Freight pickup services can assist you in transporting your cargo from your warehouse to the shipping docks, and can help your customers receive their shipments with the least amount of damage, and within a reasonable time frame.
Who Charges the Freight Pickup Fee?
Freight forwarders or the forwarding agent/company will be responsible for charging the freight pickup fee. All you need to do is provide them with your details and information, and they’ll take care of the rest. There may be a set rate for freight pickup, but sometimes it can also include a fuel surcharge, especially if the transportation distance is exceptionally far.
What Is Included in the Freight Pickup Fee?
- The haulage, or the charge for the commercial transport of goods, from the exporter to the port/warehouse of destination.
- Potential fuel surcharges for longer transportation distances.
- At the end of the day, there are two main factors that determine the actual freight pickup cost: distance traveled and freight class of the shipment being transported.
What About Curbside Freight Pickup?
Offering curbside freight pickup and delivery is the standard in freight services. Truck drivers will expect packaged shipments to be dropped off roadside, but the roads have limitations as well. If the road has limited access or is restrictive to heavy truck use, trucks won’t pick up pallets directly from the curb.
Wondering How to Arrange Freight Pickup?
Customers can request for freight pickup online or by phone. Some freight forwarding companies provide online forms for clients to fill out.
The scheduling of a freight pickup is all dependent on the freight forwarding company itself, and the type of shipment that needs to be picked up. It can be done at the same time as the creation of the shipping label or BOL, or it can be scheduled a couple business days ahead.
Alternatively, same day freight pickups can also be arranged.
The procedure for arranging for freight pickup services over the phone is quite similar. All you need to do is call a freight forwarding company, and they will be happy to assist in the planning and execution of the freight pickup.
What Information Is Needed for a Pickup Request?
Regardless of which method of scheduling has been chosen, the information that you need to provide is the same, and is as follows:
- Origin and destination addresses
- Pickup date and time frame
- Package details: type of freight, dimensions, weight, etc.
- Freight class and NMFC number (National Motor Freight Classification), or explicit labels for HAZMAT products
- Any specific instructions for handling the freight
