This guide will explain how to find and post loads as a Freight Forwarder on The Exchange.
You can do it via the desktop platform or the CX Fleet app if you’re on the go or out of the office.
- Where to find and manage your quotes
- How to view a member’s feedback
- How to advertise loads to specific members (Premium feature)
- How to find loads as a Freight Forwarder (Premium feature)
Where to find and manage your quotes
To review all quotes received on posted loads:
Step 1) Click Quotes from the top menu bar.
Step 2)The page will display all the quotes received on active loads (recently posted) by default. To view old quotes (cancelled or completed), click Archive
Step 3) Your quotes will appear alongside the load posting information so you can easily view quotes for several loads all at once
Here’s what you’ll see:
- The name of the carriers that have quoted on your load;
- The vehicle size and type they Operate;
-
The carriers feedback summary represented by:
- Positive
- Negative
- Neutral
- Complaint
- The date and time the quote was made;
- The carrier’s contact number;
- The amount the carrier quoted;
- An ETA (if one has been supplied);
- Distance (if the carrier is tracking);
Step 4) If you hover your mouse over an active load, you have the option to Dismiss or Book (accept) the carrier’s quote.
Click Book if you accept their quote.
If you choose to dismiss their quote, it will change to grey, and you won’t be able to make any further actions on it.
Step 5) After clicking Book the booking form will appear with the carrier’s information already completed.
Step 6) Click Send Confirmation to complete the process and allocate that load to your chosen carrier. They will then receive your booking confirmation and it will be visible in their Diary.
How to view a member’s feedback
Trust and accountability are vital when subcontracting work. The Exchange’s feedback system is in place to help you find the best carrier for your load requirements.
When viewing quotes submitted by carriers, there is a small summary showing the number of positive, negative, neutral or complaint feedbacks a carrier has received, which are each represented by a different icon.
- Positive
- Negative
- Neutral
- Complaint
If you would like to see a more detailed overview of the feedback received by the carrier placing a quote, click on the carrier’s name to bring up their feedback overview.
You can choose to view all feedback received by the carrier or filter by positive or negative. As a Freight Forwarder, it’s important to pay attention to the delivery performance feedback. Checking carriers’ feedback is also an excellent way to find regular subcontractors with a trusted record.
How to advertise loads to specific members (Premium feature)
The premium Freight Forwarder subscription has exclusive features that other subscription types don’t have.
A key advantage of this subscription type is ‘Cascading loads’, providing you with the ability to advertise to specific carriers so your load will only be visible to those who you have previously added to a select group. Cascading loads is a great way to continue to build relationships made with preferred subcontractors on the Exchange.
To take advantage of cascading loads, you first need to create a group of carriers you want to advertise the load to.
Here’s how to create a group:
Step 1) Click on the drop-down icon in the top menu.
Step 2) Under settings, click Other
Step 3) Click on Groups from the list of options.
Step 4) Create a name for your group so you can easily find it, then add the chosen carriers to your group by searching for their name or member ID in the box. Once you’ve found who you’re looking for, click Add to Group
Step 5) Click Save to confirm your group.
Carriers successfully added to your group will be visible to you in a list on the Groups page.
To cascade loads to your created groups before the general Exchange:
Step 1)Head to the Post Load form.
Step 2) Scroll down to or click Who do you want to notify? on the form.
Step 3) Click the drop-down menu to select which group you wish to advertise the load to.
If your load isn’t sold to one of your preferred subcontractors by a certain time, you have the option to advertise to a chosen group. If the load isn’t sold to that group, you can advertise to the next group. If the load still isn’t sold, you can advertise to the general Exchange. Our system will do this all automatically for you, so you don’t have to worry about reposting a load if your preferred subcontractors are unavailable.
How to find loads as a Freight Forwarder (Premium feature)
An exclusive feature of Freight Forwarder premium subscription is the ability to add your own subcontractors, with this feature you can place quotes on loads yourself.
To find loads using the List View’
Step 1) Click on the Loads tab.
This is where you’ll find all posted load opportunities.
Step 2)By using the search loads filter to the left of the screen, it narrows down the suitable loads
available to you.
Step 3) To start searching for a load, enter your From and To location and adjust the radius you’re
willing to pick up loads in.
Step 4) Adjust the minimum and maximum filters using the drop-down list to match your vehicle, so the system doesn’t show you loads greater than what your vehicle can carry.
We suggest setting the minimum filter slider to a smaller vehicle size to keep your options open.
A good idea would be to click ‘Save as Default’ so you don’t have to re-key the same data when
searching for loads.
Step 5) Use the date filter to customise results based on your availability, freight preferences, and body type. Remember, the search results will reflect all filters applied. The more filters you add, the
narrower your search will be, meaning you will see fewer loads.
Step 6) At the top of the Search Load Results tab, you can view loads that are on-demand
Regular, and Daily hire.
- On Demand – Loads that are posted as and when they are needed.
- Regular Load – Loads that have a regular posting schedule like every Monday to Friday, available on each of these days.
- Daily Hire – Loads that require your services for a full day.
To find loads using the Interactive Freight Radar Map:
With your premium subscription, you have access to the Freight Radar Map when searching for loads as well as the standard list view.
The map is fully interactive and is useful for quickly seeing where there is a demand for load transportation.
Step 1)From the top menu bar click Loads.
Step 2) If you aren’t immediately taken to the Freight Radar Map you may need to manually change the viewing option from list view by selecting ‘Interactive Freight Radar Map’
The Freight Radar Map will now be shown.
Load postings on the map are represented by stars and arrows.
If you see a star icon, those are clusters of loads near to the location. The numbers within the stars are the number of available loads.
A single arrow represents a single load near that location.
The load postings are two different colours:
- Purple – the load is over 10 minutes old.
- Turquoise – the load has been posted recently.
By hovering your mouse over a star or arrow, you’ll be shown the direction the load or loads need to travel in.
Step 3) Click on a load posting to view the details.
If the member accepts eQuotes you can press Quote Now on the load. If they don’t allow eQuotes, they would have included contact numbers you can use to submit your quotes.