How long should it take to reply to a freight quote request?

As fast as you can make it complete: same-hour replies win more jobs than next-day ones, because customers comparing forwarders often book the first clear, complete quote.

For a repeat lane with a complete request, aim for under an hour. For a new lane or an incomplete request, send the questions you need answered within the hour rather than sitting on the request until you have everything. Speed matters most for small and medium shipments, where the customer is choosing between forwarders rather than negotiating with one.

Full guide: How to get quote replies under an hour.

Benchmarks to aim for

• Routine FCL, LCL and air requests: within the hour during business hours.
• Complex or multi-leg requests: same business day, with an acknowledgement and an expected time first.
• After hours: first thing next morning, or automatically if routine requests can be priced without a person.

Measuring your own number

Take last month's quote requests and the time of each reply: the median is your real response time. Most teams have never measured it, and it is usually longer than they think. See how to cut quote response time.