Inbound materials, outbound orders and export freight in one platform
Most plants run freight through several places at once: a truckload broker for raw materials, carrier websites for LTL orders, a forwarder for export and a spreadsheet to tie it together. GetShippingRates puts quoting, booking and tracking for every one of those modes behind one login, backed by Armstrong Transport Group's freight team.
Using multiple carriers, portals or transportation providers? See how you can simplify quoting, booking, tracking and shipping management through one platform.
Short answer: Manufacturers usually ship in three or more modes: truckload for inbound raw materials and full outbound orders, LTL for partial orders and service parts, parcel for small replacement items, and air or ocean for export. In the GetShippingRates platform you rate 50+ LTL carriers and book online, get instant truckload, parcel and international prices that Armstrong's team confirms and books, and see every open load on one Control Tower.
How manufacturers 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.
Truckload
Inbound coil, resin, lumber or packaging and full outbound orders. Dry van, reefer, flatbed or intermodal priced in seconds, fuel included.
Truckload rates →LTL
Partial orders, samples and crated parts. Rate 50+ carriers at once, book online and print the bill of lading.
LTL shipping →International air and ocean
Export orders and imported components by air or ocean, priced in the same quote screen and booked by Armstrong's team.
International freight →Parcel
Service parts and small replacement items that don't need a pallet, quoted next to your freight instead of in another portal.
Parcel shipping →Where manufacturing freight gets fragmented
Inbound and outbound live in different places
Purchasing arranges raw materials with suppliers or a truckload broker while shipping handles outbound orders, so nobody sees total freight spend or every load in motion.
With the platform: Inbound and outbound shipments sit in the same account, and reports break spend out by mode, carrier and lane each month.
Orders that sit between LTL and truckload
A large partial order can cost more as LTL than as volume LTL or a truckload, and checking both usually means two quotes from two providers.
With the platform: The load visualizer shows the linear feet your pallets take and when a shipment should move as volume LTL or truckload, and both modes quote from the same screen.
Reclass and reweigh charges on parts
Machined parts and crated equipment get inspected by LTL carriers, and a wrong class or weight comes back as a billing correction weeks later.
With the platform: Save each product with its class, NMFC number and dimensions once. The platform flags freight likely to be reweighed or reclassed before you book.
Machinery that needs a flatbed
Finished equipment needs flatbed securement, tarps and sometimes permits, which usually means phone calls and waiting for a callback.
With the platform: Get a flatbed price in the platform with the dimensions and securement needs, then Armstrong's truckload team confirms the truck.
Export runs through a separate forwarder
Air and ocean quotes arrive by email days later, in a format nobody can line up against domestic freight costs.
With the platform: International air and ocean prices come back in the same quote screen as your domestic freight, and Armstrong's team confirms and books the shipment.
Production schedules depend on a dozen tracking sites
When a line is waiting on a shipment, someone checks carrier websites one at a time to find out where it is.
With the platform: The Control Tower shows every open load across modes on one screen and flags the ones that need attention. Optional alerts email you when a pickup is missed or a load is running late.
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.
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Questions from manufacturers
Can we run inbound and outbound freight through one account?
Yes. Inbound raw materials and outbound orders are quoted, booked and tracked in the same account, and the reports show spend for both by mode, carrier and lane. Your team can see every open load on the Control Tower no matter which direction it is moving.
Which modes can a manufacturer book online?
LTL books online: pick a rate from 50+ carriers, confirm pickup details and print the bill of lading. Truckload (dry van, reefer, flatbed or intermodal), parcel, international air and ocean, and white glove deliveries are priced instantly in the platform, and your Armstrong team confirms the carrier and books them for you.
How do we know whether an order should go LTL or truckload?
Enter the pallets once. The load visualizer shows how they fit a trailer and the linear feet they take, and you can price the shipment as LTL and as truckload from the same screen to compare before you book.
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.