The whole loop for a new account: set it up, price it, post it, work the bids.
New account? Start here. This is the whole loop — set it up, price it, post it, work the bids — in about nine minutes. Every part stands on its own, so if you only need one, take one.
The four parts
- Part 1 · Set up your account — 1:42. The right people invited, freight split the way your desk works, and your own carrier vetting still in charge.
- Part 2 · Price it first — 1:53. A rate on the lane before you quote it: in the app, in Excel for a whole RFP, or through the API.
- Part 3 · Post it right — 3:05. A posting carriers actually bid on, and the three habits worth building from day one.
- Part 4 · Work your bids — 1:35. Every bid answered, a carrier booked, and loads flowing straight out of your TMS.
Signed this week?
Your first week: five things brokers ask us — five things brokers tell us on their first call after signing, and what is actually true. Two minutes, and it will save you a week.
Before you start
Ten minutes of setup saves hours of chasing later. You will need:
- An admin on your account. Admins manage people, teams and settings, so you will need one for the invites and the workspace setup. If you are not sure who yours is, ask your success manager.
- Your carrier onboarding link — the one you send carriers today (Highway, RMIS, MyCarrierPackets, or your own form).
- Your do-not-use list, if you keep one.
- Your Microsoft 365 admin, if you want the Excel add-in. They deploy it once for the whole company.
The setup checklist
- Turn on the alert channels you will actually read — email, WhatsApp or push
- Invite everyone who touches cross-border freight (every plan includes unlimited users)
- Name two or three admins
- Create a workspace per office or agent, and mark the private ones private
- Send your success manager your carrier onboarding link
- Send your success manager your do-not-use list
- Deploy the Excel add-in through your Microsoft 365 admin
- Post your first load, and message three to five suggested carriers the same day
- Answer every bid that comes back, the same day
If you only have two minutes
Three things worth doing from day one:
- Put the details in the posting. Commodity, weight, packaging, hazmat, the certifications the shipper actually requires, and real pickup windows. Every detail lets a carrier rule themselves in or out before anyone picks up the phone.
- Don't post and wait. Message three to five suggested carriers as soon as you post.
- Answer every bid. Carriers notice unanswered bids, and they stop bidding on your freight.
Stuck on something specific?
Email success@cargado.com, or bring it to your success manager. The fastest thing to bring us is a posting that is not getting bids — that is the one we can fix quickest.
