An RFQ response is a sales pitch disguised as a spreadsheet. Forwarders who treat it as a pure pricing exercise consistently lose to competitors who treat it as the shipper's first real evidence of how the relationship will actually run. Price matters, but it is rarely the first filter a shipper applies.
What a shipper actually checks first
Before comparing numbers, most shippers screen quotes for completeness and clarity. A response missing a transit time, unclear about what is and is not included, or silent on validity period reads as either careless or evasive, and either reading is enough to drop a quote from serious consideration regardless of the rate. The forwarders who make the shortlist are usually the ones whose quote answers the obvious follow-up questions before they are asked.
The minimum a competitive quote needs to state clearly
- All-in price or a clearly itemized breakdown. A base rate with a long list of unstated "additional charges may apply" reads as a lowball designed to be padded later, even when that is not the intent.
- Transit time, stated as a realistic range, not an aspirational best case.
- Validity period. Rates that do not survive to the shipper's actual ready date are worse than no quote at all, because they cost the shipper time when the booking falls through.
- What is and is not included: origin and destination handling, customs clearance, insurance, documentation fees.
- Routing and any transshipment, since a direct sailing and a two-transshipment routing at the same price are not the same offer.
Speed matters more than most forwarders assume
A well-built quote that arrives after the shipper has already shortlisted three others rarely gets a second look, no matter how competitive it is. This is particularly true on marketplaces and directories where shippers are actively comparing multiple responses within a short window rather than working through forwarders sequentially. Treating an RFQ as time-sensitive from the moment it lands, even if it means sending a solid quote fast rather than a perfect one slowly, keeps you in the comparison set where price and service can actually be judged.
Answer the question that was not asked
Shippers posting an RFQ frequently have an implicit concern they do not spell out: is this cargo dangerous goods, does it need temperature control, is the destination customs process going to be complicated. A response that addresses the obvious complication in the cargo description, rather than quoting as if it were a generic box, signals competence the price line cannot. If the RFQ mentions lithium batteries, perishables, or an unfamiliar destination, say directly how you will handle that specific requirement rather than leaving it for the shipper to ask about later.
Know when not to quote
Winning a shipment outside your actual capability, whether that is the commodity, the destination, or the volume, tends to cost more in service failure and reputation than the margin was worth, particularly where the shipper found you through a directory listing that other prospective clients will also see reviews of. A clear decline, or a quote that honestly flags a limitation ("we can handle the ocean leg but recommend you use your own customs broker at destination for this commodity"), builds more trust for the next RFQ than a strained yes on this one.
After the quote goes out
- Follow up once, briefly, if you have not heard back within the quote's validity window, rather than repeatedly chasing.
- If you lose the booking, ask why when the relationship allows it. Losing consistently on completeness or clarity, rather than price, is a fixable pattern worth knowing about.
- Keep a record of what was quoted and what was actually delivered, since a track record of accurate quotes is what turns a one-off RFQ response into a repeat client relationship.
An RFQ is the shipper's first real look at how you operate, not just what you charge. For the flip side of this, what shippers are told to check when comparing quotes, see our guide to what to check before booking a freight quote. To start receiving RFQs directly rather than chasing cold leads, list your business on CargoLinked.
