More small orders out the door, fewer portals to do it
A distribution warehouse can ship dozens of orders a day across LTL carriers and parcel, then take replenishment truckloads in from suppliers. GetShippingRates gives your shipping team one login to quote, book and track all of it, with your customers' delivery requirements saved so nobody re-keys them.
Using multiple carriers, portals or transportation providers? See how you can simplify quoting, booking, tracking and shipping management through one platform.
Short answer: Distributors and wholesalers ship mostly small LTL and parcel orders outbound and take truckloads inbound from suppliers. In the GetShippingRates platform you rate 50+ LTL carriers at once and book online, price parcel and truckload instantly for Armstrong's team to confirm and book, save each customer's liftgate, residential and appointment requirements, and track every order on one screen.
How distributors and wholesalers ship
LTL rates 50+ carriers and books online. Every other mode is priced instantly in the platform, and Armstrong’s team confirms the carrier and books it.
LTL
Most outbound orders: one to a few pallets to a business or job site. Rate 50+ carriers at once and book online.
LTL shipping →Parcel
Cartons and small orders that don't need a pallet, priced in the same quote screen as your LTL.
Parcel shipping →Truckload
Replenishment from suppliers and transfers between warehouses, priced all-in with fuel and confirmed by Armstrong's team.
Truckload rates →Where distribution shipping slows down
Dozens of small orders, one quote at a time
Each order means typing the same addresses and freight into several carrier websites, then copying the winning rate into your order system.
With the platform: Enter the order once and 50+ LTL carriers rate at once, cheapest and fastest marked. Saved shippers, consignees and products fill in the rest.
Liftgate and residential charges after the fact
A delivery that needed a liftgate, an inside delivery or a limited-access stop shows up on the invoice as an extra charge you didn't quote.
With the platform: Save standing accessorials on each consignee in the address book so liftgate, residential and appointment needs are on every quote for that customer.
Customer routing guides
Some customers name the carrier or delivery window they require, and checking each order against those rules lives in someone's head.
With the platform: Every LTL quote shows the full carrier list, so you can book the carrier a customer's guide requires and still see what the other options cost. Delivery notes stay on the consignee record.
Parcel and freight in separate systems
Small orders go out through one portal and pallets through another, so a single customer's shipments are split across two places.
With the platform: Parcel and LTL quote from the same screen, and both show up in the same shipment list and reports.
"Where's my order?" calls
Customer service checks carrier sites one by one to answer customers asking when their order will arrive.
With the platform: Every shipment's latest scan and ETA is in one list, with a shareable tracking link to send the customer.
Inbound truckloads booked somewhere else
Supplier replenishment runs through a broker by phone, so inbound costs and arrival times never make it into the same view as outbound.
With the platform: Truckload prices come back in seconds with fuel included. Lock the rate, Armstrong's team confirms the truck, and the load appears on the Control Tower next to your outbound orders.
Shipping in several modes? The Control Tower shows every open load across all of them on one screen.
One login for every mode you ship
Get a quote for your next shipment, see how the platform handles quoting, booking and tracking across modes, or send us a look at how you ship today and Armstrong’s team will show you what one platform would consolidate. There’s no separate software fee: the platform comes with your shipping account.
Already a customer? Log in.
Questions from distributors and wholesalers
Can we follow a customer's routing guide and still use the platform?
Yes. The LTL quote shows rates from 50+ carriers, so you can pick the carrier a customer requires and book it online. You also see what the other carriers would have cost, which helps when you talk with that customer about their requirements.
How do we avoid surprise liftgate and residential charges?
Save each consignee with its standing accessorials, such as liftgate, residential, limited access or appointment. Those services are included every time you quote a shipment to that address, so the rate you book reflects how the freight will actually be delivered.
Do parcel and truckload book online like LTL?
LTL books online. Parcel and truckload are priced instantly in the platform, and your Armstrong team confirms the carrier and books them for you. All three show up in the same shipment list and reports.
Is there a software fee for the platform?
No separate software fee. The platform comes with your shipping account, and you pay for the freight you move. Accounts are opened after a quick credit check, and there is nothing to install.