Rate Shopping
Compare live shipping rates across the carrier network in real time. TimberCloud fetches small-parcel and LTL freight rates for your order's packages, applies your markup, and lets you pick the best option — then you can book the label without leaving the order.
Availability: Live rate shopping is part of Carrier Services, included on Commerce and up (paid plans). The Free plan has no shipping. See Subscriptions & Plans.
No carrier accounts to set up. Carrier relationships are managed centrally. You do not create or connect your own FedEx / UPS / USPS / LTL accounts or API keys — just shop rates, pick one, and book.
Opening the rate modal
- Open the order you want to ship.
- Make sure the order's Delivery Option is set to Carrier Services.
- Click Shop Rates.
- The Carrier Services modal opens and calculates packages automatically.
Choosing a shipping mode
Pick how the shipment travels. Auto is recommended.
| Mode | What it does | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Auto | Routes to LTL freight when any package is a pallet or the total weight exceeds 150 lbs; otherwise ships small parcel. | Most orders |
| Small Parcel | Parcel carriers (UPS, FedEx, USPS-style services). | Light, boxable shipments |
| LTL Freight | Less-than-truckload freight — often cheaper for heavy shipments. | Heavy or pallet shipments |
The modal opens on your company's default shipping mode, but you can switch it per order here.
Reviewing packages
Before rates are fetched, review the auto-calculated packages in the Smart Packaging Summary — type (Box or Pallet), dimensions, weight, freight class, and piece count. You can consolidate boxes, convert to pallets, or edit packages by hand. See Smart Packaging for how they're built and how to edit them.
Accessorials (shipping options)
Before fetching rates, tick any extra services the delivery requires. These affect which carriers and prices come back, and they carry through to booking, so choose them before you click Get Rates.
| Option | When to use it |
|---|---|
| Liftgate Delivery | Delivery address has no loading dock. |
| Limited Access Delivery | Sites like schools, farms, or job trailers with restricted access. |
| Construction Site Delivery | Delivery to an active construction site. |
| Appointment Delivery | The carrier must schedule a delivery window. |
| Residential Delivery | Non-commercial address (adds residential surcharges). |
| Protective Service Coverage | Extra protective handling coverage. |
| Additional Insurance | Extra declared-value insurance on the shipment. |
Note: Your fulfillment location's default LTL services (dock, liftgate availability, limited access) are merged in automatically — so freight quotes already reflect what's true at your origin. You only tick what's specific to this delivery. See Configuration.
Fetching and comparing rates
Click Get Rates. TimberCloud pulls live rates from the network for your packages and options, then shows them side by side.
Each rate card shows:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Carrier | Carrier name and logo |
| Service level | Ground, Express, freight, etc. |
| Price | With your markup already applied |
| Delivery estimate | Estimated transit time / delivery date |
Small-parcel results are paginated so you can compare several carriers. For LTL freight, TimberCloud surfaces the best freight option for the shipment.
Tip: The exact carriers offered depend on origin, destination, and shipment size — the results always show only what you can actually book on that route.
The markup is baked in
Every price you see already includes your shop's markup on top of the carrier's cost, so the number on the card is what the shipment "costs" in your quote. TimberCloud layers a small platform base buffer under your configured markup; your configured markup sits on top of that.
You set your markup — a percentage or a fixed amount — inside the Delivery Option info modal, not in a "Shipping" settings tab (there is no such tab). See Shipping & handling markup for the exact path and examples.
Selecting a rate
Click a rate card to select it. The full rate — pricing breakdown, carrier and service, and the package configuration — is saved to the order, ready for booking.
Rate freshness
A saved rate is treated as stale in two situations:
- 24 hours have passed since the rate was generated, or
- The order's items, shipping address, or due date change while a rate exists.
When a rate is stale, the modal and the Shipping tab show a warning and prompt you to re-shop before booking, so the quoted price always reflects current carrier pricing.
Tip: Always refresh a stale rate before booking. Carrier pricing shifts over time, and booking captures whatever rate is current.
Freight class reference
For LTL, freight class is based on a package's density (weight relative to volume). TimberCloud computes it from your package dimensions and weight; you can override it when editing a package.
| Class | Density | Typical products |
|---|---|---|
| 50–70 | 35+ lbs/ft³ | Metal, machinery |
| 85–100 | 12–15 lbs/ft³ | Appliances, steel |
| 125–150 | 8–10 lbs/ft³ | Small furniture |
| 150–175 | 5–8 lbs/ft³ | Cabinet doors and finished wood products |
| 175–250 | 2–5 lbs/ft³ | Large, lightweight boxed items |
Most cabinet doors and finished wood products land in the 150–175 range.
Troubleshooting
No rates returned
- Confirm the shipping address is complete and valid.
- Make sure every product on the order has weights and dimensions so packages can be built.
- Check the destination is serviceable on that route; try a different mode or accessorials.
Rates look high
- Recheck product dimensions and weights.
- Review the freight class on each package.
- Try Consolidate Boxes or Convert to Pallet to reduce package count.
Rates are stale
- Normal for a quote older than 24 hours, or after the order changed. Re-shop for fresh pricing.
Next Steps
- Booking & Labels — book the selected rate and print the label
- Smart Packaging — how packages are built and edited
- Configuration — markup, packaging, and location settings
- Tracking — follow shipments once they're booked