When it comes to transportation, every situation is different. Retail distributors (who wholesale to stores) charge about a 35-percent markup. Restaurant distributors charge about 8 percent. Most other trucking firms charge by weight.
Don’t be afraid to dicker over your price or percent with truckers or distributors. They are very supply-and-demand oriented. Being a small customer, you probably won’t have the clout to push your weight around, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.
With any kind of trucking be very specific:
- Frequency per week, day, month
- Pick up times
- Delivery times
- Who loads and unloads
- Who signs for pick-ups
- Who signs for delivery
- Pallet sizes
- Minimum weights
- Additional costs for unscheduled runs
- Other fees: pallet, lading (freight/cargo)