Choosing a forwarder and a quote
What should a good freight quote include?
The short answer
Freight Benchmarks found that 43.6% of US import container shipments first invoiced July 2024 to June 2026 paid at least one extra charge, so a good quote prices those too: the free time at the terminal, the chassis days included, and the rates for chassis splits, storage, driver waiting time, pre-pulls and exams. Ask for every fee in writing before you book.
Cite this figure: Shipments with at least one extra charge
Freight Benchmarks (2026). Shipments with at least one extra charge: 43.6%. Share of 8,298 US import container shipments across all published ports. Shipments first invoiced July 2024 to June 2026; data version 2026-10-22. https://freightbenchmarks.com/answers/what-a-freight-quote-should-include/#fig-national-share-with-any-accessorial-pct (CC BY 4.0)
Cite this figure: Trucked shipments billed chassis extra days
Freight Benchmarks (2026). Trucked shipments billed chassis extra days: 37.5%. Share of 5,536 US import container shipments whose final trucking was billed on the same invoices across all published ports; 95% range 36.2% to 38.8%. Shipments first invoiced July 2024 to June 2026; data version 2026-10-22. https://freightbenchmarks.com/answers/what-a-freight-quote-should-include/#fig-national-chassis-extra-day-incidence-pct (CC BY 4.0)
Cite this figure: Trucked shipments billed a chassis split
Freight Benchmarks (2026). Trucked shipments billed a chassis split: 29.0%. Share of 5,536 US import container shipments whose final trucking was billed on the same invoices across all published ports; 95% range 27.8% to 30.2%. Shipments first invoiced July 2024 to June 2026; data version 2026-10-22. https://freightbenchmarks.com/answers/what-a-freight-quote-should-include/#fig-national-chassis-split-incidence-pct (CC BY 4.0)
Cite this figure: Shipments that paid storage
Freight Benchmarks (2026). Shipments that paid storage: 9.5%. Share of 8,298 US import container shipments across all published ports; 95% range 8.8% to 10.1%. Shipments first invoiced July 2024 to June 2026; data version 2026-10-22. https://freightbenchmarks.com/answers/what-a-freight-quote-should-include/#fig-national-storage-incidence-pct (CC BY 4.0)
The basics: origin to door
A complete import quote covers the whole route: the ocean freight with each surcharge named, any origin charges, the destination and terminal charges, customs clearance (the entry, the ISF filing and the bond), and delivery to your door with the trucking fuel surcharge. It names the container type, gives a transit estimate, and carries a validity date that covers your sailing. Duties and taxes depend on the goods, so they are usually estimated separately.
The terms that price what can’t be known yet
The fees that surprise importers are the ones nobody can predict when the quote is written, so a good quote prices the rules instead. With how often each was billed in Freight Benchmarks’ invoice data:
- Free time. Days at the terminal before demurrage, days outside it before per diem, whether weekends count, and for rail, the ramp’s free time.
- Chassis days. How many the trucking rate includes and the daily rate after: chassis extra days hit 37.5% of trucked shipments, with a median bill of $150 when charged.
- Chassis splits. The fee when the chassis isn’t with the container: 29.0% of trucked shipments paid one, median $125.
- Storage. The daily rate at the trucker’s yard or a warehouse: 9.5% of shipments paid storage, median $135.
- Driver waiting time. The free hours at pickup and delivery and the hourly rate after: billed on 5.6% of trucked shipments.
- Pre-pulls, overweight and exams. The pre-pull fee, the weight limit and overweight charge, and how a customs exam is handled and billed.
All figures are per shipment; most shipments are a single container.
Red flags in a quote
- “Subject to” or “if applicable” next to a fee, with no rate.
- No free time stated, or free time “as per carrier”.
- An all-in price with no list of what it excludes.
- A validity date that ends before you can book.
Compare quotes line by line
Once two quotes state the same terms, the comparison is simple: add the fixed charges, then price the likely extras at each quote’s rates for a normal shipment and for one delay. The fees that matter most differ by port, so check yours on the port pages first. If a quote won’t state a rate, assume you’ll find out on the invoice; see why freight bills come in higher than quotes.
What to do
- Ask for the quote from origin to door, with every surcharge named and a validity date that covers your sailing.
- Get the free time in writing: terminal days, carrier days outside the terminal, calendar or working days, and for rail, the ramp’s free time.
- Get the chassis days included and the rate after them, plus the rates for chassis splits, storage, waiting time, pre-pulls, overweight and exam handling.
- Ask whether pass-through charges such as demurrage are billed at cost.
- Compare quotes line by line, using the fees that matter most at your port on the port pages.
Questions
What is an all-in freight quote?
A quote that prices the move from origin to your door as one figure, usually ocean freight, destination charges, customs clearance and delivery. Even all-in quotes usually exclude delay charges such as demurrage, storage and chassis extra days, so ask for those rates in writing.
Which fees are usually missing from a freight quote?
Charges that depend on what happens after arrival: demurrage, per diem, storage, chassis extra days, chassis splits, driver waiting time, pre-pulls, overweight fees and exam costs, plus duties and taxes. In Freight Benchmarks' invoice data, 43.6% of US import container shipments paid at least one extra charge.
How many free days should a quote include?
It varies by carrier, terminal and contract, so get the number in writing, with when it starts and whether it counts calendar or working days. Free time at an inland rail ramp can differ from the seaport.
Should a freight quote include customs clearance?
If you want one company to handle the import, yes: the customs entry, the ISF filing and the bond, priced separately from the duties and taxes, which depend on the goods. Ask who the licensed customs broker is.
Sources
- 46 CFR part 541: demurrage and detention billing requirements (eCFR)
- US Customs and Border Protection: basic importing and exporting (duties, taxes and fees)
- Freight Benchmarks figures: Anonymized line-item forwarder invoices billed to US importers, contributed through the Freight Benchmarks data partner program, in which every partner is a licensed US freight forwarder and customs broker. Aggregates only. See the methodology.
Free quote · no obligation
Want a quote that already includes all this?
Tell us the lane. One licensed forwarder partner that serves it quotes ocean freight, customs clearance and delivery, with free time, chassis days and every accessorial rate in writing before you book.
- Drayage, chassis and port fees listed line by line
- Free time and demurrage terms in writing before you book
- A reply within one business day
Request a quote