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Manual Quote Creation

What is Manual Quote Creation?

Manual quote creation lets sales reps build custom quotes for customers with full control over rates, accessorials, terms, and presentation formatting. While the automated rating engine handles standard quoting scenarios where rates exist in your tables, manual quote creation covers situations that require custom pricing: new lanes you haven't rated yet, one-time shipments outside your normal operations, complex multi-stop moves, or negotiated rates that differ from your standard tariffs. The quote builder provides a professional template that includes your company branding, rate breakdowns, terms and conditions, and customer-specific details that present your pricing clearly and professionally.

This flexibility ensures you can quote any opportunity that comes your way. When a customer asks for pricing on a lane you've never covered, you don't have to decline the business because it's not in your rate tables. You manually quote based on your understanding of the costs and market rates, send a professional quote, and if you win the business, you can add it to your rate tables for future efficiency.

How Manual Quote Creation works:

  1. Navigate to the Quotes module and click "Create Quote." From the main Quotes board, click the "Create Quote" button to open the quote builder interface where you'll construct the quote from scratch.
  2. Select the customer or create a new customer record. Use the customer search to find the customer you're quoting. If this is a prospect not yet in your system, create a new customer record with their company name, contact information, and billing address.
  3. Enter the shipment details. Fill in the pickup location (address, city, state, ZIP), delivery location, requested pickup date, and delivery date. Add commodity description, weight, piece count, and any special handling requirements the customer has communicated.
  4. Specify equipment and service requirements. Select the equipment type needed (dry van, reefer, flatbed, etc.). If temperature control is required, add the temperature range. Mark any special services like team drivers, expedited service, or dedicated truck.
  5. Manually enter the customer rate. In the rate field, type the amount you're quoting this customer. If you have a rate table entry to reference, you can use that as guidance. If this is new business or a custom situation, calculate based on your understanding of carrier costs and desired margin.
  6. Add accessorial charges as separate line items. Click "Add Accessorial" to include any additional charges like fuel surcharge (if not built into the base rate), liftgate, inside delivery, residential delivery, detention, or other applicable services. Each accessorial appears as its own line item with its charge.
  7. Include terms and conditions. Add your standard payment terms (Net 30, etc.), cancellation policy, liability limits, and any customer-specific terms you've agreed to. These appear in the quote document so the customer sees the full picture of what they're agreeing to.
  8. Add internal notes if needed for follow-up. If there are specific considerations about this quote (customer asked for special handling, rate is only valid for a certain timeframe, need to follow up by a specific date), add internal notes that your team can see but won't appear on the customer-facing quote document.
  9. Preview the formatted quote document. Click "Preview Quote" to see how the quote will look when sent to the customer. This shows your company header, all the rate details formatted professionally, line items for base rate and accessorials, total amount, and terms and conditions.
  10. Send the quote to the customer or save as draft. If everything looks correct, click "Send Quote" to email it directly to the customer with a professional cover message. If you need approval or want to refine it further, save it as draft for later review and sending.

What it means for you:

Your sales team can respond to any opportunity, not just the ones that fit your existing rate tables. When a prospect asks for pricing on equipment or lanes you don't typically handle, your rep quotes it professionally rather than saying "we don't do that." Even if you don't win the business, you've made the effort and kept the door open for future opportunities that better fit your operation.

The professional presentation matters in competitive situations. When your quote arrives as a clean, branded PDF with clear rate breakdowns and terms versus a competitor's email with rates in the body text, you look more established and trustworthy. That perception influences buying decisions, especially with larger customers who expect professional documentation.