Questions to Ask Trucking Companies
Questions for choosing a trucking company to move freight, covering safety ratings, cargo insurance, accessorial charges, transit reliability, and how late loads and damage claims get handled.
The questions
Open any question for the note
Are you an asset-based carrier or a broker, and how much of my freight would your own trucks haul?
Why ask it
Brokers can be useful, but you are then one step removed from whoever actually touches the load. A carrier that hesitates on this question is usually brokering more than it wants to admit.
What is your MC number, and what is your current federal safety rating?
Why ask it
The number lets you check the public record yourself instead of taking their word for it. A conditional rating is not automatically disqualifying, but it should come with an explanation they offer without being pushed.
How much cargo insurance do you carry, and can you send a certificate listing us?
Why ask it
Standard cargo limits are often well below the value of a full trailer of goods. If your load is worth more than their coverage, you are the one absorbing the difference in a bad week.
Which lanes do you run regularly, and how often are you already going where my freight needs to go?
Why ask it
A carrier with existing volume in your lane will be cheaper and more reliable than one repositioning an empty truck for you. Vague answers about running everywhere usually mean brokered coverage.
What equipment do you own, and how old is the fleet?
Why ask it
Trailer type and age determine what can go wrong: refrigeration units fail, older dry vans leak. This also tells you whether a specialized load would require them to rent something.
How is the rate built, and which accessorial charges can appear on the invoice?
Why ask it
Linehaul plus fuel surcharge is only the beginning: liftgate, inside delivery, redelivery, and layover fees are where quotes and invoices diverge. Get the list before the first load, not after.
How much free time do I get for loading and unloading before detention starts, and what is the hourly rate?
Why ask it
Two hours free versus one changes your dock planning and your costs on every shipment. Carriers that will not commit to a number tend to bill detention aggressively.
What is your normal transit time on this lane, and how do you define on time?
Why ask it
Some carriers count the delivery date, others count the appointment window to the minute. The definition matters if your receiver charges back for missed appointments.
How do you handle receivers that require a scheduled delivery appointment?
Why ask it
Big-box and grocery receivers issue narrow windows and penalize misses. A carrier with a dedicated appointment desk behaves very differently from one that leaves it to the driver.
When a load is running late, who calls me, and how soon?
Why ask it
The gap between a carrier knowing and you knowing is what determines whether you can warn your customer. Listen for a named role and a time, not a promise to stay in touch.
How do I track a shipment, and does the location come from the truck or from a driver check call?
Why ask it
Electronic logging data updates on its own, while check calls depend on someone remembering. If they cannot show you the tracking view during the sales conversation, it probably is not smooth.
What does your claims process look like, and how long does it typically take from filing to payment?
Why ask it
Every carrier says claims are rare, so ask about mechanics instead: what paperwork, what deadline for noting damage on the delivery receipt, and who adjudicates. Slow claims handling is a real cost of a cheap rate.
How many times will my freight be handled, and does it move through a terminal or transfer?
Why ask it
Each transfer is a chance for damage and delay, which matters most for palletized or fragile goods. A direct truckload move and a load that crosses two docks are different products at similar prices.
How do you secure the load, and for refrigerated freight, can you provide temperature records?
Why ask it
Downstream customers and auditors may require a temperature log, and a carrier without one leaves you unable to prove the cold chain held. Ask to see a sample report rather than a description.
What are your payment terms, and is there a discount for paying quickly?
Why ask it
Small carriers often prefer fast payment enough to trade a few percent for it. The answer also tells you whether they factor their invoices, which usually means tighter cash flow.
Do you haul hazardous materials, and which classes are you permitted for?
Why ask it
Hazmat authority is specific and paperwork-heavy, and a carrier that will take almost any class without discussion is worth a second look. If your product is regulated, ask which drivers hold the endorsement.
What is your driver turnover, and how likely is the same driver to run my lane repeatedly?
Why ask it
Familiar drivers learn your dock, your receivers, and your paperwork, which quietly removes problems. High turnover shows up as a new driver every week and repeated explanations.
If a receiver refuses a delivery, what happens to the freight and what does storage cost?
Why ask it
Refusals happen and the truck cannot simply wait. Knowing whether they return, hold at a terminal, or bill per day prevents a small dispute becoming an expensive one.
Can you give me two shippers with freight like mine that I can call?
Why ask it
References running similar commodities and lanes will tell you about the parts a sales call does not cover. Reluctance to provide contacts is more informative than any brochure.
What kind of freight or customer is a bad fit for you?
Why ask it
A carrier that knows its limits gives an honest answer here and saves you a failed shipment. Anyone claiming they can handle anything is describing a sales target, not a fleet.
Choosing a Trucking Company
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Have these facts ready before you call
The physical shipment
Commodity, weight, pallet count and dimensions, whether it stacks, and declared value. Quotes given without these numbers get revised after pickup, and the revision is never downward.
Both ends of the move
Dock or ground level, forklift availability, hours the facility accepts trucks, and whether the receiver requires an appointment. Most surprise charges come from conditions at the dock rather than the mileage.
Your real deadline
Separate the date the customer needs it from the date you would prefer. Carriers price urgency, so paying for a two-day transit you did not need is a common quiet expense.
What to verify independently
- Look up the MC number in the federal carrier database and confirm the operating authority is active.
- Check that cargo and liability insurance are current, and compare the cargo limit to your load value.
- Request the certificate of insurance from the insurer or broker rather than a copy the carrier emails.
- Confirm whether the entity quoting you is the carrier of record on the bill of lading.
- Ask for the accessorial charge schedule as a document, not a verbal summary.
- Note the deadline for recording damage on the delivery receipt, since missing it usually voids a claim.
Where shippers get caught
Signing a clean delivery receipt on damaged freight
Once the receipt is signed without notation, proving the damage happened in transit becomes very hard. Train whoever receives the truck to open, inspect, and write specifics on the paperwork.
Treating the lowest quote as the price
Rates that undercut the market usually get covered by whoever will take them, which affects equipment and reliability. Compare the quote plus likely accessorials, not the headline number.
Skipping the claims conversation until you need it
The moment you need the process is the worst moment to learn it has a fourteen-day filing window. Ask for the claims procedure in writing while they still want your business.