# Compare freight carrier bids and award shipping lanes

Normalizes carrier quotes by lane, scores cost and service, and recommends primary and backup carriers per lane.

- Topic: Data & Analysis
- Framework: Few-Shot
- Level: Advanced
- Tags: Analyze, Fill-in Template
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/compare-freight-carrier-bids-and-award-shipping-lanes

## Prompt

```text
Help me compare carrier bids and decide which carrier gets each lane.

**Mode:** [TRUCKLOAD / LTL / PARCEL / OCEAN / AIR / INTERMODAL]
**Lanes and volumes:** [ORIGIN-DESTINATION, SHIPMENTS OR LOADS PER WEEK, SEASONALITY]
**Bids received:** [PASTE CARRIER RATES PER LANE - linehaul, fuel surcharge basis, minimums, accessorials]
**Service data:** [ON-TIME %, TENDER ACCEPTANCE %, CLAIMS RATE, TRANSIT TIMES - if known]
**Current carriers and rates:** [BASELINE]
**Fuel price assumption:** [e.g. current diesel index price per gallon]
**Expected accessorial frequency:** [e.g. "liftgate on 20% of loads", "detention on 1 in 10"]
**Award rules:** [e.g. "max 60% of a lane to one carrier", "keep incumbent unless savings over 5%"]

Steps:
1. Normalize rates so they are comparable: all-in cost per load or per unit, including fuel surcharge at my stated fuel price and accessorials at my stated frequency (detention, liftgate, residential).
2. Flag bids that look too low to hold (likely to be rejected at tender) or that hide costs in accessorials.
3. Score each carrier per lane on cost and service, using weights I confirm (suggest a default).
4. Recommend a primary and backup carrier per lane, and an estimate of annual spend vs. baseline.

Use only data I provide; mark gaps [ADD DATA] and do not assume service performance for carriers with no history.

Return:
1. A lane table: Lane | Volume | Carrier | All-in rate | Service score | Recommendation.
2. Total annual cost vs. baseline and where the savings come from.
3. Risks in the award (concentration, capacity in peak season).
4. Questions to send carriers to clarify their bids before award.
```

## What to fill in

- TRUCKLOAD / LTL / PARCEL / OCEAN / AIR / INTERMODAL
- ORIGIN-DESTINATION, SHIPMENTS OR LOADS PER WEEK, SEASONALITY
- BASELINE
- e.g. current diesel index price per gallon
- e.g. "liftgate on 20% of loads", "detention on 1 in 10"
- ADD DATA

Free to copy and use. From ThinkWithPrompt (https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/), a library of 2,663 curated AI prompts.