Freight is one of the most variable costs in a small or mid-sized company, and one of the biggest sources of customer complaints: delays, damage, lost goods. Hiring transport and logistics well starts with stating clearly what will be carried, from where, to where and how often, and ends with a clear agreement on lead time and liability. Before closing with any carrier, look up its CNPJ and check that it is active and that its registered activity is freight transport.
Which service you need
- Less than truckload: your goods share the truck with other companies' goods. It suits smaller volumes and varied destinations.
- Full truckload: a dedicated vehicle from origin to destination. It pays off for large volumes and fixed routes.
- Warehousing: keeping stock with a logistics operator, close to customers, with order picking.
- Urban delivery: the last leg to the end customer, with short lead times.
Many companies use more than one type. Choose what the quote will cover and request anything different separately.
The data the carrier needs
Without this data, the reply comes back as "it depends". With it, you get a price:
- origin and destinations, with postal code or at least city and state;
- type of goods and whether they are fragile, perishable, hazardous or high value;
- weight and dimensions, or number of pallets, to calculate volumetric weight;
- frequency: per week or per month, and whether there is seasonality;
- value of the goods, since it affects insurance and some charges;
- pickup and delivery windows, and whether the recipient has receiving hours.
A request such as "less than truckload from São Paulo to the Northeast, 40 pallets per month, R$ 20 thousand to R$ 100 thousand per month, recurring, tracking required" lets the carrier say right away whether it runs that route.
How to read the freight breakdown
The freight price usually has several parts, and comparing only the total hides where the difference lies:
| Component | What it is |
|---|---|
| Weight charge | The amount for actual or volumetric weight, whichever is greater |
| Value charge (ad valorem) | A percentage of the value of the goods |
| Risk management | A fee tied to cargo security, common on high-risk routes |
| Tolls | Pass-through of the route's tolls |
| Delivery fees | Charges for difficult deliveries, scheduling or redelivery |
Ask carriers for a proposal broken down by component and simulate it with three or four real shipments from last month. It is the most honest way to compare.
Insurance and damage
Ask which insurance policies cover the cargo during transport, up to what value and in which situations. Agree in writing on what happens in case of damage or loss: how you report it, how quickly, which documents you need to present and how long compensation takes. Photographing the cargo at pickup and checking it at delivery prevents most disputes.
Documentation and compliance
Carriers that transport goods by road for third parties must be registered with ANTT, the national land transport agency, under the RNTRC. Ask for the number and check it. Every trip must leave with the transport tax documents, such as the electronic bill of lading (CT-e). A carrier that offers to transport without documents is a risk to you.
Lead time, tracking and indicators
The promised lead time and the delivered lead time are different things. Ask:
- the lead time per region, in business days, from pickup;
- how tracking works and whether your customer can follow it;
- what percentage of deliveries arrived on time in recent months;
- who the contact is when a delivery is late.
For recurring contracts, agree on minimum indicators, such as on-time deliveries and damage rate, and a review every three months.
Conversation and trial
On Verified Quotes at RodadaDeNegocios.org, the request reaches carriers and operators with an active CNPJ that serve your region, and each replies with a short proposal and three time slots for a 20-minute video conversation. In the conversation, ask for an example of a client with a similar route and ask what happens at the year-end peak. Your name and contact details are released only if both sides want to continue.
Before moving your whole volume, run a trial period with part of your deliveries. Compare lead time, damage and service with your current carrier. The trial numbers are worth more than the proposal.
Do not depend on just one
A strike, fleet problems or a route change can stop your carrier. Having a second option registered, even with little volume, keeps deliveries going.
Common mistakes
- Giving the weight and forgetting the dimensions: light, bulky cargo is charged by volumetric weight, and the price changes.
- Declaring the goods below their real value: the freight is lower, but so is the compensation in case of a loss.
- Not notifying the recipient: a delivery refused for lack of scheduling means redelivery and extra cost.
- Comparing only the promised lead time: ask for the on-time delivery history and run a trial with part of the volume.
- Poor packaging: much of the damage starts with the packaging. Ask the carrier what it requires for each type of cargo.
These details seem operational, but they are what decide whether the freight you hired turns into savings or customer complaints.
Summary
Define the type of service. State origin, destinations, goods, weight, frequency and value. Ask for freight broken down by component and simulate it with real shipments. Agree on insurance, damage and lead time in writing. Check the RNTRC and require the CT-e. Talk, run a trial with part of the volume and keep an alternative.