| name | freight-quote |
| description | Generate a professional freight broker quote PDF with live EIA diesel surcharge, mileage calculation, and accessorial tracking. Trigger on any load request, RFQ, rate request, or quote request — even if the user just pastes an email. Extracts all load details, fetches live diesel data, calculates miles, identifies accessorials, and produces a ready-to-send branded PDF quote.
|
Freight Quote Skill — Generic Version
Built by La Crown Inc. | lacrown.ai
This skill generates a professional freight quote PDF for any freight broker.
It uses live EIA diesel data, mileage calculation, and accessorial detection.
All branding is pulled from config/broker_config.json — update that file once
and every quote reflects your company automatically.
Before You Start
- Read
config/broker_config.json — load broker name, contact info, MC#, and colors
- Confirm
scripts/generate_quote.py, scripts/eia_diesel.py, and scripts/mileage.py exist
- Confirm
reportlab and requests are installed (pip install reportlab requests)
Step 1 — Extract Load Details
Pull the following from the conversation, email, or pasted text.
Ask only for fields that are genuinely missing and required:
| Field | Required? | Notes |
|---|
| Customer / Quoted To | Yes | Company + contact name |
| Requester / Seller | If applicable | Name, company, email, phone |
| Origin | Yes | City, State (ZIP if available) |
| Destination | Yes | City, State (ZIP if available) |
| Commodity | Yes | What is being shipped |
| Weight | Yes | In lbs |
| Dimensions | If available | L × W × H in feet or inches |
| Equipment Type | Yes | Flatbed, Conestoga, Reefer, Van, Step Deck, RGN, etc. |
| Service Type | Yes | FTL, LTL, Partial, Heavy Haul |
| Special Requirements | If mentioned | Tarping, strapping, liftgate, inside delivery, permits |
| Rate | Yes | You will calculate this — see Step 3 |
| Transit Time | Optional | Estimate based on miles if not provided |
Step 2 — Run Mileage Calculation
python scripts/mileage.py "<origin>" "<destination>"
This returns estimated miles using PC Miler-style straight-line calculation with a
road factor. For known lanes from your history, override with actual miles.
Example:
python scripts/mileage.py "Fort Wayne, IN" "Houston, TX"
Step 3 — Fetch Live EIA Diesel & Calculate Fuel Surcharge
python scripts/eia_diesel.py "<origin_state_abbr>"
This fetches the current week's EIA on-highway diesel price for the correct PADD
region based on origin state. Returns the diesel price and recommended fuel
surcharge percentage from the standard FSC table.
Example:
python scripts/eia_diesel.py "IN"
Fuel Surcharge Table (Standard)
| EIA Diesel ($/gal) | FSC % of Linehaul |
|---|
| $2.50 – $2.69 | 12% |
| $2.70 – $2.89 | 15% |
| $2.90 – $3.09 | 18% |
| $3.10 – $3.29 | 21% |
| $3.30 – $3.49 | 24% |
| $3.50 – $3.69 | 27% |
| $3.70 – $3.89 | 30% |
| $3.90 – $4.09 | 33% |
| $4.10 – $4.29 | 36% |
| $4.30 – $4.49 | 39% |
| $4.50 – $4.69 | 42% |
| $4.70 – $4.89 | 45% |
| $4.90 – $5.09 | 48% |
| $5.10 – $5.29 | 51% |
| $5.30 – $5.49 | 54% |
| $5.50 – $5.69 | 57% |
| $5.70 – $5.89 | 60% |
| $5.90 + | 63% |
Note: The FSC is calculated on the base linehaul rate, not the total.
For flat-rate quoting (all-inclusive), embed the FSC into the total and note
"Fuel Surcharge Included" in the line items.
Step 4 — Identify Accessorials
Scan the load details for any of the following. Flag each one that applies
and include it in the line items with the appropriate charge:
| Accessorial | When to Flag | Typical Range |
|---|
| Tarping | Open flatbed + commodity requires weather protection | $75–$200 |
| Strapping / Chains | Heavy machinery, coils, steel | $50–$150 |
| Liftgate | Receiver has no dock | $75–$150 |
| Inside Delivery | Freight must be moved past the threshold | $100–$300 |
| Residential Delivery | Destination is a home or non-commercial address | $75–$150 |
| Driver Assist | Loading/unloading help required | $50–$150/hr |
| Detention | Known slow-loading shipper or receiver | Note: billed if incurred, $65–$100/hr after 2 hrs |
| Layover | Multi-day delivery window or known receiver delays | $300–$500/night |
| Re-consignment | Delivery address change after dispatch | $150–$300 |
| Oversize Permit | Any dimension exceeds: 8'6" W, 13'6" H, 53' L, 80,000 lbs | $150–$500+ per state |
| Escort | Required by state for oversize loads | $200–$500/day |
| Hazmat | Freight is classified hazardous material | $100–$300 |
| Team Driver | Time-critical load requiring continuous driving | $400–$800 |
| Air Ride | Fragile or sensitive cargo | $75–$150 |
Rule: If an accessorial is "anticipated but not confirmed," list it as
"Not included — will be billed if incurred" in the terms. Do not pad the
quote with unconfirmed charges.
Step 5 — Build Rate Recommendation
Using miles, fuel surcharge, and accessorials:
Base Linehaul = Miles × (your $/mile floor from config or history)
Fuel Surcharge = Base Linehaul × FSC%
Accessorials = Sum of applicable charges
─────────────────────────────────────────
Total All-In Rate = Base + FSC + Accessorials
If you have lane history for this origin/destination or customer, reference it
to sanity-check the number before committing. Adjust for market conditions,
customer relationship, and any known carrier availability on the lane.
Round to the nearest $5 or $25 for cleaner quote presentation.
Step 6 — Build the JSON Payload
{
"quote_num": "auto",
"valid_days": 14,
"quoted_to": {
"company": "Customer Company Name",
"contact": "Contact First Name",
"seller_name": "Requester Name (if different from customer)",
"seller_company": "Requester Company",
"seller_email": "requester@email.com",
"seller_phone": "555-000-0000"
},
"shipment": {
"origin": "City, ST ZIP",
"destination": "City, ST ZIP",
"est_miles": "~X miles",
"service_type": "e.g. Flatbed FTL",
"commodity": "Description",
"equipment": "e.g. Flatbed Trailer",
"weight": "XX,000 lbs",
"dimensions": "XX' L × X' W × X' H",
"permit_class": "Standard",
"est_transit": "X–X Business Days"
},
"line_items": [
{"description": "Freight Transportation", "notes": "Origin to Destination | ~X miles", "amount": "Included"},
{"description": "Fuel Surcharge", "notes": "Live EIA diesel $X.XX/gal (PADD X) — XX% FSC", "amount": "Included"},
{"description": "Accessorial: [Name]", "notes": "Description", "amount": "$XXX"},
{"description": "Accessorial Charges", "notes": "None anticipated (see terms)", "amount": "—"}
],
"total_label": "TOTAL FLAT RATE",
"total_note": "All-inclusive | No hidden fees",
"total_amount": "$X,XXX.00",
"extra_terms": []
}
Step 7 — Generate the PDF
python scripts/generate_quote.py examples/sample_payload.json
Or pass JSON inline:
python scripts/generate_quote.py '<paste json here>'
The script outputs the full path to the generated PDF file.
Step 8 — Present the File
After the script runs, share the PDF with the user. Provide a brief summary:
- Customer, origin → destination
- Total rate
- Fuel surcharge basis (EIA date + diesel price)
- Any accessorials flagged
- Quote validity date
Rate History (Optional but Powerful)
Add a config/lane_history.json file to track past quotes and outcomes:
[
{
"customer": "Acme Corp",
"origin": "Chicago, IL",
"destination": "Dallas, TX",
"equipment": "Flatbed",
"miles": 921,
"quoted": 2850,
"accepted": true,
"carrier_cost": 2400,
"margin": 450,
"accessorials_billed": 0,
"notes": "Smooth load, no issues"
}
]
When a new RFQ comes in for a similar lane, Claude will reference this history
to anchor the rate recommendation in real outcomes — not market averages.
Rules for Every Quote
- Always use this week's EIA diesel — never last week's, never an estimate
- Always calculate actual miles — never round-number guesses
- Always identify accessorials from the load description — never assume none
- Always include the cargo insurance clause in terms (built into generator)
- Never promise a rate without flagging potential accessorials in the terms
- Fuel surcharge note in line items must always cite the EIA date and diesel price
- Quote validity is 14 days by default — adjust in config if needed
Config Reference
See config/broker_config.json for:
- Company name, MC#, address, phone, email
- Brand colors (hex)
- Default valid_days
- Default FSC table override (if you use a different scale)
- Default linehaul floor ($/mile)
Support & Community
