Freight Tender Acceptance / Tender Rejection

Tender acceptance and rejection is the carrier's response to a shipper's load offer. When a shipper tenders a load – transmitting origin, destination, dates, rate, and requirements – the carrier evaluates whether they can and want to haul it. An acceptance means the carrier commits to the load. A rejection means the shipper needs to find another carrier, typically by moving to the next option in the routing guide.

Tender acceptance rates are one of the most important metrics in carrier management. A carrier with a 95% acceptance rate on their committed lanes is reliable and probably appropriately priced. A carrier rejecting 30% of tenders is either overcommitted, poorly matched to the lane, or signaling that the contracted rate no longer reflects the market. Tracking acceptance rates by carrier, lane, and season gives shippers the data to renegotiate contracts, adjust routing guides, and identify carriers who deserve more – or less – volume.

Tender rejections aren't just an inconvenience; they cost money and time. Each rejection forces the shipper to re-tender, potentially at a higher rate if the load moves to a backup carrier or hits the spot market. If rejections cascade and no carrier accepts, the shipment is at risk of missing its pickup window entirely. For time-sensitive or temperature-controlled freight, a string of rejections can mean spoiled product or a missed delivery appointment.

Automated tendering with waterfall logic – where rejections automatically trigger the next carrier in sequence – minimizes the time cost of rejections. Pairing this with carrier performance analytics lets shippers proactively address acceptance rate issues before they become operational problems.