Tendering is the operational act of offering a shipment to a carrier for transportation. In contract freight, shippers and carriers agree in advance on routing guides — priority lists of carriers for each lane — and shipments are tendered down the routing guide in sequence until accepted.
The mechanics of tendering vary by sophistication level. Large shippers with transportation management systems (TMS) send electronic tenders via EDI or API to carriers' systems. Smaller shippers tender via email, phone, or a carrier's online portal. The tender document or communication contains the relevant shipment details: origin, destination, pickup date and time, commodity, weight, special requirements, and the reference number.
When a carrier accepts a tender, both parties are committed. The shipper expects the truck to show up; the carrier expects the freight to be ready. The consequences of either party failing to follow through are covered by the accessorial schedule (detention for freight not ready, TONU for last-minute cancellations).
When the primary carrier declines a tender, the shipper moves to the next carrier in the routing guide. If all contracted carriers decline — typically during peak seasons or capacity crunches — the shipper enters the spot market to find coverage.
Tender acceptance rate — the percentage of tenders a carrier accepts versus declines — is a key performance metric in contract freight. A carrier with a low acceptance rate may lose their position in the routing guide at the next contract renewal. Shippers track this metric to evaluate carrier reliability and optimize their routing guide sequence.