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Read a freight quote from the conditions, not from the headline figure. First establish whether you are looking at an all-in price or a base rate that surcharges will be added to. Check free time for loading and unloading, the ferry crossing, customs clearance, the fuel surcharge and road tolls. Only the full job cost is comparable with another offer.
All-in or base rate: two languages for the same quote
Two offers for the same lane, say a full load from Poland to the Midlands, can differ by a double-digit percentage simply because they speak different languages. One quotes an all-in figure: freight, tolls, fuel surcharge and the crossing in a single number. The other shows a low base rate and leaves the rest to the small print, or to the final invoice after delivery. Both formats are legitimate, but they only become comparable once you bring them down to a common denominator.
Breaking the price into components is not dishonest in itself. In longer-term contracts it can even be the more transparent option, because the fuel surcharge moves with the published diesel price and both sides can see why one invoice differs from the next. The trouble starts when a shipper treats a base rate as the final price and builds the budget on a number that was never meant to be one. From that moment every extra line on the invoice looks like sharp practice, even though it was announced in the terms of the offer.
Typical items outside the rate: what you pay extra for
The list of surcharges varies between forwarders, but a handful of items appear in almost every invoice dispute:
- Detention beyond free time. The order allows a set number of hours for loading and unloading. Once they are used up, the clock starts running and the hourly or daily rate should be stated in the terms. Who pays and when is covered in our article on truck detention and waiting time.
- A second delivery attempt. If the receiving site cannot take the vehicle in the booked window, the repeat journey means extra mileage and extra driver hours, usually billed as a separate line.
- Ferry or tunnel crossing. On UK and Scandinavian lanes the crossing is often included in an all-in price but rarely in a base rate. Ask explicitly whether the figure covers the crossing and in which direction.
- Customs clearance as a separate service. Moving goods between the EU and Great Britain requires declarations on both sides. Some forwarders build the handling into the price, others invoice export, import and transit documents separately. We break the whole route down in how much transport to the UK costs.
- Fuel surcharge. A percentage linked to a published fuel index. Check which index the offer refers to and how often the percentage is updated.
- Road tolls. Charged per kilometre and dependent on emission class and axle count. The EU framework for charging heavy goods vehicles is set by Directive 1999/62/EC. Across several countries on a long lane, tolls are a serious share of the cost.
- ADR and temperature control. Dangerous goods under the ADR agreement, perishable food carried under the ATP agreement and other temperature-controlled loads require the right vehicle, driver qualifications and paperwork, so they are priced above a standard curtainsider.
- Waiting for documents. The truck is ready for clearance but the export invoice is still being prepared. Time spent waiting for paperwork is often billed like detention. In container shipping the equivalent charges are demurrage and detention.
What is usually in the rate and what is usually extra
| Item | All-in offer | Base rate |
|---|---|---|
| Freight (mileage, driver hours) | included | included |
| Road tolls | included | often separate |
| Fuel surcharge | included | usually separate, as a percentage |
| Ferry or tunnel crossing | included if agreed | usually separate |
| Customs clearance | varies, always confirm | usually a separate service |
| Detention beyond free time | separate, at the rate in the terms | separate, at the rate in the terms |
| Second delivery attempt | separate | separate |
| ADR or reefer surcharge | included if declared at quotation | often separate |
Why the cheapest offer on paper can be the dearest in practice
The mechanism is simple and repeats itself. A low base rate wins the spreadsheet comparison, the order is signed, and the difference comes back on the invoice: tolls, fuel surcharge, crossing, customs entries, one hour of waiting at loading and another at delivery. The budget agreed with your own customer no longer holds, an invoice dispute begins, payment is withheld and letters replace new orders. You lose twice: you pay more than planned and you damage the relationship the lane was supposed to run on.
The second mechanism is conditional items with no rates attached. If the offer does not state a price for detention, a second delivery attempt or cancellation, that does not make them free. It means you will learn the price at the worst possible moment, after the event, with no negotiating position left. That is why complete terms are often worth more than a low number on the first page of a quote.
How to compare offers so you compare like with like
A comparison only makes sense on identical assumptions. Before the numbers go into a table:
- Send every provider the same data set: goods, weight, dimensions, pallet count, collection and delivery points, dates, ADR or temperature requirements.
- Ask for the full cost of the job, and with a base rate, for a price on every known extra for that lane.
- Check the number of free hours and the detention rate once they run out.
- Compare cancellation terms, because a cancelled transport order has a price of its own.
- Look at the currency, payment terms and validity period of the offer, as all three change the real price.
Questions to ask before you accept
- Does the price include tolls, the fuel surcharge and the crossing in both directions?
- How many free hours are allowed for loading and unloading, and what does each further hour cost?
- Is customs clearance included, and if so, on which side of the border and covering which documents?
- What do a second delivery attempt, a diversion and a cancellation cost?
- Does the quote match exactly the goods and parameters I supplied?
Ask for the answers in writing. An email confirming the scope of the quote settles most invoice disputes before they start, because both sides know what was agreed.
Role of OTSL
In OTSL quotations we spell out what the price covers and what may be added, and in which situation: free hours, the crossing, customs clearance, ADR or temperature requirements. We run road freight across Europe, including the UK and Swiss lanes, arrange customs clearance and operate our own warehouses in Kielce, Legnica and Milton Keynes. If you want to compare our quotation with another offer line by line, write to us via the contact form.
What is included in an all-in freight quote?
An all-in quote covers all predictable costs of the shipment, including basic freight, road tolls, fuel adjustments, and pre-arranged additions such as ferry crossings.
Step by step
- Identify the rate structure. Establish if the quote is an all-in figure or a base rate.
- Check free waiting hours. Confirm how much time is granted for loading and unloading.
- Review route surcharges. Check whether ferry passages and road tolls are included.
- Verify customs scope. Confirm whether customs clearance costs are part of the price.
- Compare full costs. Evaluate competing offers only when calculated under identical assumptions.
Definitions
- All-in rate: a freight price covering every predictable transport cost component.
- BAF (Bunker Adjustment Factor): a fuel surcharge balancing fluctuations in market fuel prices.
- CAF (Currency Adjustment Factor): a currency surcharge adjusting for exchange rate movements.
- ADR (Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road): regulations governing the transport of hazardous cargo.
When does this rule not apply?
This rule does not apply when unscheduled waiting times exceed the agreed free hours stated in the order.
The OTSL role
OTSL clarifies quote components before transport execution, ensuring clear pricing models through Road transport (FTL) solutions backed by 24/7 availability in forwarding, why it matters | OTSL.
