What to send a forwarder for a useful sea freight quote

A quotation answers the information you provide. If you ask only for “pallet transport from China”, the forwarder must make assumptions or send questions back. The fastest route to a comparable quote is a single enquiry defining the shipment, service scope and timing. Technical vocabulary is less important than separating confirmed facts from estimates.

Define where the service starts and ends

Provide the countries and full collection and delivery addresses, including postcodes. Port names alone are sufficient only for a deliberate port-to-port request. If you do not know which port to use, give the addresses and request a routing proposal. The nearest port on a map is not automatically the right choice.

Add the Incoterms® rule, named place and edition. Explain which activities the supplier handles and which you want to commission. Factory collection and transport starting at the origin terminal are different scopes, even with the same destination port.

Say whether you need customs services, insurance, delivery appointments, a fixed time window or unloading equipment. Their necessity does not mean they are automatically included in a quote.

Describe the shipping unit, not just the product

For each packaging group, give quantity, external dimensions and gross weight per unit, with units of measurement. Label the shipment total clearly if that is the weight you provide: “500 kg” could mean one pallet or the whole consignment. Mixed sizes require separate rows.

Include the pallet, packaging, handles and protruding parts in the dimensions. State stackability and any permitted top load or layer limit established by the responsible person. “Fragile” is not a complete restriction. Explain what cannot be placed on top and whether the unit may be turned.

Disclose batteries, liquids, chemicals, temperature requirements and unusually heavy items. These can affect acceptance, equipment and routing. If dangerous-goods classification is unknown, say that assessment is pending and obtain the supplier’s documentation. Missing information does not confirm ordinary cargo.

Separate readiness from required delivery

The cargo-ready date means the entire packed shipment can be released. The required delivery date expresses the receiver’s need. Give both so the proposed schedule can be assessed. Add a tolerance or date range where appropriate.

Explain whether the enquiry concerns an actual shipment, an early budget or recurring traffic. An estimate based on provisional dimensions should not later be treated as a firm price for changed cargo. Ask the forwarder to state assumptions and validity conditions.

An incomplete enquiry and a usable version

Incomplete: “What does it cost to ship 10 pallets to Poland? Ready next month.” Collection and delivery addresses, dimensions, weight, stacking, product, delivery terms and service scope are missing. A pallet count does not establish the required space or transport restrictions.

The template below uses fictional cargo data to demonstrate the format. It is not a real customer enquiry or offer. Complete the addresses and dates before sending it.

Please quote sea freight for one shipment:
Collection: [full address, country, postcode]. Delivery: [full warehouse address].
Rule: [Incoterms, named place, edition]. Service scope: [from–to, customs services, additional requirements].
Goods: [precise description, material, use]. Special requirements: [confirmed facts or assessment pending].
Illustrative shipment: 10 pallets, each 120 × 80 × 140 cm including packaging; 320 kg gross per pallet; 3,200 kg gross total. Non-stackable. Must remain upright.
Ready: [date]. Required delivery: [date or range]. Warehouse: [dock, hours, appointment].
Please state routing, timing assumptions, all charges with currencies and units, validity, exclusions, amendment conditions and free time. Separate confirmed conditions from items still awaiting confirmation.

The example volume is 10 × 1.20 × 0.80 × 1.40 = 13.44 m³, and weight is 10 × 320 = 3,200 kg. They are independent measurements. Non-stackability adds a space restriction; volume alone does not determine an LCL price or container choice.

Check the reply against the request

Compare the quotation with your original enquiry. Highlight missing legs, assumed dimensions and unloading conditions. Request clarification of “at actual cost” items instead of counting them as zero. Send the same data to every provider whose offer you intend to compare.

Confirm shipment parameters again before booking. If anything changes, issue a revised version showing the differences. Cargexo can check pallet placement using those dimensions, but a planner result does not confirm price, cargo acceptance or a securing design.