What happens if a supplier doesn't follow a routing guide?

The retailer charges back. Macy's Backstage bills $50 per freight bill and makes the vendor pay full freight for an unauthorised carrier; Best Buy charges $200 per master bill of lading that breaks its rules.

Who pays freight under a routing guide?

On collect freight, the buyer: Best Buy assigns the loads to carriers and pays the freight charges. A vendor that ships outside the guide can end up paying all of it.

What is a carrier routing guide?

A shipper's own ranked list of carriers for each lane — first choice, then backups — that sets who is offered each load. Agencies using GSA's rates see carriers listed from lowest to highest cost.

Term

Routing guide

A routing guide is a set of instructions telling suppliers how to ship to a buyer: which carrier to use for which weight or lane, how to book delivery appointments, and what the bill of lading and shipping notice must show. US retailers publish them for inbound freight and charge back vendors who ignore them.

Also called vendor routing guide, routing instructions, carrier routing guide, inbound routing guide, supplier routing guideApplies in USUpdated 13 October 2026

What a retailer's guide covers

Macy's Backstage states the purpose plainly: to help vendors transport goods to it in the most reliable, cost-effective manner possible. Best Buy's guide for its US distribution centres says that on freight it collects, Best Buy assigns loads to carriers and pays the freight charges; it defines the advance ship notice as an electronic version of a printed packing slip, and records a late reschedule as a carrier missed appointment. Most guides set the carrier by shipment size, the appointment process, the bill of lading fields and the labels.

Worked example: which carrier, and the cost of ignoring it

Rule	Buyer	What the guide says
Packages 1–150 lb each	Wegmans	Ship FedEx Ground / small parcel
151 lb and over	Wegmans	Ship with C.H. Robinson
Carrier not in the guide	Macy's Backstage	$50.00 per freight bill, plus the vendor pays full freight
Bill of lading rules not followed	Best Buy	$200.00 per master BOL
Shipping air without authorisation	Best Buy	Excess freight charges plus a $200.00 processing fee

From published routing guides: Wegmans (LTL), Macy's Backstage (revised 14 April 2026), Best Buy (US RDC inbound)

The shipper's own routing guide

Shippers write routing guides for their own lanes too: a ranked list of carriers per lane, so the first-choice carrier gets the load and a backup gets it when the first declines. The US General Services Administration lists carriers on each cost comparison from low cost to high cost, but says agencies may consider factors other than price when routing a shipment. How often the first choice turns loads down is the tender rejection rate.

The mistake people make

Taking routing from the wrong person. Macy's Backstage says in capitals that buying offices are not authorized to issue routing instructions. Use a carrier the guide doesn't authorise and the shipment is treated as FOB Destination: the vendor pays all freight charges and carries any loss or damage.

FAQ

Routing guide: common questions

What happens if a supplier doesn't follow a routing guide?: The retailer charges back. Macy's Backstage bills $50 per freight bill and makes the vendor pay full freight for an unauthorised carrier; Best Buy charges $200 per master bill of lading that breaks its rules.
Who pays freight under a routing guide?: On collect freight, the buyer: Best Buy assigns the loads to carriers and pays the freight charges. A vendor that ships outside the guide can end up paying all of it.
What is a carrier routing guide?: A shipper's own ranked list of carriers for each lane — first choice, then backups — that sets who is offered each load. Agencies using GSA's rates see carriers listed from lowest to highest cost.