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An RFP is how you ask your carriers to bid on a set of lanes all at once, then turn the bids you accept into contract rates. Where to find it: Dashboard → RFPs → Create RFP

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How It Works

You build a list of lanes, choose which carriers get to bid, and set a deadline. Owlery emails each carrier their lanes, and their bids come back into Owlery so you can compare them side by side. When you award a bid, it becomes a contract rate you can quote and tender against.
RFP is an add-on feature. If it isn’t on your plan, the Create RFP page shows an upgrade message instead of the builder.

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Before You Start

  • Add your carriers first: only carriers already in Owlery show up in the carrier list. See Who Can Bid below for the two ways to add one.
  • Carriers don’t need an integration: a carrier you only have an email contact for can still bid.
  • Set lookup codes on your facilities: then you can list a stop by its code instead of typing the full address. See Facility Profile.

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How to Build and Send One

Everything happens on one page. Fill in the top, add your lanes, then set carriers and dates at the bottom.
1

Name the RFP

The name is filled in with the current month, like “RFP September 2026”. Your carriers see this name, so make it something they’ll recognize.Use the optional Description for anything carriers should read before they bid — service expectations, seasonality, or when you plan to award.
2

Attach Documents (Optional)

Attach Documents at the top right shares files with every carrier you invite — a bid packet, insurance requirements, or accessorial rules.
3

Add Your Lanes

You can upload a CSV file, let Owlery suggest lanes you already run, or type them in one at a time. See Adding Lanes to Your RFP.
4

Review the Lane Table

Every lane you add appears in the table, with its stops, equipment, volume, weight, distance, and target rate. Whatever is in this table is what gets sent, so give it a read before you send.To remove one lane, use the menu on its row. To start over, use Clear All in the toolbar menu.
5

Choose Your Carriers

Pick one or more carriers under Include the following carriers for proposal. Every carrier you pick is asked to bid on every lane in the RFP.
6

Set Your Dates

  • Contract Starts and Contract Expires: the period the rates you award will cover.
  • Deadline to Submit Bids: the date and time bids are due. You can extend this later.
7

Send RFP

Owlery emails each carrier the lanes you asked them to bid on, and takes you to the RFP’s lane list. See Running Your RFP.
Your carrier list is locked once you send. A carrier you add to Owlery afterward can’t join an RFP that’s already out, so get your list right before you send.

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Who Can Bid

Every carrier you have a relationship with in Owlery can be invited, even one you’ve never tendered a load to. To invite a carrier who isn’t in Owlery yet, add them as a contact at owlery.ai/dashboard/contacts before you build the RFP. Enter their email and Owlery fills in their name and carrier for you. Give them the RFP Manager role, which sends them RFP requests without subscribing them to day-to-day quote, tender, and load email.
This is the right route for a carrier you only want bids from. If you also plan to quote and tender with them, set them up as a full integration instead — see Add a Carrier or Broker.

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Good to Know

  • Your draft is saved on your computer: lanes stay in the table if you leave the page and come back on the same computer. A teammate on a different computer won’t see your draft.
  • An RFP with no lanes is a draft: you can reopen it and finish it in the builder later. Once an RFP has been sent, you can’t edit it back through the Create RFP page.

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Next Steps

Adding Lanes to Your RFP

Three ways to get lanes into your RFP: upload a CSV file, use Owlery’s suggestions, or type them in.

Running Your RFP

Compare bids, run another round, extend a deadline, and award your lanes.