How to Read an Ocean Freight Quote: A 12-Point Comparison Checklist

Work through the checks below, or jump to the worked quote comparison and enquiry template.

1. Give every forwarder the same shipment brief

If one forwarder receives “5 CBM, Qingdao to Hamburg” and another receives “collect from the factory and deliver to our German warehouse”, their prices will cover different work. Even if both offers say “all-in”, one may cover only the port leg while the other includes pickup and delivery.

Standardise the following information. If production is unfinished and dimensions or weight are provisional, label them as estimates and agree how the final figures will be checked.

• Start and end points: pickup address, origin port and destination port. For delivery, include the full address, postcode and unloading arrangements.
• Cargo and packaging: commodity, package count, packaging type, gross weight, packed dimensions and total volume. State whether cargo is stackable and disclose batteries, liquids or other special characteristics.
• Shipping mode: specify container type and quantity for FCL, or volume and weight for LCL. “One container” is not a complete specification.
• Timing and responsibilities: cargo-ready date, delivery deadline, Incoterm with named place, and who will book and pay for each leg.

Mark each charge as included, fixed extra, estimated, conditional, excluded or to be confirmed. This shows how much of the total is settled and helps you check the invoice later. For fee abbreviations, see our ocean freight charges breakdown.

2. The 12-point freight quote checklist

01 | Confirm exactly where the service starts and ends

Identify the pickup or receiving point, final handover point and handling included. Port-to-port, warehouse-to-warehouse and door-to-door are different scopes. Container-yard handover (CY) for FCL also differs from container freight station handover (CFS) for LCL. “Qingdao–Hamburg” alone does not confirm factory collection, destination unpacking, cargo release or delivery.

Ask: “Which address or facility does this price start from, and at which handover event does it end? What costs fall before or after those points?”

02 | Check charging units, quantities and minimums

For FCL, match the container type and quantity, and distinguish charges per container from charges per shipment. For LCL, check weight or measurement (W/M), minimum charges, rounding and the remeasurement process. Pallets, packaging and non-stackable cargo can affect pricing; product net weight and unpacked dimensions are insufficient.

If the quote expressly uses the greater of cubic metres or metric tonnes, 5 CBM at 1.2 tonnes is billed at five units, subject to any minimums. DHL explains this LCL charging basis; confirm the conversion used by your selected service.

Ask: “Is each item charged per container, shipment, bill of lading or W/M? Are there minimums, and how can we verify a remeasurement?”

03 | Find the event that determines rate validity

“Valid until month-end” needs a qualifying event: booking submission, confirmation, gate-in, departure or another stated milestone. Check what happens if cargo is late or the sailing changes. Maersk notes that validity differs between quotes and is shown by the start and end dates. Asking for a price during that period does not, by itself, establish a rate lock.

Ask: “Which event must fall within the validity window? What can be repriced if the shipment or sailing changes?”

04 | Compare the carrier, route and timing

Check the carrier, direct or transshipment routing, estimated departure and arrival, and consolidation or destination handling schedules. “30-day transit” may refer only to the ocean leg. Factory-to-warehouse delivery also involves origin handling, release and inland transport. LCL buyers should ask about consolidation waiting time and when cargo will actually be available for collection.

Ask: “When does the quoted transit time start and finish? Is there transshipment? Are space and equipment confirmed, and what conditions apply to any loading commitment?”

05 | Identify all applicable origin charges

Within the requested scope, review pickup or trucking, warehouse receiving, handling, export clearance, terminal handling, documentation, seals and VGM services. Not every shipment incurs every fee. FCL buyers should check the loading-time allowance at the factory; LCL buyers should check unloading, palletising and warehouse handling.

If THC, ORC or similar descriptions appear together, ask which services and charging bases they cover. Similar abbreviations alone do not prove duplicate billing.

Ask: “What normal origin costs remain between the agreed receiving point and loading on board? Please give an itemised CNY subtotal for this shipment.”

06 | Establish which surcharges are included

Separate base ocean freight (O/F) from any applicable fuel, peak-season, congestion and manifest charges. You may see BAF, LSS, PSS, GRI or ETS, but applicability and inclusion depend on the route and product. Require an inclusion list for an “all-in” rate so an already included item is not added twice.

Ask: “Which applicable surcharges are included or extra? If any may change, what contractual provision and effective-date rule apply, and how will we be notified?”

07 | Match the Incoterm, service order and payer

Incoterms allocate responsibilities between buyer and seller; the forwarder’s quote describes the services being ordered. Also check who will be invoiced and who advances payment. “Freight Prepaid” or “Freight Collect” does not describe the entire cost allocation. For FOB shipments using a nominated forwarder, obtain origin charges before booking.

CIF does not mean delivery to your door. DAP and DDP allocate import formalities and taxes differently. Unloading charges also require a check of the transport contract, as discussed in ICC Academy’s explanation of DDP.

Ask: “Who bears each charge, and who is actually billed? Has the other party already purchased this service?”

08 | Confirm destination charges and delivery conditions

Depending on FCL or LCL, review destination handling, delivery order or release, deconsolidation, customs brokerage and delivery. For door delivery, the postcode, commercial or residential address, appointment, tail lift, unloading equipment and waiting allowance matter. Keep import duties and taxes separate from logistics service charges.

For LCL, a low ocean rate can be offset by destination minimum charges. Request the destination agent’s tariff or charge list with currency, validity and conditions, and obtain the consignee’s understanding before shipment.

Ask: “Which normal charges must the consignee pay before collection? Exactly what delivery services are included, estimated or extra?”

09 | Define free time and the cost of exceeding it

For FCL, confirm demurrage, detention and storage definitions, separate or combined counting, start and end events, calendar or working days, holidays and escalating rates. For LCL, check the destination CFS storage allowance. Container free time does not automatically cover every terminal or warehouse charge; Maersk’s D&D terms distinguish equipment use and storage, with local application.

Ask: “Which charge does the free-time offer cover, when does counting start and end, and where is the applicable tariff or written confirmation?”

10 | Align currency, exchange rates and payment terms

Keep original CNY, USD, EUR or other amounts visible, then convert using one internal budgeting rate. Separately confirm the settlement exchange-rate source, fixing date, fees and payment deadline. A rate used for comparison is not an agreement on the invoice exchange rate. Clarify applicable service taxes and invoicing arrangements as well.

Ask: “In which currency is each item settled, and when is the exchange rate fixed? What taxes, payment milestones and document or cargo-release conditions apply?”

11 | Read amendment, cancellation and no-show terms

If production timing is uncertain, review cancellation, late tendering, destination changes, container-count changes and document amendments before committing. Maersk Spot terms, for example, provide for fees or repricing in specified circumstances. One product’s rules are not universal booking rules.

Ask: “What is the last point for changing or cancelling? Are fees per shipment or container? Which carrier and forwarder fees apply, and what triggers a new rate?”

12 | Document conditional costs, insurance and exception handling

Inspection, extra handling, waiting, storage, redelivery or repacking may only be priced once an event occurs. Ask for triggers, charging evidence, notification arrangements and a named contact. Agree which work needs advance approval and how urgent action will be recorded. Confirm whether cargo insurance is included, its insured value and coverage.

Ask: “Which costs remain outside this total, what triggers them and how are they supported? Who contacts us and assists with damage or delays?”

After these checks, resolve “to be confirmed” items before choosing a service. Lower rates can reflect legitimate differences in routing, sailing dates or service combinations. The aim is to understand what the price buys and whether it meets your deadline.

3. Worked comparison: USD 40/W/M versus USD 60/W/M

All amounts and exchange rates below are invented for teaching. They are not Mighty Shipping quotations, market rates or a customer case. Assume 5 CBM of general cargo weighing 1,200 kg, billed at five W/M units with no additional minimum. Both services run from receiving at a named Qingdao CFS to release at a named Hamburg CFS, with the agreed normal handling included. Routing, sailing, free time and service conditions are assumed equal.

The comparison combines buyer and seller costs for that scope without allocating payment responsibility. Both offers exclude China pickup, import customs brokerage, duties and import taxes, final delivery, insurance and exceptional costs. The result is not a door-to-door landed cost.

Illustrative LCL quotes: identical shipment and scope

Charge	Quote A	Quote B
Ocean rate, agreed surcharges included	USD 40/W/M	USD 60/W/M
Ocean subtotal: rate × 5	USD 200	USD 300
Normal origin handling subtotal	CNY 950	CNY 650
Destination deconsolidation and handling	EUR 180	EUR 90
Destination release documents	EUR 70	EUR 55
Other confirmed destination handling	EUR 45	EUR 35
Destination subtotal	EUR 295	EUR 180
Converted comparison total	CNY 4,710	CNY 4,190

Using illustrative comparison rates of CNY 7.00 per USD and CNY 8.00 per EUR:

• A: 200 × 7 + 950 + 295 × 8 = CNY 4,710.
• B: 300 × 7 + 650 + 180 × 8 = CNY 4,190.
• Result: B has the higher ocean unit rate but costs CNY 520 less for the same scope in this example.

For a real comparison, expand bundled “handling” and “other” lines into an itemised breakdown. Record differences in routing, free time or delivery commitments separately. Budget uncertain inspection or storage charges as scenarios rather than presenting them as confirmed costs.

4. A freight enquiry template you can reuse

Complete these fields and send the same brief to every forwarder involved in your comparison.

“Please quote origin, ocean and destination charges for this shipment and scope. Show each rate, quantity and currency, marking items as included, extra, estimated, conditional or excluded. Please include the carrier and routing, estimated transit, validity dates and qualifying event, space-confirmation conditions, free time and excess rates, amendment/cancellation charges, and payment terms. Mark unresolved items as to be confirmed and state what further information you need.”

5. Confirm the scope before booking

For shipments from Shandong factories, the quote should connect to practical pickup, loading, warehousing and export-clearance arrangements. Send Mighty Shipping your cargo details, deadline and requested scope to discuss FCL or LCL ocean transport and supporting warehousing and trucking.

Frequently asked questions

References and further reading

Sources checked on 23 September 2026 for charging methods and contractual structure. Carrier product terms apply to their relevant services. Use the agreed quotation, booking documents and applicable terms for your shipment.

• Maersk — Quote validity
• Maersk — Terms for Spot Booking
• Maersk — Terms for Detention and Demurrage
• DHL Global Forwarding — The Cost Drivers of LCL Rates
• ICC Academy — EXW and DDP under Incoterms® 2020