Overview
As a carrier using Shipwell, you can place bids on shipments that have been posted to the Load Board by shippers. This article explains how the carrier bidding flow works, what to do if bid placement is not working, and what account features are required.
How Carriers Place Bids
Go to the Load Board from your Shipwell navigation.
Browse available loads or use search/filter to find shipments that match your capacity.
Click a Load ID to open the shipment details.
Click Place a Bid (or + Bid).
Fill in the required fields:
New Bid ($) — your offer amount
Mode — the transportation mode
Equipment Type — the equipment you will use
Click Submit to send your bid to the shipper.
Troubleshooting: Cannot Place a Bid
If clicking Place a Bid does not work, the Submit button is greyed out, or nothing happens, check the following:
1. Bid Manager Feature Not Enabled
The Bid Manager feature must be enabled for your account. If bid_manager_enabled is turned off, you will see the Load Board but will not be able to submit bids. To request activation, contact your Customer Success Manager (CSM) or submit a ticket through the TMS Customer Support Portal.
2. Missing Required Fields
All required fields — Bid Amount, Mode, and Equipment Type — must be filled in before the Submit button activates. If any required field is empty, the form will not submit.
3. Load Board Access
Your account must have Load Board access enabled (show_load_board: true). Without this, loads will not be visible. Contact your CSM if you cannot see the Load Board at all.
4. Bid Window Closed
Some shippers set an expiration on bid requests. If the load has already been awarded or the bid window has closed, you may not be able to place new bids on that load.
Permissions Required
To place bids, your user account needs:
Load Board access enabled for your company
Bid Manager feature enabled for your company
Appropriate user permissions — contact your account administrator if you believe your permissions are insufficient
Need Help?
If you have confirmed all the above and still cannot place bids, contact your Customer Success Manager or submit a ticket through the TMS Customer Support Portal.