A new shipper inquiry is easier to handle when the essential load details arrive together. Your intake workflow should produce a clear brief and highlight what is still missing.
Start with the lane and timing
Capture origin and destination, including postal codes when available. Ask for pickup and delivery dates and whether either appointment is fixed. Distinguish a requested time from a confirmed appointment.
Identify the equipment and load
Ask about equipment type, commodity, weight, dimensions, and handling requirements relevant to your operation. Record uncertainty rather than filling gaps with assumptions. Your team should review special requirements before making a commitment.
Confirm the commercial contact
Collect the shipper’s company, contact name, callback number, and email. Ask where the quote should be sent and whether there is a reference number to include. Read back the important details before ending the conversation.
Keep the quote under the right control
An intake agent and a pricing system do different jobs. Unless you have an approved pricing workflow with current inputs, the agent should prepare a quote request for a broker to review. It should not invent rates or promise capacity.
Make missing information visible
A brief with an explicit missing-detail field is more useful than a polished summary that hides uncertainty. Decide which missing fields should stop the workflow and which can be clarified by a broker.
Test the process with the people who actually prepare quotes. Their feedback will tell you whether intake is shortening the path to a useful response.