Freight Quote Builder & Max Buy Rate Calculator

Price a load before it happens. Build an all-in customer quote from linehaul, fuel surcharge, and accessorials, then solve for the maximum you can pay a carrier and still hit your target margin - with a full negotiating ladder across margin tiers.

Lane & Equipment
Optional. Skips the mileage lookup entirely - use this if you already know the miles or the ZIP lookup fails.
Pricing Mode
Linehaul
Interpreted per Linehaul Basis above, and per your Pricing Mode: the rate you know (sell, buy, or market RPM).
Fuel Surcharge
On: carrier is paid the same FSC billed to the customer. Off: enter what you actually pay the carrier below (the FSC spread).
Only used when the pass-through toggle above is off.
Margin & Risk
Held off the top before the walk-away line is calculated.
Accessorials

Leave any row at $0.00 if it doesn't apply - blank rows are ignored, not an error.

Accessorial Customer Charge ($) Carrier Cost ($)
Liftgate
Residential Pickup
Residential Delivery
Inside Delivery
Driver Assist / Lumper
Tarps
Extra Stop
TONU
Reconsignment
Layover
Hazmat
Team Service
Heavy / Tri-Axle
Pallet Exchange
Go to Freight Professional Toolkit

How This Tool Works

Margin is always calculated on revenue, not markup on cost: gross profit divided by the all-in customer total. The Max Buy Ladder shows the highest rate you can pay a carrier at each margin tier, holding fuel surcharge, accessorials, and detention constant - linehaul is the lever you negotiate.

Walk-Away Line: your contingency/risk reserve comes off the top before this number is calculated, so it reflects the true floor after risk provisions - not just breakeven on paper.

Related tools: check your economics on a load that's already booked with the Freight Margin & Gross Profit Calculator. Benchmark your linehaul rate against the lane with the Freight Lane Rate-Per-Mile Analyzer. Model the fuel surcharge on its own with the Fuel Surcharge Calculator, and price detention exposure with the Detention & Layover Fee Calculator.

Rate estimates only. Actual rates depend on market conditions, capacity, and your governing broker-carrier agreement. This tool computes from the inputs you provide and does not source live market rate data.

This tool was created by Ben Crittenden, a Project Management Professional (PMP) with experience in web development and systems administration.