Bid on a load

curl -X POST https://agent.lanesurf.com/v1/carrier/loads/$LOAD_ID/bids \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $LANESURF_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"rate": 1900, "truck_id": "c1d2…", "note": "Empty in Dallas Fri 8am"}'

{
  "bid_id": "7f6e…",
  "load_id": "9e8d…",
  "rate": 1900,
  "truck_id": "c1d2…",
  "note": "Empty in Dallas Fri 8am",
  "status": "submitted",
  "created_at": "2026-10-22T16:40:00Z",
  "action": "created"
}

​

What happens next

1. The bid shows up on the broker’s Lanesurf dashboard as an inbound bid, with your MC/DOT, your dispatch contact (the email or phone you signed up with), the rate, and your note and truck. The broker’s reps are emailed about it.
2. The broker’s team follows up with your dispatcher by email or phone to confirm the truck and agree the rate. If the broker accepts your bid, the broker’s team reaches out to you to book.
3. Bids that look like a mistake (for example an absurd rate) may be held for review instead of going to the broker straight away.
4. Lanesurf does not book the load. Booking and the rate confirmation happen between you and the broker.
5. Follow the outcome with GET /v1/carrier/bids. Poll it every few minutes.

​

Rules

• A bid is not a booking. Confirm with the dispatcher before you send it.
• Only verified carriers can bid. Keys under review (needs_review) get 403 verification_required.
• rate is all-in USD, from $1 to $500,000, rounded to the cent. Commas may group thousands ("1,250"), but "1,2,5,0" isn’t a number. Leave it out to ask for the broker’s rate.
• truck_id is optional; it must be one of your active trucks.
• note is optional, up to 1,000 characters of plain text. The broker sees it as your note.
• The body is optional. No body, an empty body or {} means “I want to run this, send me your rate”.
• One bid per carrier per load, across all of that carrier’s keys. The carrier is its DOT number, or its MC number if it has no DOT.
• To change your rate, bid again. It updates the same bid (latest terms win) and replies 200 with action: updated, or action: unchanged if nothing changed. Fields you leave out keep their value. The broker sees the new rate on the same bid. A brand-new bid replies 201 with action: created.
• A bid can be changed at most 5 times. After that it stands as it is: 409 bid_update_limit.
• Once the broker has accepted your bid, it can’t change: 409 bid_decided. A declined bid can be sent again: a new rate reopens it for the broker. Changing only the note or truck keeps it declined.
• If another key of your carrier is placing a bid on the same load at that moment, you get 409 already_bid. Try again in a few seconds.
• A bid that shows incomplete never reached the broker. Send it again to finish it. Within 2 minutes only the key that placed it can, and the original rate, truck and note are used. After 2 minutes the bid counts as abandoned: any of your carrier’s keys can finish it, and that request’s terms are used.
• You can’t bid on a load that is gone, covered, paused or deleted. A load you already bid on stays readable with GET /v1/carrier/loads/{load_id}, showing open: false.