One of the most common rebills we see is due to an inaccurate weight listed on the bill of lading. If at all possible, weigh your freight every time it leaves your facility. While this isn’t always practical or possible, it’s better than guessing and getting a rebill from the carrier demanding more money.
If you have to guess, do it on the high side to be safe. On a 1000 lbs. shipment, the cost difference between 1000 lbs. and 1100 lbs. is typically not that great, but the surprise bill you get after the fact will be far greater than that difference, had you used the higher weight initially. On the reverse side, don’t waste your money by overstating the weight by a large percentage. If you state the weight as being 1800 lbs. when it’s actually closer to 1000 lbs., the carrier does not issue refunds for the extra money you spent – it’s just a little bonus for them. Better that bonus is in your pocket and not the carriers.
If you do any amount of outbound shipping, it may be worth it to invest in a floor scale, or a pallet jack with a built in scale. That way you know exactly what your freight weighs and can eliminate the guesswork, helping to not spend too much money or subjecting yourself to a rebill.
