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How do I answer a counteroffer or see why a bid was rejected?

Open Bids, click a bid marked Counter, then accept, counter or reject. A Rejected bid means the rate was not taken; you can bid again.

Carrier
Updated
October 1, 2026

Open Find Freight and choose Bids. Click any bid marked Counter to accept, counter or reject the logistics company's rate. A bid marked Rejected means the logistics company did not take your rate. You can bid again while the posting is still up.

Step 1: Open Bids

In Find Freight, choose Bids in the blue sidebar. The list shows your bids on postings that are still active. The Everything, Spot Loads and Lanes & Projects tabs narrow it down.

The red number next to Bids counts bids that need a look from you, such as a counteroffer waiting for your answer or a rejected bid.

Each row shows where the bid stands. Accepted bids leave this list.

  • Bid (gray): your rate, waiting on the logistics company.
  • Counter (yellow): the logistics company sent a different rate. It is your turn.
  • Rejected (red): the logistics company did not take your rate.

Step 2: Open the bid

Click the row. The posting opens with your bid card on it. On a counteroffer, the card names the logistics company, says it sent a counter offer and shows its rate.

A Load posting from Pied Piper Logistics opened from Bids, Monterrey, NLE, MEX to Chattanooga, TN, USA. The top of the bid card reads “Pied Piper Logistics sent a counter offer”, USD $4,050, with the buttons “Accept USD $4,050”, “Counter” and “Reject”.
A counteroffer shows at the top of the bid card on the posting.
The counter card: “Pied Piper Logistics sent a counter offer”, USD $4,050, with the buttons “Accept USD $4,050”, “Counter” and “Reject”.
Accept takes their rate, Counter sends your own amount, and Reject turns their rate down.

Step 3: Accept, counter or reject

  • Accept: choose the button with their rate, such as Accept USD $4,700, then confirm. On a Load or a Lane, you see Rate Accepted!. The logistics company sends you a rate confirmation. If you are not set up with them yet, you onboard with them first. Choose Message Broker to go to your chat with them.
  • On a Potential Load or Potential Lane, accepting shows Bid used! instead. The logistics company uses your rate to bid for that freight. If they win it, expect to hear from them.
  • Counter: enter your new amount and choose Submit counter. This sends a new bid at your amount. It may get an automatic answer, or the logistics company reviews it. Cancel counter leaves their counteroffer open.
  • Reject: confirm to turn down their rate. You cannot accept it later. Your own bid stays active, and you get a notification if they accept it.
The “Rate Accepted!” dialog over the posting after accepting the Pied Piper Logistics counter offer of USD $4,050. Next Steps say to contact Pied Piper Logistics and to onboard before receiving a rate confirmation, above the blue “Message Broker” button.
Message Broker takes you to your chat with the logistics company.

Once a rate is accepted, you can share phone numbers and email addresses in the chat. Payment, paperwork and tracking stay between you and the logistics company. See how carriers get paid.

Tip: Before you counter, check what the lane usually pays. See market rates for carriers.

What a rejected bid means

A rejected bid means the logistics company did not take your rate. The app does not show a reason when a person rejects it. If a bid is rejected automatically as soon as you submit it, the message says your bid was above the highest rate the logistics company set.

With a rejected bid you can:

  • Open the posting and bid again with a new amount, as long as the posting is still up.
  • Ask the logistics company about it in the chat.
  • Choose the X next to Rejected (Remove from active bids) to take it off your list.

If you cannot bid on a posting at all, see Why can't I bid on a posting?

Still stuck?

Email us and a person on our team will answer. Send the posting link or a screenshot if you have one.

carriers@cargado.comfor carrierssuccess@cargado.comfor brokers and shippers

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