6 questions to ask when looking for a low-density freight shipping solution

• Contract carriers often reject loads, while the spot market creates pricing volatility and added complexity. This makes it difficult to secure capacity and control costs.
• A strong provider saves time by managing the process end-to-end and offers clear, market-aligned pricing to eliminate guesswork and surprises.
• Look for a provider that can adapt to changing market conditions while ensuring consistent coverage (like 100% load acceptance) and added value through technology and insights.

Many shippers find that neither contracted providers nor the spot market are effective ways to ship low-density and hard-to-predict freight. In a tight market, contracted carriers may turn down freight, making it a struggle for you to secure capacity. In a favorable market, you may be overpaying a contracted provider for your low-density freight.

On the spot market, it’s difficult to project low-density freight costs. You’ll end up with price variability without any sense of how competitive the rates you’re getting are. Plus, the spot market requires a lot of effort to manage and doesn’t provide the visibility you need to have an accurate picture of your shipping.

If you’re looking for a new solution for shipping low-density or hard-to-predict freight, it’s important you find a shipping provider that’s the right fit for your needs — even as your needs change over time. When evaluating a solution, ask potential carriers these six questions:

The right provider should do more than secure capacity. Here’s what to look for in a provider:

• Ideally, a provider manages the entire process, saving time and reducing manual effort.
• Working with a single provider will streamline the quote-to-delivery process, eliminating unnecessary back-and-forth.
• Unlike contract rates and rigid routing guides, the provider’s solution should automatically adjust to changing market conditions, capturing cost savings as rates shift without requiring additional work from your team.

Cost-plus models, where providers add a markup to the rate they pay carriers, can drive up your shipping costs. Instead, look for a provider that uses a third-party index, such as DAT, to deliver real-time, market-based pricing that’s both transparent and competitive. This approach ties pricing to nationally recognized benchmarks, helping ensure rates reflect actual market conditions.

With index-based pricing, you reduce the risk of surprises and gain confidence that you’re getting a fair rate. Because providers are accountable to the index, they’re incentivized to secure competitive pricing on your behalf, unlike cost-plus models or proprietary rate-setting methods. For example, Schneider’s Market Index Pricing solution helps shippers save an average of 3%–5%.

In such a tight market, it’s impossible to predict how rates for low-density freight may change over time. You don’t want to get stuck in a contract that ends up costing you more money down the road. Choose a provider that:

• Ensures the shipping solution offers flexibility should market conditions change.
• Allows you to change your volume threshold and market parameters as needed.
• Provides a backstop in your routing guide for covering primary carrier turndowns.
• Offers the flexibility that your freight requires, such as accepting live-loaded or pre-loaded freight.

Turndowns create headaches and require more time and effort as your team scrambles to find another shipping solution. A good solution will offer 100% load acceptance, so you’re not left trying to ship certain loads on your own.

Innovative technology can enhance the service you receive and improve the safety and security of your shipping. Find out what other benefits a transportation provider can offer in addition to shipping your low-density and hard-to-predict freight, such as:

An API integration with your transportation management system (TMS) can streamline the quoting process and allow you the ability to pull index-based pricing. Make sure that your provider allows real-time access to this information.

Before selecting a transportation provider for your low-density or hard-to-predict freight, understand the answer to each of these questions. Once you do, you can rest assured you’ve found the best solution for your business.