What happens between booking a truck and pickup?

Confirm the carrier

The selected carrier should be tied to the shipment, with the agreed rate and terms documented, usually on a rate confirmation. The carrier should also know exactly which load it accepted. That sounds obvious, but several calls at once and similar lanes make clean load identification matter.

Confirm the driver

Driver information may include:

• name and phone
• tractor and trailer details when needed
• ETA to pickup
• the tracking contact or link

Driver details can change before pickup. What matters is that the current driver stays connected to the correct load.

Send the details the driver needs

If a shipment has unusual requirements, they should not live only in an old email thread.

Prepare the BOL and shipment documents

The bill of lading records the shipper, consignee, origin, destination and shipment details, and travels with the freight. Who prepares it and in what form depends on the shipment and the parties. A BOL prepared from the booking data does not replace any document or instruction the shipper, carrier or another responsible party is required to provide. How to fill out a bill of lading goes field by field.

Set tracking expectations

If location tracking will be used, it has to be tied to the correct load and driver. You should know how tracking will be shared with you and what happens if it is not available. How to track a freight shipment explains what to expect.

Confirm the site is ready

A truck can be booked correctly and still be delayed if the site is not ready. Before pickup, confirm:

• the freight is staged and ready
• pickup hours
• the appointment or pickup reference
• the dock or loading method
• access for the equipment
• any site rules the driver must follow

What should be ready before the truck arrives has the full warehouse checklist. A booked truck is still not a promised arrival: if it does not show, missed pickup covers what to do.