Use cases / Logistics & Freight
Find an LTL freight carrier. Checked against your brief.
Describe the freight in one sentence. Ordren finds carriers, reads their own websites, and labels each requirement with the sentence that supports it.
Start from this brief
LTL carrier for six pallets a week out of Columbus, Ohio. Liftgate trucks. No brokers.
Draft my briefLTL carrier for six pallets a week out of Columbus, Ohio. Liftgate trucks, weekly pickup, active USDOT. No brokers.
Ordren heard
- LTL carrier primary
- Columbus, OH
- Weekly pickup
- Liftgate
- USDOT
- No brokers rule out
- Weekly rate to ask
01 — How to vet a freight carrier
What a carrier’s own site can prove. What their site can prove. And what you will have to ask. What you still ask.
RequirementWhere carriers usually state it
- Service area and lanes
- A coverage map or a list of terminals.
- Equipment, such as liftgates
- A fleet or equipment page.
- Pickup schedule
- The services page, sometimes a shipping guide.
- Operating authority
- A USDOT or MC number in the footer or on the About page. Confirm any number yourself in the FMCSA company lookup.
- Runs its own trucks
- The About page. If it says loads go to partner carriers and you ruled out brokers, the carrier is excluded.
Ordren checks, on their own pages
- Service area and lanes
- Equipment, such as liftgates
- Pickup schedule
- USDOT or MC number
- Runs its own trucks
Confirm any number yourself in the FMCSA company lookup.
You ask, in the RFQ draft
- Rate for your lane and volume
- Transit time
- Liftgate and residential charges
- Insurance certificate
02 — A sample carrier shortlist
Twelve carriers assessed. Five must-haves each. Twelve carriers, five must-haves each.
Sample data · Fictional suppliers
Shortlist · Sample data
LTL freight carrier, Columbus, Ohio
12 assessed · 5 must-haves each
- 24 found
- 12 assessed
- 36 pages read
Northgate Freight
5 of 5 checkable must-haves verified · 1 to ask
Verified · Liftgate
The supporting sentence, found on Northgate Freight’s own site in a stored copy of the page.
“Every truck on our Columbus routes carries a liftgate.”
northgatefreight.example/fleet Open stored copy
Kestrel Carriers
4 of 5 checkable must-haves verified · 1 to ask
Verified · LTL carrier
The supporting sentence, found on Kestrel Carriers’ own site in a stored copy of the page.
“Regional LTL across Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky.”
kestrelcarriers.example/services Open stored copy
Tri-County Motor Freight
3 of 5 checkable must-haves verified · 1 to ask
Verified · LTL carrier
The supporting sentence, found on Tri-County Motor Freight’s own site in a stored copy of the page.
“Less-than-truckload freight for central Ohio shippers.”
tricountymotorfreight.example/ Open stored copy
Hollis Cartage
3 of 5 checkable must-haves verified · 1 to ask · 1 not met
Verified · LTL carrier
The supporting sentence, found on Hollis Cartage’s own site in a stored copy of the page.
“LTL and partial truckload, from one pallet to a full trailer.”
holliscartage.example/services Open stored copy
Ridgeway LTL
“We arrange capacity through partner carriers.” Brokers loads. Ruled out.
Rule-out found on its own page Brokers loads · Left off the shortlist
03 — RFQ questions for a carrier
The gaps become your first email.
Every Unknown for a shortlisted carrier becomes a numbered question. You open the draft in your own email and send it yourself. Ordren contacts nobody.
Sample draft · To Kestrel Carriers
We ship six pallets a week out of Columbus, Ohio. Before we ask for a quote, could you confirm three things?
-
Do the trucks on your Columbus routes carry liftgates? Do your trucks carry liftgates?
-
What is your weekly rate for six pallets? Weekly rate for six pallets?
-
Can you pick up within 24 hours of a request? Pickup within 24 hours?
Open in your email Sample draft · You send every message
You send it from your own email. Ordren contacts nobody.