FAQ’s & Basic Commands

How Long does it take to learn this system: AirFreight.bid is a very user-friendly, fast, and a simple system to navigate. Anyone with basic computer skills can be up and running within just a few minutes and sending out quote requests.

Which Subscription level is right for me: Subscribe for free, try it out, and decide which level is right for you based on your own needs. If you would like to discuss a customized or enterprise scale version, please contact sales at AirFreight.bid.

How often am I billed: If you choose a monthly subscription plan, you will be billed by the 15th of each month. If you choose an annual plan, we will bill you for the year in one payment when you subscribe.

How Much does AirFreight.bid cost: Please see the (Subscription Fee) list for pricing.

How long does it take to subscribe: Within 10 minutes, you can be sending out quote requests.

How long can I stay logged in: The system will automatically log you off in approximately 20 minutes with no activity.

Does AirFreight.bid restrict certain cargo types: As a subscriber, and as per our terms and conditions, you must confirm that your cargo can be shipped to and from the origin and destination points. AirFreight.bid has no responsibility for the Subscriber and Carrier to verify which cargo is, or is not, allowed or if any specific type of cargo will incur tariffs, importation bans, or any documents that must ride with any specific cargo type.

How many carriers can I receive quotes from: You can have as many pre-selected carriers as you want per your subscription level in addition to paying per each added carrier.

How long will it take to receive a quote back from a carrier: We recommend that you allow 24 hours for providers to respond to you quote.

How do I cancel a shipment: You will need to contact the carrier for this specific shipment to cancel if the shipment has already been tendered through the AirFreight.bid platform.

Can I cancel my subscription: See cancellation terms below.

What happens if my cargo is damaged: You will need to file a claim with the carrier.  It is recommended that you take out cargo insurance just in case there is an issue with your shipment. Many of our providers offer cargo insurance at an added cost.

Does AirFreight.bid offer cargo insurance: AirFreight.bid does not offer cargo insurance but we can refer you to an outside agency that can perform this service. Most our carriers also offer cargo insurance. Every subscriber is responsible for deciding their own need for insurance and obtaining cargo insurance for their shipments. AirFreight.bid assumes no liability if a shipment is damaged.

Is my credit card information secure: Yes, we use a 3rd party payment processing company, which uses encrypted secured technology.

Can I ask for specific transit times: Yes, we would recommend that you enter a specific amount of transit time into the special instructions and notes section of your quote request.

Basic Commands

Inputting a new shipment address: Use our powerful address feature to fill or look up an address. If you cannot locate it, type it once and the system will store the information for future shipments.

Should I give contact information for all points of the shipment: Yes, as changes and delays do happen, it is best to give contact information for all involved parties

Pickup By/ Deliver By: The default setting is that the carrier will call for an appointment for both pick up and drop off. You can specify a time.

Door to Door or Airport to Airport: Please specify if you will need delivery service to only the destination airport, or to the final destination as well.

Declared Value of shipment: This is the total value of your cargo.  You, as the shipper, will need to arrange your own cargo insurance if you decide to. You are not required to have insurance on all shipments, but it is recommended.

Special Instructions: Use this section to include special instructions for your shipment.

References: These are for your own internal tracking.  You can customize the titles of the fields to be whatever works for your organization; i.e., PO Number/Release Number.  You will be able to name these fields in any alphanumeric value you choose.

Description: This table works like Excel.  The CBM and DIM Weights will be calculated for you.

Weight and Measure are per: Check the gray box and choose if your cargo will be packed and shipped per: Carton/Crate/Box, etc.

On Hold: If you are about to submit a request for quote but do not have all the information for this specific shipment, you can click the save button on the rate request page and save this shipment for later.

Posted: All shipments that are waiting for quotes from carriers are listed under active quotes. A shipment is automatically assigned this status once you click the "get rates" button.

Tendered: Once you choose a quote, select the billing address, customs broker, and tender the quote, the status automatically changes to tendered.

In Transit:  As a TMS (Transportation Management System), the system allows you to keep track of shipments. You can change the status of a shipment when it has left the origin location. This is done manually by selecting the status and using the "in transit" button in the shipment details page.

Delivered: Shows when your shipment has reached its destination.

Invoiced: User can mark a shipment as invoiced once they have received confirmation from the carrier. Shipments in this bucket are typically waiting to be audited/processed and paid.

Reconciled: Once a shipment has been invoiced and paid, it lives as a “reconciled” and complete shipment. The data is stored within the system for up to one full year.

Quotes: Click to view all quotes that have been received through the system.  Click the quote itself to view the costs broken down by freight and other service charges.

Attachments: The system can function as a document manager to store and retrieve any files.

Tracking: Use this function to track the shipment itself, or any details about the shipment that have been entered.

Status: Update the status of a shipment by clicking the status button.

Edit: Use edit to enter notes or change details about the shipment.

Copy: If you have a duplicate shipment with the same specifics as the one you are currently in, click on the copy button to create a new rate request for this duplicate shipment.

Void: Utilize this function to void/delete any shipments that will not transact.