Guides
Sample local delivery quotes and the template behind them without the jargon
Three sample local delivery quotes show how stop counts, wait time and rush fees turn into a final price a customer will actually sign off on.
What to take away
- A quote is a scope plus a rate plus a change rule. Miss any of the three and the argument happens after the van is loaded.
- Price the stop, the mile and the wait separately. A flat per-stop rate hides the two costs that actually move.
- Rush, after-hours and signature-required work carry their own line, not a markup buried in the base rate.
- Name prohibited goods in writing before the first pickup. What you cannot legally carry is a scope term, not a driver decision.
- Every quote expires. State the date and the fuel or access assumption it was built on.
Three sample quotes
These are illustrative, built on named variables you replace with your own numbers. Nothing here is a market rate.
Three Sample Delivery Quotes
Quote A: Retail
- Service type
- Scheduled retail
- Volume
- 40 stops
- Key rate
- $4.50 per stop
- Final price
- ~$195
Quote B: Medical
- Service type
- Same-day courier
- Volume
- 1 trip
- Key rate
- $1.10 per mile
- Final price
- ~$63
Quote C: Monthly
- Service type
- Routed contract
- Volume
- 600 parcels
- Key rate
- Per-parcel rate
- Final price
- Monthly total
Quote A: retail route, scheduled, 40 stops.
A pharmacy chain needs 40 stops across one zip code.
The window is the same daily.
Packages are under 10 lb and need no signature. Price = (stops x per-stop rate) + (route miles x per-mile rate) + stop allowance.
At $4.50 per stop, 22 miles at $0.70, and 20 minutes of built-in wait, the day lands near $195. The per-stop rate carries the labor; the mileage line carries the fuel and the wear.
Signature-required stops get their own count, because each one adds 90 seconds to the stop.
Quote B: same-day medical courier, single trip. A lab needs one specimen run, 9 miles, 45-minute window, driver waits at pickup. Price = (miles x per-mile rate) + (wait hours x hourly wait rate) + same-day premium.
At $1.10 per mile, one hour of wait at $28, and a $25 same-day premium, the trip is about $63. The premium is not padding; it is the cost of holding a driver out of a routed schedule.
Quote C: routed business delivery, monthly contract. A dental supplier ships 600 parcels a month across three counties, mixed weight, two attempted deliveries included.
Price = (parcels x per-parcel rate) + (route miles x per-mile rate) + (reattempts x reattempt rate) + monthly platform fee. Five cost factors drive the monthly total:
- $3.20 per parcel
- 1,400 miles at $0.65
- $6 per reattempt
- the month runs near $3,000
- before the platform fee
Reattempts are the number that decides whether this contract is profitable, so count them for 60 days before you sign.
Quote A
- Unit that drives cost
- stop
- Rush treatment
- none
- Change trigger
- stop count over allowance
- Expiration
- 30 days
Quote B
- Unit that drives cost
- mile and wait hour
- Rush treatment
- same-day premium
- Change trigger
- window missed at pickup
- Expiration
- 7 days
Quote C
- Unit that drives cost
- parcel and reattempt
- Rush treatment
- cut-off time in contract
- Change trigger
- reattempts over 10%
- Expiration
- 30 days, fuel assumption stated
The template behind the quotes
Fourteen fields, in the order a customer reads them. Fill every one or the quote is not finished.
14-Field Quote Template
- Parties and authorityname the person, not the department
- Service typesame-day, scheduled, routed, or retail
- Scopestops, geography, weight, dimensions, signature
- Prohibited goodslist what you will not carry
- Assumptionsaccess, dock or door, parking, lift, count
- Exclusionsreattempts, waiting, redelivery, permits
- Labor and schedulehours, window, cut-off, after-hours
- Equipmentvehicle class, bags, scanners, dollies
- Parties and authority.Contracting customer, service contact, billing contact, and who can approve a change. Name the person, not the department.
- Service type.Same-day, scheduled, routed, or retail. Say which. A routed contract priced like a same-day trip loses money on the first dense day.
- Scope.Stops or parcels, geography, weight band, dimensions, signature requirement, and the completion standard. "Local area" is not a scope.
- Prohibited goods.List what you will not carry: hazardous materials, alcohol without a license, firearms, cash, live animals, temperature-controlled pharmaceuticals without the right equipment. This is the field drivers ask about most.
- Assumptions.Access at pickup and drop, dock or door, parking, lift availability, package count, and the schedule the price depends on.
- Exclusions.Reattempts beyond the included count, waiting past the allowance, redelivery, inside delivery, lift-gate use, and anything requiring a permit.
- Labor and schedule.Driver hours, service window, cut-off time, and how after-hours or weekend work is authorized.
- Equipment.Vehicle class, insulated bags, scanners, dollies, and who supplies them.
- Base price.The amount tied to the stated scope. Do not fold mandatory charges into it.
- Variable charges.Per-stop, per-mile, per-wait-hour, per-reattempt, per-rush rates, each on its own line with its unit named.
- Taxes and fees.Fuel surcharge, tolls, parking, platform fees, and applicable taxes, labeled.
- Changes.Written approval required before the change is performed, with the approver named.
- Payment.Deposit, invoicing cycle, methods, due dates, late terms, and how disputes are raised.
- Authorization and expiration.Selected scope, total or rate, signer, date, and the date the quote dies.
Where the numbers come from
Your per-mile rate is your own arithmetic: (annual vehicle cost + fuel + insurance + maintenance) divided by annual miles, then divided by your target margin. Your per-stop rate is (driver hourly cost x minutes per stop) divided by 60, plus a stop allowance for wait. Neither number comes from a competitor's quote, and neither should.
Building Your Unit Rates
- Sum annual vehicle cost, fuel, insurance, maintenance
- Divide by annual miles
- Divide by target margin for per-mile rate
- Multiply driver hourly cost by minutes per stop
- Divide by 60, add stop allowance for per-stop rate
- Rebuild both rates quarterly
For wage inputs, the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics publishes occupation and metro estimates you can use as one local benchmark.
For what your records must show if a quote turns into a dispute, the IRS recordkeeping guidance sets the standard.
For how you may describe your service and turnaround in advertising, the FTC advertising guide for small business is the reference.
Rates move with fuel and labor, so rebuild the two unit rates quarterly. If you are still deciding which services to sell, the delivery packages worth offering list pairs each one with the equipment it needs.
Before you sign a contract that assumes a certain stop count, check it against your break-even point so you know the volume below which the route loses money.
Market choice matters too: the markets where local delivery demand is growing differ in density, which changes your per-stop cost more than any rate you negotiate.
Common questions
What if the customer refuses to name prohibited goods?
Put the list in the quote and have them sign it. If they will not, the scope is undefined and the first refused parcel becomes an argument about who knew what. Name the categories you will not carry and let the customer add theirs.
Should the quote show my margin?
No. Show the units and the rates. The customer is buying a stop and a mile, not your cost structure. If they ask for a breakdown, give them the line items, not the arithmetic behind them.
How often should I reissue quotes?
When fuel, labor or insurance moves enough to change your unit rates, and at least quarterly. Contracts get a stated review date; one-off quotes get an expiration date. A quote with no date is a price you are stuck with.
Who do I ask about licensing, tax or insurance questions this raises?
Your state DOT or city permit office for operating authority, a CPA or enrolled agent for worker classification and reporting, and a licensed insurance broker for coverage limits. Requirements vary by jurisdiction, so confirm the current rule with the authority that sets it.
