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Same-day pickups

In a hurry to get your freight out the door? A same-day pickup can feel frantic, but preparation is the key to everything running smoothly. Here is the critical information to make yours go well.

Steps for a smooth same-day pickup

  1. Book in advance whenever you can

    A successful shipment is strongly linked to preparation, so the further in advance you can get your pickup booked, the better. If you do have something you want to move today, the steps below will help.

  2. For same-day pickups, book in the morning

    Booking in the morning gives the shipper, the pickup dock, and the carrier plenty of time to prepare and pick up the freight.

    All LTL freight is picked up by local trucks and brought to the carrier's cross dock to be loaded onto much larger trucks that perform the long haul routes. A carrier typically needs 3 hours notice to get a local pickup truck to your dock, as those trucks are probably making pickups many miles away.

    The later it gets, the more likely the carrier will not be able to make the pickup, and the bigger the chance your freight will miss the departing cross-country truck.

    AM · MOST PICKUPS PM · MOSTLY DELIVERIES EVENING · LINE-HAUL 8 am 10 noon 2 4 6 8 pm BOOK 9 AM 3 H NOTICE pickup across the dock onto tonight's trailer Makes tonight's line-haul The three hours run out while most pickups are running, so the freight is at the terminal before the trailer loads. BOOK 3 PM 3 H NOTICE likely leaves without it Likely waits for tomorrow They run out at 6 pm, after most pickups are done and while the trailer is loading.
    The three hours are the whole argument. A carrier needs roughly that long to route a city truck to your dock, and where those three hours land in the day decides everything. Booked in the morning, they run out while most city trucks are still on pickups, and the freight reaches the terminal before the evening trailer loads. Booked mid-afternoon, they run out after most pickups are done, and the freight will likely wait for the next day's line-haul. Afternoon pickups do still happen, but they are the ones most likely to slip. The times shown are typical and vary by carrier.

  3. Double-check your pickup details

    Once the truck is on its way, you'll want to make sure the driver can find your dock successfully. Mistakes in the pickup details often cause missed pickups.

    • Pickup phone number. Make sure it is correct, and that it goes to someone on the ground at the dock.
    • Driver notes. Add any helpful notes to help the driver find the correct entrance, or know what to buzz.
    • Dock hours. Make sure they are accurate. While it might feel like a good idea to say the dock closes a bit earlier to encourage the driver to come sooner, this often means the driver will not have enough time to get there along with their other pickups, and your pickup moves to the next day.
    • Pickup reference number. Add one while booking your shipment, so the driver knows exactly what they are picking up.

  4. Make sure the shipper is prepared

    The role of the shipper is to give the correct freight to the driver when they arrive, along with the Bill Of Lading, any relevant MSDS documents for dangerous goods, and, if your shipment is going cross-border, your customs documents. All these documents are automatically generated for you, and you can find them in your Pickup Package.

    If you won't be giving the freight to the driver yourself, make sure the shipper is well prepared. They should:

    • Know the freight. Be clear on what they are shipping.
    • Bill Of Lading. Have the Bill Of Lading from the Pickup Package on your FreightSimple dashboard. If you've made changes, make sure they have the latest version. Remind them to sign one copy, and attach a copy to each piece of freight.
    • Customs documents. Have your customs documents ready to give to the driver.
    • Pickup Package instructions. Follow all the instructions on your Pickup Package.

    Key reasons for pickups not happening once the driver has arrived are confusion over what freight is actually being shipped, not having a FreightSimple bill of lading, or missing customs documents.

    If your shipment is moving cross-border, customs documents must be ready and handed to the driver. A driver might refuse a pickup that is missing customs documents.

  5. Work with a customs broker who can clear your shipment quickly

    While not tied to the actual pickup, there's no point racing to get the shipment out the door only for it to be held up shortly after due to a customs delay.

    Make sure you have given the shipper your customs documents prior to pickup, and also uploaded the customs documents on your FreightSimple dashboard. FreightSimple will automatically forward those to the carrier for pre-clearance, and some carriers won't even dispatch a pickup truck until they have received documents for pre-clearance.

    If you're shipping from a state or province close to the border, there is a good chance the carrier will want to move it across the border on a truck that evening. A carrier will not load freight to cross a border unless customs have been cleared, so it is important you use a customs broker who is reachable by phone and can work in the evening to clear your freight. Even better, send your broker your documents as soon as the shipment is booked, so they can begin working on it.

Next · Booking your shipment

Shipping cross-border? Add the broker who will clear your freight so pickups aren't held up at the border.

Booking your shipment Customs broker details

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