If you manage freight for a business — whether you're importing goods from Asia, exporting finished products, or coordinating raw material deliveries — you've likely spent hours collecting quotes from freight forwarders by email and WhatsApp.
Freight RFQ software exists to fix exactly that problem.
What Is a Freight RFQ?
RFQ stands for Request for Quotation. In freight, it's a structured document you send to freight forwarders or carriers asking them to price your shipment.
A complete freight RFQ typically includes:
- Origin and destination (port-to-port, door-to-door, or hybrid)
- Freight mode — sea (FCL or LCL), air, road, or courier
- Cargo details — commodity, HS code, weight, dimensions, package count, CBM
- Incoterms — EXW, FOB, CIF, DAP, etc.
- Required services — customs clearance, insurance, door pickup/delivery, hazmat handling
- Quote deadline — when you need responses by
Without software, most shippers send this information via email or WhatsApp — separately, to each forwarder, manually. They then receive quotes back in different formats, at different times, and copy them into a spreadsheet to compare.
What Is Freight RFQ Software?
Freight RFQ software is a digital platform that automates and centralises this process. Instead of sending individual messages, you build the RFQ once in a structured form, and the software sends it simultaneously to all your selected freight forwarders.
Vendors receive a branded email with a secure link to a quote submission form. They fill in their price, transit time, validity date, and any notes — and submit. All quotes land in a centralised comparison dashboard, structured identically, ready to compare side-by-side.
Core features of freight RFQ software:
- RFQ builder — guided form to specify cargo, route, mode, services
- Vendor directory — manage your list of freight forwarders and carriers
- Multi-vendor dispatch — send one RFQ to many vendors simultaneously
- Quote inbox — receive all responses in one place, in a consistent structure
- Quote comparison — side-by-side price and transit time comparison
- Quote acceptance — one-click acceptance that notifies the winning vendor
- Shipment creation — automatic shipment record created on acceptance
More advanced platforms like Logwo also include AI features — such as extracting RFQ details from cargo PDFs (packing lists, commercial invoices), flagging statistical quote outliers, and matching vendors by historical lane performance.
Why Manual RFQ Processes Fail
The typical manual process — email, WhatsApp, or phone — has several structural problems:
It's slow. Following up with five forwarders over two days, waiting for responses, chasing late replies — it's common for a simple RFQ cycle to take 3–5 days.
Comparison is impossible at scale. When quotes arrive in different email formats and PDF attachments, the only way to compare is a manual spreadsheet. Data entry errors are common. Quotes in different currencies require conversion. Often, the comparison is incomplete because not all vendors have responded.
There's no audit trail. Which vendor was invited? When did they respond? Who approved the quote acceptance? In a manual process, this is buried in inboxes and chat logs.
You lose leverage. When forwarders know you're comparing informally, they don't sharpen their pencils. A structured, competitive RFQ process consistently drives better rates.
Institutional knowledge is trapped. When a procurement manager leaves, their vendor relationships and historical rates go with them. Centralised software keeps all of this in the company.
Who Needs Freight RFQ Software?
Freight RFQ software delivers value for any business that:
- Sends or receives cargo regularly (weekly, monthly, or seasonally)
- Works with two or more freight forwarders
- Ships across multiple freight modes or trade lanes
- Has a team involved in freight decision-making
- Wants to reduce freight costs or improve vendor accountability
Industries with especially strong fit include: UAE and GCC importers, e-commerce brands managing international inbound shipping, manufacturers coordinating inbound raw materials and outbound finished goods, and trading companies managing multi-mode, multi-lane shipments.
What to Look for in Freight RFQ Software
Not all freight RFQ platforms are equal. Here's what matters:
1. It doesn't replace your forwarders
The best freight RFQ software works with your existing vendor relationships, not around them. Look for a platform where you can invite your own forwarders, rather than one that forces you into a marketplace of unknown vendors.
2. Vendors don't need to create accounts to quote
Requiring your forwarders to register on a new platform creates friction and reduces response rates. Good software lets vendors submit quotes through a secure link — no account, no password.
3. Pricing transparency
SaaS platforms with per-user monthly fees add up fast. A one-time licence model (like Logwo) can be significantly cheaper over a 2–3 year horizon, especially for teams of 2–5 people.
4. Freight mode coverage
Confirm the platform supports your specific freight modes — FCL, LCL, air freight, road freight, and courier express each have different quoting parameters. A platform built for parcel shipping won't work for sea freight RFQs.
5. Document management
Freight generates a lot of paperwork. The platform should allow you to attach Bills of Lading, Certificates of Origin, packing lists, and customs documents to each shipment.
6. Analytics and reporting
Once you've run 20+ RFQs, you want to see patterns: which vendor consistently wins, which trade lanes are most expensive, how your freight spend breaks down by mode and quarter.
How Logwo Approaches Freight RFQ Management
Logwo is freight management software built specifically for shippers — not a freight marketplace, not a TMS for large enterprises, and not a parcel shipping tool.
The core workflow:
- Build an RFQ — structured form with CBM auto-calculation, 11 service chips, and support for all four freight modes
- Invite vendors — your existing forwarders receive a secure link via email; no registration required
- Compare quotes — all responses in one dashboard; AI flags outliers and explains deviations
- Accept and track — one-click acceptance creates a shipment record with live carrier tracking
Logwo is available on a permanent free plan (3 RFQs/month, 2 vendors), with one-time licences starting at $299 for growing teams.
Ready to stop managing freight quotes in your inbox? Start for free on Logwo — no credit card required.