# Price a truckload lane quote that covers my true cost per mile

Builds a lane rate from fully loaded operating cost, deadhead, dwell, and market data, with a floor price and quote options.

- Topic: Sales
- Framework: RTF
- Level: Standard
- Tags: Fill-in Template
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/price-a-truckload-lane-quote-that-covers-my-true-cost-per-mile

## Prompt

```text
Help me price a quote for a freight lane.

**Lane:** [ORIGIN, DESTINATION, LOADED MILES]
**Equipment:** [dry van / reefer / flatbed / other]
**Volume and frequency:** [e.g. "3 loads per week, 12-month contract" or "one spot load"]
**Our costs:** [fuel cost per mile, driver pay per mile or hour, maintenance and tires per mile, insurance, truck and trailer payments, overhead - or total cost per mile if known]
**Deadhead expected:** [MILES TO PICKUP, AND LIKELY EMPTY MILES AFTER DELIVERY]
**Dwell time expected:** [HOURS AT PICKUP AND DELIVERY]
**Market data:** [spot and contract rates for this lane from a rate index or recent quotes - or "none"]
**Backhaul options at destination:** [STRONG / WEAK / UNKNOWN]
**Customer:** [direct shipper or broker, payment terms]

Do the following:
1. Calculate our cost for the full round trip, including deadhead and time lost to dwell.
2. Set a floor rate (break-even) and a target rate with margin.
3. Compare to market rates and say whether this lane is a headhaul or backhaul market for us.
4. Recommend linehaul plus fuel surcharge structure versus an all-in rate, and which accessorials to state in the quote.
5. Note risks: fuel swings, poor backhaul, long dwell, slow payment terms.

Return: a cost build-up table, floor / target / walk-away rates per mile and per load, a recommended quote, and a 3-sentence quote email.

Use only figures I supply; label estimates [ESTIMATE] and missing inputs [ADD].
```

## What to fill in

- ORIGIN, DESTINATION, LOADED MILES
- dry van / reefer / flatbed / other
- e.g. "3 loads per week, 12-month contract" or "one spot load"
- MILES TO PICKUP, AND LIKELY EMPTY MILES AFTER DELIVERY
- HOURS AT PICKUP AND DELIVERY
- STRONG / WEAK / UNKNOWN
- direct shipper or broker, payment terms
- ESTIMATE
- ADD

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