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How do I bid on a load or lane?

Open a posting from the Load board. Book now at the pre-approved rate if one is shown, or enter your rate and choose Submit bid.

Carrier
Updated
October 1, 2026

Click a posting on the Load board to open it, then use the dark bid card. If the posting shows a button such as Book now for USD $5,470, you can take that rate. Otherwise, enter your rate and choose Submit bid.

Step 1: Open the posting

Click a row on the Load board. The posting shows its details in sections such as Stops, Equipment and Carrier & Driver Requirements. Check the requirements before you bid.

A Load posting from Pied Piper Logistics open over the Load board, Monterrey, NLE, MEX to Chattanooga, TN, USA. The dark bid card below the summary shows “Book now for USD $3,950”, “Or submit a bid” and fields for the Mexico portion, the border crossing and the United States portion.
The dark bid card sits below the posting summary.

Step 2: Book now at the pre-approved rate

Some postings show a button such as Book now for USD $5,470. That is a rate the logistics company has already approved. To take it, choose the button, then choose Confirm book now. On a lane, enter how many loads you can handle before you confirm. Cancel book now backs out.

Top of the dark bid card with the button “Book now for USD $3,950” and the line “Or submit a bid” under it.
The Book now for button shows a rate the logistics company has already approved.

On a Load or a Lane, you then see Rate Accepted!. On a Potential Load or Potential Lane, you see Bid used!: the logistics company uses your rate to bid for that freight.

Step 3: Or submit your own bid

Enter your rate in the bid fields. If the posting has a Book now for button, the fields are under Or submit a bid. Cross-border postings have one field per leg, for example the Mexico portion, the border crossing and the United States portion. A leg marked Pre-set transfer has no field. Total shows the full amount of your bid. On a lane, also enter how many loads you can handle. Then choose Submit bid.

Bid fields on a cross-border posting, filled in: Mexico portion (140 mi) USD 700, Border Crossing (Laredo, TX - Intl Bridge) USD 200 and United States portion (1,130 mi) USD 3,200, with Total USD $4,100 and the blue “Submit bid” button.
Enter one amount per leg. Total shows the full amount of your bid.

On a posting with a Book now for button, your bid has to be higher than that rate. A bid at or below it shows a message asking you to book now or bid higher.

Tip: Not sure what to bid? If Rates shows in your left menu, look up the lane there. See market rates for carriers.

What happens after you bid

  • The logistics company may accept some bids automatically. A bid can also come back right away with a counteroffer, or be rejected if it is above the highest rate the logistics company set.
  • If your bid goes to the logistics company for review, you see Bid submitted! and get a notification when they answer.
  • While your bid waits for an answer, you can choose Edit bid to change your rate, or Revoke to withdraw it. Revoking asks you to confirm, and after that the logistics company can no longer accept that bid.
  • Bids lists your open bids on postings that are still up, including counteroffers and rejected bids. Accepted bids leave the list. See How do I answer a counteroffer or see why a bid was rejected?
The bid card after submitting: a “Bid submitted!” banner says Pied Piper Logistics has been notified, followed by the three leg amounts, Total USD $4,100, and the buttons “Edit bid” and “Revoke”. The Contact Broker card sits below.
While your bid waits for an answer, Edit bid changes your rate and Revoke withdraws it.

Important: A Potential Load or Potential Lane is freight the logistics company has not won yet. If they pick your bid, they use your rate to negotiate with their customer. There is no guarantee it turns into freight.

Send a message with Contact Broker

The bid card has no message box. To add a note, such as where your empty truck is, click the Message... bar under Contact Broker, below the bid card. Your chat with the logistics company opens, and you type and send the note there. You can do this before or after you bid. The conversation stays under Chat.

The “Contact Broker” card under the dark bid card, with the “Message...” bar below the “Submit bid” button.
Click the Message... bar under Contact Broker to open your chat with the logistics company.
The Chat page with the Pied Piper Logistics chat open for Monterrey, NLE to Chattanooga, TN, showing “A notification was sent to Pied Piper Logistics” and an empty message box. Chats with Hooli Freight, Bachmanity Brokerage and Cargado are listed in the sidebar.
Your chat with the logistics company opens. Type your note in the message box and send it.

Phone numbers and email addresses are blocked in chat until a rate is accepted.

If the bid card does not show up, 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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