Section 01
Getting Started
TruckRate Pro gives you a full all-in freight quote in 30 seconds — fuel, tolls, linehaul, and drayage combined into one number. Here's how to get your first quote.
1
Sign In or Start Free
Click Sign In in the top right. New users get 3 free quotes — no credit card required. Existing subscribers sign in with their email and password.
2
Choose Your Mode
Three tabs at the top of the calculator: Standard Route for regular truckload, Intermodal for container moves, and Bulk Quote for uploading spreadsheets. Intermodal is the default.
3
Try the Example
Click "⚡ Try Example: Chicago → Atlanta" on the homepage to see a live quote pre-filled. This runs a real Chicago, IL to Atlanta, GA calculation so you can see every number before entering your own loads.
💡 Great for showing the tool to a shipper
What's included in every quote: Diesel fuel cost by origin state · Real truck toll calculations · DAT linehaul benchmarks (Low/Mid/High) · Your margin applied · All-in customer rate · Per-mile breakdown
Live Diesel Prices
AAA fuel prices updated daily by state. Illinois, California, Texas — each state has a real current price, not a national average.
Real Truck Tolls
TollGuru calculates actual plaza-by-plaza toll charges for 18-wheelers — not a flat estimate.
DAT Benchmarks
183 US freight corridors matched against DAT market data — Low, Mid, and High rates for your specific lane.
Your Margin Applied
Set your target margin % and the all-in customer quote is calculated automatically. Change it anytime.
Section 02
Standard Route Quote
Use Standard Route for dry van, reefer, flatbed, step deck, and tanker loads moving point-to-point without intermodal rail.
1
Enter Origin & Destination
Type any US city, state, ZIP code, or full address. Google autocomplete will suggest matches. Select the correct location from the dropdown — this locks in the exact coordinates for accurate mileage and toll routing.
💡 Works with city+state (Chicago, IL), ZIP (60601), or full address
2
Set Your Equipment & Margin
Select truck type from the dropdown — Dry Van, Reefer, Flatbed, Step Deck, or Tanker. Each has a different linehaul rate multiplier. Set your target margin percentage — default is 20%.
3
Configure Options
In the Options panel toggle what applies to your load: Overweight (adds 18% fuel surcharge), Hazmat, Scale Station Alerts, Fuel Stop Suggestions, AI Insights, and Chassis Fee ($45/day).
4
Click Generate Quote
The orange button runs the full calculation. You'll see the route on the map, drive time, your cost breakdown, and the all-in customer quote in the orange box.
Pro tip: The fuel price auto-fills based on your origin state. If you're picking up in Illinois ($6.00/gal) vs Texas ($4.58/gal) — that's a $165 difference on a 760-mile load. Always verify your pickup state is correct.
| Equipment Type | Rate Multiplier | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Dry Van 53' | 1.00× | General freight, palletized goods |
| Reefer | 1.28× | Temperature-controlled, food, pharma |
| Flatbed | 1.18× | Steel, lumber, machinery, building materials |
| Step Deck | 1.25× | Tall freight, equipment, vehicles |
| Tanker | 1.22× | Liquid bulk, chemicals, food grade |
Section 03
Intermodal Calculator
The most powerful part of TruckRate Pro. Intermodal moves have 3 cost legs — pickup drayage, rail linehaul, and delivery drayage. We calculate all three automatically across 98 US terminals.
1
Enter Pickup & Delivery Addresses
Enter the actual shipper address and consignee address. TruckRate Pro will automatically find the nearest intermodal terminal to each location and calculate drayage for both legs.
2
Select Your Rail Terminal
A dropdown shows the nearest intermodal terminals — BNSF, UP, CSX, NS, CN. Select the terminal you're using. The system automatically calculates origin drayage (shipper → terminal) and destination drayage (terminal → consignee).
💡 Toggle "Return Leg" if you're pricing the container back empty
3
Review the 3-Leg Breakdown
Results show each leg separately: Pickup Drayage (base + per-mile from your market), Rail Linehaul (Low/Mid/High), Delivery Drayage. The orange box shows the total all-in quote.
Drayage rates by market: Port of LA, Chicago, Houston, Savannah, New York/NJ, Atlanta, Dallas, Seattle, Memphis, Kansas City, Charlotte, and Detroit each have their own base rate + per-mile formula. Port of LA drayage ≠ Chicago drayage.
Port of LA / Long Beach
Base $285 + $3.20/mi. BNSF/UP connections. Rail transit to Chicago: 4–5 days.
Chicago (BNSF)
Base $245 + $2.85/mi. Largest intermodal hub in North America. 2–3 day rail to major markets.
Savannah / Georgia Ports
Base $265 + $3.05/mi. CSX/NS connections. Fastest growing East Coast port.
Rail Transit Times
Every intermodal quote shows estimated rail transit time — BNSF, UP, CSX, NS — so you can set accurate customer delivery windows.
Section 04
Bulk Quote Professional
Upload any spreadsheet with origin and destination columns. TruckRate Pro auto-detects your column format — Port/CY, Door, Origin, Destination, whatever your template uses — and quotes every row.
1
Click "📊 Bulk Quote" Tab
Switch to the Bulk Quote tab in the calculator. You'll see the upload drop zone immediately, with a guide showing what column names we look for.
2
Upload Your Excel or CSV
Drag and drop your file onto the drop zone, or click to browse. Supports .xlsx, .xls, and .csv. Any column format works — we auto-detect Origin, Destination, Equipment, Miles, Base Target, and Bid Rate columns regardless of what they're named.
💡 Download our template first if you're starting from scratch
3
Confirm Column Detection
After upload, a column map shows what we detected. Green checkmarks = found. Red = required column not found. If something's wrong, click "⚙️ Manually Map Columns" to select the correct column from a dropdown.
4
Set Speed & Margin, Then Generate
Set your default margin % (can be per-row in the spreadsheet). Choose speed: Normal (300ms/row), Fast (150ms), or Turbo (80ms). Click ⚡ Generate All Quotes. Watch the live dashboard as each row completes.
5
Download Excel with Quotes Filled In
When complete, click 📥 Download Excel. Your original file comes back with all original columns plus: Fuel Cost, Tolls, Linehaul Low/Mid/High, Your Cost, BID RATE, All-In Quote, Per Mile, Rate Confidence, and Vs Base Target.
Tip — If you have a "Point-to-Point Miles" column: We'll use those miles directly and skip Google Maps geocoding. This makes the run significantly faster and is more accurate if your miles are verified truck miles.
| Column Name Variations | Detected As |
|---|---|
| Port/CY, CY, Port, Origin, From, Pickup, Shipper | 📍 Origin |
| Door, Destination, To, Delivery, Consignee, Final Delivery | 🎯 Destination |
| Equipment, Truck Type, Trailer, Load Type, Mode | 🚛 Equipment |
| Point-to-Point Miles, Miles, Distance, Mileage | 📏 Miles (skips geocoding) |
| Base Target, Target Rate, Benchmark, Current Rate | 📊 Base Target |
| Bid Rate, Your Rate, Quote Rate, Award Rate | ✏️ Bid Rate output |
| Toll, Tolls, Toll Cost, Highway Tolls | 🛣️ Separate Toll Column |
Separate Tolls Mode: If your RFP has a dedicated Toll column, we automatically detect it and output the base rate WITHOUT tolls in the Bid Rate column, and tolls separately. If no toll column exists, tolls are included in the all-in quote. No configuration needed — it's automatic.
Row limits by plan:
| Plan | Max Rows | Turbo Speed |
|---|---|---|
| Solo / Starter | ✗ Not available | — |
| Professional $399 | ✓ 1,500 rows | ~2 minutes |
| Enterprise $799 | ✓ 5,000 rows | ~6.5 minutes |
Section 05
Low / Mid / High Rate Selector
Every quote shows three DAT market rates for your lane — Low, Mid, and High. Click any rate box to instantly recalculate the customer quote at that rate level.
1
Run a Quote First
After clicking Generate Quote, scroll down to the Linehaul Benchmarks section. You'll see three colored boxes: green (Low), orange (Mid ★), red (High) with the dollar amount and $/mile for each.
2
Click to Switch Rates
Click Low to quote at the competitive rate — wins price-sensitive shippers. Click High to quote at peak market rate — good when capacity is tight. The orange customer quote box updates instantly.
💡 Click unlimited times — no lockout
3
Read the Context Label
Below the rate boxes a label explains your selection: "Quoting at LOW rate — competitive, wins price-sensitive shippers" or "HIGH rate — premium margin, tight capacity lanes." Changes color with each selection.
When to use each:
🟢 Low — New customer relationship · Shipper shopping on price · Backhaul you want to fill
🟡 Mid — Standard quotes · Existing relationships · When you don't know the market
🔴 High — Tight capacity week · Shipper with no options · Specialized equipment · Last-minute loads
🟢 Low — New customer relationship · Shipper shopping on price · Backhaul you want to fill
🟡 Mid — Standard quotes · Existing relationships · When you don't know the market
🔴 High — Tight capacity week · Shipper with no options · Specialized equipment · Last-minute loads
Section 06
Quote History
Every quote you run is automatically saved. Search, filter by date, download as CSV, requote with today's prices, or pull up a PDF of any past quote.
1
Open Quote History
Click the 📋 History button in the navigation bar. A drawer slides open from the right showing your last quotes with route, quote amount, and date.
2
Search & Filter
Use the search box to find quotes by city or state. Use the date filter tabs — All / 7 days / 30 days / 90 days — to narrow by time period.
3
Requote with Today's Prices
Click the ↺ Requote button on any history card. The original route loads into the calculator and runs a fresh calculation with today's fuel prices and current market rates. Instantly compare what a load cost last month vs today.
4
Export to CSV
Click 📊 Export CSV to download your full quote history as a spreadsheet — Date, Route, Miles, Drive Time, Fuel, Tolls, Drayage, Linehaul, Cost, Quote, Margin, Per Mile, Mode.
Section 07
AI Dispatch Insights Professional
After every quote, AI generates 4 numbered tips specific to your route — fuel context, HOS compliance, market rate comparison, and how to win the shipper conversation.
1
Enable AI Insights
In the Options panel, toggle AI Quote Insights to ON (it's on by default). The AI section appears below your quote results after each calculation.
2
Read Your 4 Tips
Each tip is specific to your actual numbers — fuel price today, your margin, the DAT rate for that corridor, drive time vs HOS limits. Not generic advice — lane-specific intelligence.
What the AI knows about your quote: Current diesel price at origin state · Your margin % · DAT Low/Mid/High for that lane · Whether the route exceeds 11 hours (HOS break required) · Whether fuel is elevated above normal · How your quote compares to market mid
HOS Alert: If your route exceeds 11 hours drive time, the AI will flag it: "Route exceeds 11 hours — this is a 2-day delivery. Confirm HOS compliance with your carrier and set customer expectations for a delivery window, not a specific time."
Section 08
Scale Station Alerts Professional
50 weigh stations across 18 states mapped to major highway corridors. Every quote shows which scales are on your route so carriers can plan accordingly.
1
Enable Scale Alerts
Toggle ⚠ Scale Station Alerts in the Options panel. After generating a quote, a yellow alert section appears showing every weigh station on your route.
2
Review Each Station
Each alert shows: State · Highway · Location description · Milepost. Example:
IL — I-57 Southbound — Manteno (MP 315)
Share with your carrier: Copy the scale list and send it with your rate confirmation. Carriers appreciate the heads-up — it builds trust and reduces surprises on overweight loads.
States with scale data:
IllinoisIndianaMichiganOhio
WisconsinMinnesotaIowaMissouri
KentuckyTennesseeGeorgiaFlorida
TexasCaliforniaNevadaPennsylvania
New YorkNew Jersey
Section 09
PDF Export & Sharing
Every quote can be exported as a professional PDF, emailed directly to a shipper, or downloaded as CSV. Here's how to use each option.
Export PDF Quote
Click the 🖨 Export PDF Quote button after running a quote. Opens a print-ready PDF with your company branding, route details, full cost breakdown, and the all-in customer quote. Send directly to shippers.
Email Quote
Click ✉ Email Quote to open your email client with a pre-formatted quote in the body — route, fuel, tolls, linehaul, grand total, per-mile. Just add the recipient and send.
CSV Export
Click 📊 Export CSV in Quote History to download all your quotes as a spreadsheet. Includes every data point — great for accounting and rate tracking.
Save Lane
Click ⭐ Save This Lane to add the route to your saved lanes list. One click to requote the same origin/destination with today's prices.
Company branding on PDF: Go to Account → upload your company logo. It appears on every PDF quote you export. Professional presentation for shipper conversations.
Section 10
REST API Enterprise
The TruckRate Pro API lets you generate full freight quotes programmatically — send origin, destination, and equipment, get back fuel, tolls, linehaul, and an all-in quote in JSON.
1
Get Your API Key
Enterprise subscribers receive their API key via email after signup. Contact billing@truckrate.pro if you haven't received it.
2
Make Your First Request
POST to
https://truckrate.pro/api/quote with your origin, destination, equipment, and API key. Returns a full JSON breakdown in under 3 seconds.{
"apiKey": "trp_live_your_key",
"origin": "Chicago, IL",
"destination": "Atlanta, GA",
"equipment": "van",
"margin": 20
}
Use cases: Embed rate intelligence in your TMS · Auto-quote incoming load requests · Build custom pricing tools for your team · Integrate with your CRM for instant freight quotes on opportunities
📄 View Full API Documentation →
Section 11
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions from dispatchers and sales reps.
How accurate are the fuel prices? +
Fuel prices are sourced from AAA's Fuel Gauge (gasprices.aaa.com) via daily automated scraping. Updated every day at midnight Chicago time. These are retail pump averages by state — the same prices AAA publishes publicly. Real-world prices at a specific truck stop may vary by $0.05–$0.20 depending on the brand and location.
Where do the linehaul rates come from? +
DAT Solutions spot rate benchmarks — the industry standard for freight rate intelligence. We have 183 US freight corridors mapped. If your exact lane isn't in our corridor database, we calculate from national average $/mile rates adjusted by equipment type. The Low/Mid/High range reflects the DAT market spread for that lane.
How are tolls calculated? +
Tolls are calculated using TollGuru, which routes your specific origin and destination and calculates actual plaza-by-plaza toll charges for 18-wheel commercial vehicles. This accounts for truck rates (which differ from passenger car rates), and covers all major toll roads in the US including I-Pass, E-ZPass, and SunPass systems.
What's the difference between the customer quote and my cost? +
Your Cost = Fuel + Tolls + Linehaul (what you pay to move the load). Customer Quote = Your Cost + Your Margin. The orange box always shows the customer-facing all-in quote. The cost breakdown below it shows each component separately so you can verify the math.
Can I use Bulk Quote on any Excel format? +
Yes. The column detector reads your headers and identifies Origin, Destination, Equipment, Miles, Margin, and Bid Rate regardless of what they're named. It handles Port/CY, Door, From, To, Ship From, Consignee, and dozens of other naming variations. If auto-detection misses something, use the "Manually Map Columns" button to select from a dropdown.
What happens if the browser closes during a Bulk Quote run? +
Progress is saved to your browser every 10 rows. If you close the tab and reopen TruckRate Pro, a banner will appear in the Bulk Quote tab: "X quotes from your last session — Restore." Click Restore to download all completed quotes as Excel.
Does the quote include chassis fees for intermodal? +
Yes — toggle "Chassis Fee" in the Options panel to add $45/day chassis rental to your drayage cost. This is included in the all-in quote when enabled. Turn it off for moves where chassis is included in the ocean carrier rate or provided by the shipper.
Can I quote loads I've already moved to see if I priced them right? +
Yes. Go to Quote History, find the load, click "↺ Requote." This loads the original route into the calculator and runs a fresh calculation with today's prices. You can also check what the market rate was on a historical date by entering the load manually — use the origin and destination and see today's DAT benchmarks for that lane.
Is there a mobile app? +
TruckRate Pro is a web application that works on mobile browsers. Open truckrate.pro on your iPhone or Android browser. The calculator is fully responsive — you can run quotes on your phone while on the road. For the best mobile experience, add it to your home screen as a bookmark.
How do I cancel my subscription? +
Go to Account → Subscription → Cancel Plan. Type CANCEL to confirm. Your access continues until the end of your billing period. No penalties, no runaround. See our Cancellation Policy for full details.