Quick answer
FreightBidder’s rate tools use bids accepted on the platform in the last 180 days for the same states and equipment when there are at least three. Otherwise they show an AI estimate, labelled as one. Results are state-to-state and rounded to the nearest $10. They are reference points, not quotes.
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How our rate data works
The free Lane Rate Check and Freight Rate Calculator share one engine. This page explains where its numbers come from and how far to trust them.
Two sources, always labelled
Accepted bids, when there are enough
For the origin state, destination state and equipment type you choose, we look at bids that were accepted on FreightBidder in the last 180 days. With at least three, the low, typical and high figures are the lowest, average and highest of those accepted bids, and the tool says how many bids it used.
A labelled AI estimate, when there are not
With fewer than three accepted bids we do not report platform data. The tool instead asks an AI model for an estimate for a representative freight city in each state, and labels the result “AI market estimate”. It is not fed a live market feed.
How results are handled
- Results are state-to-state only. We never show an exact city-to-city lane.
- Dollar figures are rounded to the nearest $10, so exact aggregates cannot be read off lane by lane.
- Distance comes from the straight-line distance between a representative freight hub in each state, adjusted upward for road circuity. It is not turn-by-turn routing.
- Lookups are rate-limited per IP address to discourage scraping. We do not store lookups against a person.
Limits
Accepted bids on one marketplace are a small, uneven sample and say nothing about contract freight or lanes we have not seen. An AI estimate is a model’s guess, not a market quote. Neither reflects accessorials, wait times or the exact pickup and delivery points of your load.
Rate data — questions answered
Where do FreightBidder’s rate numbers come from?
From bids accepted on FreightBidder in the last 180 days for the same states and equipment, when there are at least three. Otherwise from an AI estimate, which the tool labels as such.
Why does the tool often show an AI estimate?
FreightBidder is a young marketplace, and many state pairs and equipment types do not yet have three accepted bids in the window. We would rather label an estimate than present thin data as a market rate.
Are these quotes?
No. They are state-level reference points. Actual rates depend on the exact lane, dates, weight, accessorials and the market that day, so use them to sanity-check a number, not to set it.
What do low, typical and high mean?
When the figures come from platform data, they are the lowest, average and highest accepted bid among the bids used, rounded to the nearest $10. For an AI estimate they are the model’s suggested range.
Does FreightBidder store my lookups?
The tools need no account. Lookups are rate-limited by IP address to prevent scraping, and the results are not tied to a profile of you.