This article explains how to use Flexport Freight as a shipping method when inbounding your inventory to reserve storage facilities.
How to Use Flexport Freight?
Once you have added products and quantities to the shipping plan you'll have to option to book Flexport freight as explained in below steps.
Step 1: Pickup location
First, you must provide a valid US address and indicate whether the pickup location is:
- Residential location
- Location with restricted address (Not yet supported by Flexport freight)
This will help us to arrange appropriate freight pickup as per your location type.
Step 2: Select the destination facility
Step 3: Select carrier and shipment type
Next, select Flexport partner as carrier and select shipment type
- Currently, Flexport freight support only Palletized shipments.
- If you're inbounding floor loaded containers, please select Your carrier.
Step 4: Freight Instructions
Scroll down to please review and verify the freight instructions. This is critical to ensure the safety of Flexport's staff, and to prevent damages to your inventory.
Step 5: Freight Pallets
Next, provide your pallet information, which includes the total number of pallets, pallet height, and weight.
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The individual pallet weight has to be <= 2,000 lbs.
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The total weight has to be <= 42,000 lbs.
- Pallets taller than 60” are re-palletized at an additional cost to fit Flexport's pallet racking.
Note: If your pallet information is inaccurate, your final charge may change after the carriers have verified the weights and dimensions of the shipment.
Step 6: Shipping Option
Now you can select the rate you would like! Flexport automatically searches through all our partners for the best rate for you. In some cases you will only get one rate, which means that the cheapest rate is also the fastest. Please note the presented quotes are valid only for 15 days.
If you change the pallet information (#pallets, height or weight), you would need to re-calculate the rates.
Step 7: Freight Pickup Details and Contact Information
After the pallet information has been completed, you need to provide information for the freight pickup. This includes:
- Cargo ready date: The date when your cargo is ready to be picked, which must be within 14 days. This must be a business day, and pickup is not guaranteed on the same day.
- Facility hours of operation: The hours of operation when the cargo can be picked up by carrier.
- Pickup reference number: A reference number the driver can provide to the shipper to release / pick up the freight.
You can select whether or not you would like a lift gate for your shipment, which is needed if the pickup location does not have a loading dock.
Afterwards, provide the contact information for the pickup appointment.
Step 8: Review Shipping Plan
Next, you can review the quote and details of your shipping plan. If everything looks good, click Confirm shipment to finalize the shipment.
Shipment confirmed page
Once you've completed the shipment, you'll be sent to the Shipment confirmed page.
Completed Shipments Page
Now, you'll be directed to the completed shipments page with a summary of shipping plan, Shipment instructions and shipment details. Here you will also be provided the a) Pallet labels and, b) bill of lading (BOL), which is a mandatory document that must be printed and provided to the driver upon pickup.
Now that everything is ready to go, a driver should arrive on a scheduled pick up date, and your inventory will be on it's way to Flexport's storage warehouse to get received!