This article walks you through reading and comparing the rates that come back from LTL carriers after submitting a quote request. Use this to pick the right carrier before booking.
Quick orientation: When you submit an LTL quote, polt.ai queries every connected national LTL carrier and aggregates their rates into one comparison view. You'll see multiple carriers, often with multiple service levels per carrier (e.g., Estes Express might return Standard, Guaranteed 5PM, Guaranteed 12PM, and Guaranteed 10AM rates).
1. Open the quote
From the LTL quotes dashboard, find the quote you want to review and click See quotes in the Action column. The Quote details panel opens.
2. Confirm all rates have been received
At the top of the carrier quotes list, look for the All quotes received indicator with a green checkmark. This confirms every connected carrier has responded — meaning you're looking at the complete set of options, not a partial list.
If the indicator isn't shown, some carriers are still returning rates. Wait a moment and refresh.
3. Sort by what matters most
By default, rates are sorted by Price (lowest first). Click Sort by to switch to a different criterion if needed.
4. Compare the rates
Each rate row shows:
Carrier — the carrier name and SCAC code (e.g., Estes Express Lines, SCAC EXLA). Some rates also show a service level tag (e.g., LTL Standard Transit, Guaranteed LTL Standard Transit: 5PM)
Transit time — estimated days in transit
Service — service level (Standard, Guaranteed, etc.)
Insurance — whether insurance is included (Insured / Not insured)
Price — the carrier's quoted rate
Tip — picking the right rate: The cheapest rate isn't always the best. Consider transit time (does the customer need it there fast?), service level (do they need a guarantee?), and insurance coverage. For high-value freight, a slightly more expensive insured rate may be the right call.
5. Get more detail on a rate
Click More details on any rate row to see the full carrier-side breakdown — line item charges, fuel surcharges, accessorial costs, etc. Use this when you need to verify exactly what the customer will be charged.
6. Browse the other Quote details tabs
The Quote details panel has 4 tabs across the top:
General — origin, destination, customer, and shipping info you submitted
Carriers' quotes — the rate comparison view (where you started)
Commodities — the freight details you submitted
Insurance — insurance configuration on this quote
Use these to verify the quote was submitted correctly before booking.
7. Take action
When you've decided which rate to use:
To book it — click Proceed to booking. See Booking an LTL quote.
To get fresh rates (if the quote is old or expired) — click Repeat quote.
To change the input (e.g., wrong weight, wrong accessorials) — click Edit request and re-submit.