Instructions for the pickup contact

As the shipper, these are the steps to take so your freight is picked up smoothly and without surprises.

Your responsibilities as the shipper

1. Check the pickup details ahead of time

   Check that the details of the location, dock hours, any special services (lift gate, inside pickup), and the freight itself are correct. Please open a live chat and notify us immediately if you see any issues.

2. Follow the instructions in your Pickup Package

   The Pickup Package is generated every time you book a shipment, and contains all of the paperwork that you as the shipper need for a successful pickup. It will contain your Bill of Lading and Packaging Labels (automatically generated for you). If you've booked a cross-border shipment and have uploaded your Customs Documents, they will also be automatically added to the Pickup Package.

   The Pickup Package will be automatically emailed to you based on the email address submitted at time of booking. It's a good idea to check that you received it and it hasn't ended up in your junk folder.

   You can also find your Pickup Package in the Documents section of your shipment details.

   

   The first page will look like this:

   

   It will also include specific and simple instructions for what to do with each of these documents. You will need to attach 1x Bill of Lading to each shipping unit, 1x Packaging Label, and 1x Commercial Invoice for cross-border shipments. Please follow those instructions exactly.

   • Use only the FreightSimple documents. It is absolutely essential that you use only the FreightSimple generated documents in the Pickup Package. They are generated specifically for your shipment based on the information you submitted while booking. If you use a different Bill of Lading, the quote, shipment instructions, and billing instructions will not be valid. Your freight may not even go to the requested destination, and you may have to incur that cost, along with delays and headache.
   • The Pickup Package is your best safeguard. It is the single best way to help guarantee success before your freight is picked up. Take the extra time to follow the instructions and it'll save you a lot of headache.

3. Package the freight well

   You must package the freight in a secure manner to minimize the risk of damage. You must also securely attach a copy of the Shipping Labels and the Bill of Lading (all generated for you) to each piece of freight so it's clear where it's going and doesn't get lost.

   Learn more about packaging

4. Help the driver enter your location

   Make sure you are available to assist the driver in case they are having problems finding or entering your location.

5. Give the freight to the driver

   Make sure you give the correct freight to the driver when they arrive. It is your responsibility to ensure the freight you give the driver is the correct freight they came for, and is packaged and labeled properly.

   Note: the driver may drive for a different company than is on the Bill of Lading due to interlining, however they should have the reference number.

6. Provide and sign the correct documents

   Make sure you give the correct documents to the driver. These include the Bill of Lading, Customs Documents if the shipment is going cross border, and MSDS forms for dangerous goods.

If care is not taken to get these things right, it may cause unnecessary delays in pickup and delivery, and in the worst cases, damage to the freight or additional charges.