Freight quote validity: how long a quote should stay valid, and what to write

4 November 2026 · By the Laneworks team · All articles

In short: Typical validity for sea and air, the wording to use, and what to do when a quote expires.

Every freight quote is a promise about a price that's already moving. Carrier rates change, surcharges are revised, exchange rates shift. A quote with no validity date, or a vague one, leaves you holding the difference when a customer books weeks later. Here's how to set validity, what to put in writing, and how to handle a quote that has run out.

Why validity matters

Your buy rates come with their own validity. Ocean contract and spot rates are usually valid for a set period, and surcharges such as bunker adjustments are often revised on their own schedule. If your quote to the customer lasts longer than the rates behind it, any increase in between comes out of your margin. The quote's validity should never run past the validity of the buy rates it was built on.

Typical validity by mode

• Sea freight (FCL and LCL): often until the end of the carrier's rate period, commonly the end of the month or a set number of days. Shorter when the market is moving fast.
• Air freight: usually short, often a week or less, because airline rates and fuel surcharges move quickly. Many air quotes are also "subject to space at time of booking".
• Local charges and clearance fees: can be valid for longer, since your own fees change less often, but say so explicitly.

These are common patterns rather than rules. The right validity is the shortest period that matches your buy rates and still gives the customer time to decide.

What to write in the quote

Put the validity next to the total, not buried in terms and conditions:

Valid until [date] for cargo ready by [date].
Ocean/air freight subject to space and equipment at time of booking.
Surcharges (e.g. BAF, PSS) as applicable at time of shipment.
Duty, tax and government charges at cost.

Three things make this work:

• A date, not a duration. "Valid until 30 November" is clear; "valid 30 days" starts an argument about from when.
• A cargo-ready condition. A rate is only good for shipments that actually move in the period.
• Which lines can move. If surcharges are charged as applicable at shipment, say so, so a change doesn't look like you raised your price.

When a quote expires

An expired quote is a reason to get back in touch, not a problem. Re-check the buy rates, send a refreshed quote, and say what changed. If nothing changed, extending the validity is a free goodwill gesture. If the rate went up, explaining which line moved keeps the customer's trust. A reminder a day or two before the validity ends is also one of the easiest follow-ups you can send: see how to follow up freight quotes.

Keep validity consistent

Validity is easy to set inconsistently when every quote is typed by hand. A template with the validity line already in it, and a rate sheet that records each rate's own validity, keeps it right every time. Our rate sheet template guide covers how to record validity per rate.

Validity on every draft, automatically

Laneworks drafts quote replies from your own rate sheet, including the validity and conditions you set, so every quote goes out with the same terms. See a sample draft, or forward a real quote request to try@getlaneworks.com.

Forward a quote request