RFP Carrier User Interface
The carrier’s user interface for processing an RFP allows the user to enter their bids directly into the system without having to download the lane data and then upload bids back into the system. Clicking the RFP menu option will bring the user to the RFP dashboard. Here you will see a list of all RFPs, with active RFPs displaying the remaining bid time, as well as the number of lanes within the RFP.
Clicking on an RFP will bring you to the RFP details page. Displayed at the top of the screen you will see the bid time remaining and any attachments or instruction files sent to you by the shipper. Any data being requested of you by the shipper will appear in an editable box within the bid table. If the shipper provided the expected rate type this will be show in the table, however, if this was not provided you will be required to select either a Per Mile or Flat Rate rate type for each lane.
As you enter bid data into the table, the system automatically saves your information. This allows you to enter bid data, close down the page, and return to it later to resume completing the RFP.
Some bid related data relates to the entire RFP contract, such as additional stop charges or specific accessorial rates. If the shipper included this type of information in the RFP, the Edit Contract Rates link will be active on the screen. Click this link to open up the Edit Contract Rates modal window to enter the rate amounts. Since these charges apply to all the lanes included in the RFP, you will only need to enter them once using this modal. You will be prompted to enter rates in this area if requested in order to complete the RFP Submit process.
The filter icon located on the left side of the screen allows you to choose which columns to display in the table, and also lets you choose the order in which the columns appear. To change the column display order, click and hold the mouse on the 6 dots to the left of the column names, and then drag the column up or down to rearrange the display order in the table.
Bulk RFP Rate Uploads for Carriers
Carriers can now manage large RFP bids more efficiently by exporting lane data into a CSV file, adding the rate data in the spreadsheet, and then uploading the rates back into the carrier’s RFP. Instead of only allowing manual entry for every lane in the Shipwell UI, you can now:
Download Lane Data: Export all RFP lanes to a spreadsheet with a single click. Any rates already entered in the UI will be included in the file.
Bulk Edit: Enter or update rates in your preferred spreadsheet tool.
Smart Validation: Upload the completed file back to Shipwell. The system now automatically validates data—including support for ZIP codes with leading zeros—and provides clear error messages if formatting needs correction.
Final Review: Review and edit your uploaded rates in the UI before final submission to the shipper.
To download, simply click on the Download Lane Data link and the contents of the RFP will be contained in the csv file. If they have already started entering some rate data, whatever has been entered so far will appear in the downloaded file.
The user can enter the rate data for the lanes as highlighted below. If they choose not to enter a rate on a particular lane, that is ok and the lane will appear without a rate once the file is uploaded. If the carrier does not wish to bid on a lane, they can submit the RFP back to the shipper leaving some lanes without a rate.
If the user has entered any invalid rate data, such as “ABC” in the rate column, the system will validate the data during the upload process and display an error message showing exactly where the bad data is in the file. This will allow the carrier to quickly correct any errors and make the download / upload process as efficient as possible. If errors occur, this stops the upload process and no data is changed in the carrier’s RFP. Only a successful upload will update the RFP data.
Once the file is successfully uploaded, the RFP screen will reflect the contents contained within the upload file. The user has the ability to make edits to the uploaded data prior to hitting the Submit button to transmit the rates back to the shipper.
Once you have completed entering all the bid data for the RFP, click the Submit button at the bottom of the screen. This will initiate the process of sending all the bid information back to the shipper. After submitting your bids, you are still able to come back to the RFP details and make updates to any of the bid information. If any changes are made to the RFP, the Submit button will become available and you can submit your updated bid information to the shipper. You can do this as many times as necessary until the bidding window expires.
If you do not wish to enter a bid for a particular lane, you can leave the Rate column blank for that lane. All other bid data that was entered will be sent back to the shipper.
RFP Re-bid Requests
The carriers will receive the following email notification that a Re-bid on lanes is requested by the shipper, and when the re-bidding time will expire.
The carrier will see on their RFP dashboard that Re-bids are requested for the RFP and when the re-bidding process will expire.
When the carrier goes into the RFP details screen they will see which lanes have been requested to Re-bid with a red Needs Re-bid indicator in the status column. At this point the carrier can update their bid in the Rate column. These updates are automatically saved as they are entered by the carrier. Once they have completed the re-bidding process they can click Submit in order to transmit the updated rates to the shipper.