loading pattern and equipment requirements
- Quote validity, fuel basis, free time and detention terms
A repeatable method
Specify equipment and loading
State dry van, reefer or other required equipment, loading method, seal requirements and cargo constraints. Confirm legal and practical capacity with the carrier; do not use a generic trailer payload as approval for a specific load.
Build appointments into the plan
Allow for pickup, unloading, traffic, required breaks and the driver’s available hours. FMCSA’s published summary explains driving and duty limits. Your carrier must confirm the compliant schedule and applicable exceptions.
Compare the fuel basis
Check whether fuel is included, a percentage or a separate per-mile amount. If indexed, record the named index, week, base, increments and miles. A pump-price movement does not automatically equal the same percentage change in freight cost.
Keep time-stamped evidence
Record arrival, check-in, loading completion and release. Match detention invoices to the agreed free time and billing increment. Compare service reliability alongside cost, using comparable lanes and dates.
A lower linehaul is not necessarily a lower total
Assumptions: Illustrative USD quotes for the same shipment and service. Fuel is applied to linehaul only; no tax or other fee. Quote A has two expected billable detention hours; B includes the required appointment handling.
- A: $1,800 linehaul + 20% fuel ($360) + 2 hours × $75 detention = $2,310.
- B: $2,000 linehaul + 12% fuel ($240) = $2,240.
- B is $70 lower under these assumptions. If A incurs no detention, A totals $2,160 and is $80 lower.
What this means: The outcome turns on the detention assumption. Show both cases rather than presenting a single confident answer. Verify that fuel applies to the same charge base and that the equipment and delivery commitment match.
Common mistakes
- Do not add a fuel surcharge again when the quote is already all-in.
- Do not schedule a driver against an assumed uninterrupted speed without carrier confirmation.
Questions worth asking
Does a spot quote remain valid next week?
Only if its stated validity and capacity conditions cover that date. Reconfirm material changes before tendering.
Should I measure cost per mile alone?
Use it as one diagnostic, not the complete decision. Minimum charges, equipment, empty repositioning, stops and appointments can change the economics.
Sources, dates and limits
The linked primary sources support the specific concepts described below. The examples and decision checklists are original illustrative analysis, not figures supplied or endorsed by these organizations. A check date is not a claim that a rule, price or contract will remain unchanged.
- FMCSA: Summary of Hours of Service Regulations
Updated 2022-03-28 · Checked 2026-11-05
U.S. federal driving and duty limits, with exceptions. Use the current rules and carrier confirmation for an actual operating plan.
- EIA: Methodology for Weekly On-Highway Diesel Fuel Price Estimates
Publication date not shown · Checked 2026-11-05
Explains the retail diesel survey and the methodology change implemented June 13, 2022. A fuel index is not a carrier quote or a contractual surcharge.
Use the current source, your actual shipment documents and qualified advice where needed. This guide does not book freight, settle a dispute or determine a legal obligation.