Freight Glossary
Freight Tender
A freight tender is a formal offer from a shipper to a carrier to move a specific shipment under defined terms, including origin, destination, freight details, and rate. The carrier accepts or declines the tender, and acceptance creates a binding commitment. In most TMS systems, tenders flow through an automated waterfall that offers the load to the primary carrier first, then to backups if rejected.
Why it matters
Carrier acceptance rates on tenders are a critical supply chain metric. Tender rejections from primary carriers force shippers to the spot market, often at significantly higher cost, especially during peak seasons. A primary carrier tender acceptance rate below 85 percent signals a capacity or pricing misalignment that needs immediate attention.
When to use it
Tender freight to your primary carriers first, then to backup carriers on rejection. Building a carrier hierarchy and tracking acceptance rates by lane helps you predict when backup capacity will be needed. Review tender rejection data monthly to identify lanes where your primary carrier is consistently declining, then add a stronger backup or renegotiate the primary rate.
How Warp thinks about it
Warp integrates with shipper TMS and EDI systems to receive and confirm tenders electronically, making it straightforward to include Warp as a primary or backup carrier in your tender waterfall. Our AI backbone, Orbit, processes inbound tenders and confirms capacity in real time, maintaining high acceptance rates on Warp's active lanes.