When you look up a lane in Cargado, you don't get one number — you get three price points that tell you what carriers are actually bidding. Here's how to use them.
Every rate in Cargado is calculated from real carrier bids over the past 12 weeks. Cross-border freight isn't one-size-fits-all — a customer who needs a truck tomorrow pays differently than one planning three weeks out. Percentiles let you match the quote to the situation.
25% of carriers bid at or below this price. Use it for cost-conscious customers with flexible timelines — typically 2–3 weeks of lead time. Fewer carriers will accept, so expect to work harder for coverage.
Half of carriers bid at or below this price — what most people mean by "market rate." Your default for standard freight with 1–2 weeks of lead time. When in doubt, start here.
75% of carriers bid at or below this price. Use it for urgent freight, tight capacity, must-cover loads, and peak season — you're paying for certainty of coverage.
Winning a new customer? Quote closer to P25 and be honest about lead-time requirements. Long-term customer with consistent volume? P50 is fair for both sides. VIP who expects white-glove service? Build margin above P50 so you can pay P75 when you need to guarantee coverage.
Check the 12-week trailing chart before quoting. Rates trending up? Consider P75 — by ship date, P50 might be higher than today's P75. Trending down? P50 or even P25 can be safe. Stable? Let lead time decide.
A lane with an 18% margin of error means the real market rate could sit well above or below the displayed number — widen your quoting range. High-confidence lanes with tight margins can be quoted with conviction.
Say a lane shows P25 $2,567, P50 $2,890, P75 $3,200 with high confidence (illustrative snapshot — rates move weekly). Needs it next week? Quote near P75 and cover fast. Planning next month? Quote between P25 and P50. Being price-shopped? Show the range and let the customer pick their trade-off between price and certainty.
Always quoting P50 — it loses money on long-lead freight and fails coverage on urgent freight. Ignoring margin of error — wide margins mean widen your range. Skipping the trend — a P50 that's climbed six straight weeks is not the same as a stable one.
12,000+ Mexico and Canada lanes from real carrier bids, refreshed weekly with confidence scores.
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