Freight shipping guides & rate resources

Practical guides on FTL vs LTL shipping, freight rate calculation, carrier vetting, and reducing freight costs. From a licensed freight broker.

• What Is FSC in Trucking? Fuel Surcharge Meaning and Math — Rates & Markets · 2026-07-20 · 7 min read
  FSC stands for fuel surcharge — the variable fuel line on a freight invoice, indexed to the EIA weekly diesel price. Here's how it's calculated and how to check yours.
• How Are Freight Rates Calculated? The Per-Mile Math — Rates & Markets · 2026-07-20 · 7 min read
  A freight rate is linehaul + fuel surcharge + accessorials. Here's the per-mile math behind each layer, what moves lane rates week to week, and how brokers actually price a load.
• Freight Claims: What They Are and How to File One — Shippers · 2026-07-20 · 8 min read
  A freight claim is a written legal demand for payment when cargo is lost or damaged in transit. Here's the step-by-step process, the deadlines under the Carmack Amendment, and why claims get denied.
• Freight Cost Reduction Checklist for Truckload Shippers — Shippers · 2026-07-20 · 8 min read
  A six-point checklist to lower freight costs without switching carriers or reopening a contract — plus the tools that catch contract and rate errors before they hit your invoice.
• FTL vs. LTL: the decision framework freight brokers actually use — Shippers · 2026-06-19 · 4 min read
  The wrong mode choice costs more than the rate difference. Here's how to pick before you quote.
• How to vet a freight carrier before you hand over your load — Shippers · 2026-06-19 · 4 min read
  Insurance certificates, CSA scores, and safety ratings — what to check and what the numbers mean.
• What carriers should look for in a freight broker (and red flags to avoid) — Carriers · 2026-06-19 · 4 min read
  Not all brokers are equal. Here's how to evaluate a broker before you haul their freight.
• What a freight broker actually does — and what the fee buys you — Shippers · 2026-06-19 · 4 min read
  A broker isn't a middleman markup. Here's what the margin covers and when using one beats going direct.