A freight management method and system for arranging for shipment of a load, offering equipment, selling a product, or providing a service from a shipper by a carrier, based on shipping data and carrier data supplied by the shipper and the carrier, respectively, comprising a central processing system (10), inputting into the central processing system (10) a request for bids (18), which includes requests to apply pre-defined rates from the shipper (12) for shipping a load; electronically transmitting an invitation to bid (19) for shipping the load from the central processing system (10) to a plurality of carriers (13); electronically receiving bids (20) at the central processing system (10) from at least some of the carriers (13) for shipping the load; electronically transmitting to the shipper a bid report (21) with bids received from at least some of the carriers (13) receiving the invitation to bids; and electronically receiving from the shipper a bid selection (22) and notifying the carrier of acceptance (23) of at least one of the bids.