How to post a freight pickup so trucks can actually bid
If you need a box truck, cargo van, or hotshot for pallets, fixtures, inventory, or equipment—not a full-service household mover—this checklist keeps offers clear and comparable.
Author: Ralph Ivey
Last updated: 2026-08-19
Audience: Shop managers, contractors, office coordinators, and small businesses that ship occasionally.
Why vague posts get bad (or no) offers
Pain: “I need a truck tonight” with no weight, dock, or window. Outcome: one post a box truck can bid without a 12-message scavenger hunt. A city pair and a low number is not enough. Drivers need equipment fit, weight, loading conditions, timing, and what the price must include.
On Relocation Manager USA you can set a target rate or leave the job open for bids. Trucks respond with an all-in price and what that price covers. The platform does not add a booking commission to the rate you agree.
Before you post — 8 details that matter
- Pickup and delivery cities (and street or landmark notes you can share after you accept a truck).
- Pickup date and time window — specific beats “flexible ASAP.”
- What is moving in plain language: “12 pallets of tile,” “one skid of auto parts,” “hotshot materials.”
- Weight or a honest range, and rough dimensions if tall or long.
- Equipment needed: cargo van, 16–26 ft box, liftgate, ramp, hotshot, or “not sure.”
- Site conditions: dock, ground level, stairs, forklift on site, tight street, residential vs commercial.
- Loading help: no-touch, driver assist, or loaders on site.
- Money: target rate or open for bids, plus payment terms (for example quick pay vs Net 30).
Target rate vs open for bids
- Target rate — You suggest a number. Trucks can accept it or counter with a higher all-in bid and a short note on what is included.
- Open for bids — Best when you are unsure of market. Trucks propose all-in prices; you compare terms, not only the lowest number.
Very low targets often get fewer serious trucks. That is not a failure of the board—it is the real cost of the move showing up as counters.
After you post
- Watch offers in your member bid room.
- Read what each bid includes (equipment, labor, wait time, liftgate).
- Accept one offer only after you are ready to lock the rate.
- Still verify company identity, authority, insurance, and who shows up—use the free Safety Center and official FMCSA tools.
What this is not
- Not a full-service packing and unpacking household mover marketplace.
- Not a guarantee that a truck is available in every city every day.
- Not payment protection or cargo insurance from the platform.
Start a pickup on Relocation Manager USA
Shipper access is $9.99 per month (cancel anytime from your account). That fee is for platform access so posting is not free for spam accounts. Carriers keep 100% of the agreed load rate—no booking commission from us.
Related free guides & tools
- Freight shipping vs moving company
- How much does commercial moving cost?
- How to verify a DOT number
- Freight fraud prevention guide
- Free rate / break-even calculator
- Cube & weight fit checker (shippers: size freight honestly)
- Before-you-call checklist (what carriers wish was on the post)
- All free tools
Sources
- FMCSA SAFER Company Snapshot
- FMCSA — Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
- Relocation Manager USA product behavior: post, bid/counter, bid room, Safety Center (2026-08-11)