A freight quotation template is more than a price table. It is the first document that sets the financial boundary of a shipment. A won quote that misses a local charge, assumes a free time period that does not exist, or stays silent on currency risk turns into a loss-making job the moment the container sits an extra day at the port. This checklist covers the lines and terms that stop that from happening.
Shipment details that anchor the quotation
Every rate in the quote depends on these facts. Get them wrong and every line that follows is wrong.
- Cargo description and HS code: determines whether the commodity is general, dangerous, or subject to additional inspection or approval.
- Gross weight and volume: the basis for ocean freight, airfreight chargeable weight, and all weight-based surcharges.
- Number and type of containers or ULDs: a 40ft high cube costs more to truck and lift than a 20ft standard; the quote must match what the customer intends to ship.
- Incoterms and place of receipt / delivery: tells you exactly which parties pay which legs, which charges, and where risk transfers.
- Cargo ready date and required delivery date: without a timeframe you cannot commit to a service level, a transit time, or a rate validity.
Routing and transit commitments
State what you are promising so the customer knows and you know what you must deliver.
- Port of loading, port of discharge, final destination: every intermediate transhipment port that the carrier may use also changes the transit and the risk of delay.
- Carrier or airline, vessel or flight, and cut-off date: naming the intended service sets the transit time and the earliest possible departure.
- Transit time in days from gate-in to arrival notice: be explicit: “13 days from CY cut-off to discharge at Jebel Ali.” This becomes the yardstick for any delay claim.
- Free time offered by the line or airline: state the calendar days allowed at origin and destination, and the exact milestone that starts the clock (e.g., discharge date, arrival date, gate-in date).
Price breakdown that leaves no gap
A single lump sum hides risk. A line-by-line breakdown shows the customer what they are paying for and protects you when a third-party cost changes.
Ocean or air freight
- Basic freight rate: per container, per W/M, or per kg. Quote the currency and the rate type (FAK, commodity-specific, contract rate).
- Bunker / fuel surcharge (BAF / FSC): separate it so the customer sees it can change between booking and sailing.
- War risk, piracy, or security surcharges: only if the routing passes through a designated high-risk area.
- Peak season surcharge (PSS): apply it only when the carrier has announced it for the shipment period.
- Low sulphur surcharge or emission surcharge: if the trade lane requires it.
Origin charges
- Terminal handling charge (THC) at origin: per container, port-specific.
- Documentation fee, bill of lading fee, or AMS filing: each line adds a small cost that adds up.
- Origin haulage: trucking from shipper’s door to port; split into base rate, fuel surcharge, waiting time, and any escort or permit cost.
- Export customs clearance: the broker’s fee and any disbursements (inspection, lab test, ministry approval).
- Origin port storage or late gate-in fees: quote them even if you expect the cargo to move on time; they become payable when the shipper delays.
Destination charges
- Destination THC: often overlooked when quoting a through rate.
- Destination documentation and delivery order fee: standard for every container.
- Destination haulage: from port to consignee’s door; break it into the same components as origin haulage.
- Import customs clearance: broker fee, customs duty estimate, inspection fees, and any fee for ministry approvals (SASO, ESMA, municipality, etc.).
- Port storage and demurrage after free time: state the daily rate and the free days, not just “as per tariff”.
Taxes and duties
- Customs duty estimate: based on the HS code and the declared value, plus any safeguard or anti-dumping duty.
- VAT or GST treatment: for UAE and KSA especially, state whether the service is standard-rated, zero-rated, or out of scope, and show the tax amount separately.
Terms that stop a winning quote from becoming a loss
A quote that does not limit your exposure is an open-ended promise. These clauses are as important as the price.
- Quote validity date: “This quotation is valid for 7 days from the date above.” Carriers change rates overnight; your quote must expire.
- Currency and exchange rate basis: when you buy in USD and sell in AED or KWD, either quote in the same currency you buy in or state the rate used and that the final invoice will use the rate on the payment date.
- Payment terms: “Freight charges are payable in full before release of the delivery order.” If you agree to credit, state the credit period and the credit limit.
- Scope of service: list what is excluded: cargo insurance, customs penalties, storage beyond the free days quoted, re-delivery, fumigation, palletisation, weighing, etc.
- Dangerous goods surcharge schedule: if the cargo becomes DG after booking or was misdeclared, the surcharge applies at the line’s tariff rate.
- Free time overrun cost: explicitly quote the demurrage, detention, and storage per day after the last free day. Many forwarders hear “the customer will not delay” and leave it out; it is the most common source of post-shipment disputes. To size the risk across a whole account, the free time cost calculator gives a monthly estimate of what overruns cost.
- Detention charges at origin or destination: when containers are held beyond the free days for loading or unloading, the charge is separate from port storage. The difference matters: demurrage vs detention explains when each clock starts.
Customs and clearance specific to the Gulf
Gulf customs procedures add costs that a generic international template often misses.
- SASO / SFDA / ESMA conformity fees: for Saudi Arabia and UAE, certain goods require a certificate of conformity or product registration; the cost of obtaining it is not part of standard clearance.
- Declaration system fees: in Saudi Arabia the broker files through FASAH, in Dubai through Mirsal 2; any submission or service fees belong in the quote.
- Municipality and port authority charges: Dubai Municipality, Kuwait Ports Authority, and similar bodies levy fees on specific cargo types.
- Border clearance fees for GCC transit: when goods travel by road from Jebel Ali to Riyadh, the customs bond, transit document, and border inspection fees are separate lines.
What most quotations forget
These items do not appear on a standard rate sheet. They appear on the invoice after the job, unquoted, and erode the margin.
- Waiting time at shipper or consignee: truck drivers do not wait for free; quote a minimum and an hourly rate beyond the first two hours.
- Re-delivery or missed delivery charge: if the consignee is closed or cannot receive, the truck returns, and the next trip is chargeable.
- Amendment fees for bill of lading or airwaybill: a simple change after departure costs money; state the carrier’s fee and your handling charge.
- Certificate of origin legalisation and chamber of commerce attestation: many buyers in the Gulf require attested documents; each stamp carries a cost.
- Insurance: if you are arranging cargo insurance, quote the premium rate and the minimum premium; if the customer is arranging it themselves, state that the quote excludes insurance.
- Abnormal or OOG surcharges: if a piece exceeds the standard dimensions, the ocean freight, trucking, and lifting charges all change; never quote a standard container rate for out-of-gauge cargo.
- Port congestion surcharge: if the destination port is congested, some lines apply a surcharge after booking; either include a note that the rate is subject to any such surcharge or quote a worst-case amount.
A freight quotation template that includes every one of these items removes the guesswork for the customer and the financial surprise for you. When a quote is built from a rate card that links to the milestones of the shipment, the charges that depend on time, free time overrun, storage, demurrage, appear on the job automatically. The freight quotation software from CargoSharks works that way: rate cards by lane, mode and carrier turn into a line-by-line quotation, and the free time cost line is written to the job as the clock runs, so the first invoice already captures the true cost of the shipment.
