Quote Templates & Customization (Branding, Terms, Layouts)

Quote templates standardize how your company presents pricing to customers. A consistent format improves trust, reduces back-and-forth, and helps customers compare options quickly. Velocity supports custom templates by service type, customer, agent, and trade lane, and includes a white-label PDF generator so every quote looks on-brand and includes the right terms and conditions.

This guide explains how to design a template strategy, what you can customize, how branding should be applied, and how to govern template changes across teams.

Template Strategy: One Global Template vs Per-Service/Per-Segment Templates

Option 1: One global template (best for speed and strict consistency)

A global template uses the same structure for every quote, regardless of service or customer.

When to use

• You want fast rollout and minimal admin overhead
• Your services are similar and customers expect the same format
• You want strict brand consistency across regions or teams

Trade-off

• Less flexibility for service-specific fields or lane-specific notes

Option 2: Templates by service type (best for multi-modal forwarding)

Create distinct templates for FCL, LCL, Air, Road, Courier, or specialized services.

When to use

• Each service requires different fields (equipment, chargeable weight, cutoffs, routing)
• You need service-specific terms (air security, container detention language, etc.)
• You want the cost breakdown to match the buying process for that mode

Trade-off

• More templates to maintain; requires governance and naming standards

Option 3: Templates by customer or customer segment (best for enterprise and key accounts)

Create templates for strategic accounts or segments (e.g., retail, pharma, automotive) that require specific terms, document structure, or headers.

When to use

• Customers require specific reference numbers, clauses, or disclaimers
• The customer’s procurement process expects a specific PDF layout
• You negotiate standardized terms for a key account

Trade-off

• Risk of fragmentation if every account gets a bespoke format

Option 4: Templates by agent or trade lane (best for operational variation)

Use lane-specific or agent-specific templates when operational requirements and terms change meaningfully by route.

When to use

• Certain lanes require different exclusions, cutoffs, or documentation notes
• Specific agent arrangements require a defined fee structure or disclaimer
• Regional teams must comply with local commercial wording

Trade-off

• Highest complexity; only recommended with strong governance

Recommended approach (most teams)

• Start with one global template
• Add service-type templates for major modes
• Introduce customer templates only for key accounts
• Use lane-specific templates only when necessary and controlled

What You Can Customize (Layout, Tables, Terms, Notes, Validity)

A quote template should make the customer decision easy. Customization typically falls into four areas.

1) Layout and structure

• Quote summary block (scope, total, validity, reference)
• Cost breakdown section (grouping and ordering of charges)
• Optional service options (multiple offers in one quote)
• Terms and assumptions section (short, scannable bullets)

2) Tables and pricing presentation

• Line items: base freight, origin, destination, surcharges, accessorials
• Grouping: by stage (origin/linehaul/destination) or by charge type
• Totals: subtotal and grand total, with currency clearly shown
• Optional columns: unit, quantity, basis (per shipment, per kg, per container)

3) Terms, notes, and disclaimers

• Included vs excluded items
• Customs/duties/taxes disclaimers
• Capacity and schedule disclaimers (especially for spot market)
• Documentation requirements (commercial invoice, packing list, etc.)
• Payment terms and acceptance conditions (if applicable)

4) Validity and expiry formatting

• Quote expiry date displayed prominently
• Rate validity window (if separate)
• Conditions that can trigger revalidation (e.g., weight/volume changes)

Best practice: keep the quote “decision-critical” content above the fold:
scope + total + validity + next step.

Branding Options (Logo, Colors, Footer, Customer-Specific Headers)

White-label quoting should look like your company, not a generic system output.

Recommended branding elements

• Company logo in header




• Brand colors (used consistently, not excessive)




• Standard footer with:

  • Company contact details
  
  
  • Address and registration info (if needed)
  • Support email/phone
  • Website or portal link
  
  

Customer-specific headers (when appropriate)

For enterprise customers, the header can include:

• Customer name and reference number
• Account manager name and direct contact
• Quote ID and revision/version identifier
• Customer-required procurement references

Best practice: use customer-specific headers sparingly and only when it improves the buying process or meets procurement requirements.

Governance: Who Can Edit Templates and How to Roll Out Changes

Templates are a customer-facing asset. Changes should be controlled to prevent inconsistent quotes and commercial risk.

Recommended roles and permissions

• Template Admin (Sales Ops / Rev Ops): creates and updates templates
• Commercial Approver (Pricing/Leadership): approves wording and margin-related presentation
• Users (Sales/CS): select templates, add deal-specific notes, generate quotes
• Read-only stakeholders: visibility without editing rights

Change management process (recommended)

1. Draft update (admin creates a new version of the template)
2. Review (commercial + legal/finance if required)
3. Pilot (test with one team or region for a short period)
4. Publish (roll out to all users)
5. Communicate (what changed, who it affects, when it is effective)

Versioning and rollback

• Maintain version history of templates
• Keep a rollback plan if a template change causes confusion or errors
• Document why a template was changed (policy, branding refresh, compliance)

Naming convention (avoid template sprawl)

Use a consistent naming pattern:

• Service: FCL | Standard Quote Template
• Segment: Retail | Air Freight Template
• Customer: ACME | Contract Quote Template
• Lane: EU → GCC | LCL Template

Best Practices for Consistent, High-Converting Quotes

• Use the same structure across templates: summary → breakdown → terms → next steps
• Keep terms short and scannable; avoid long paragraphs
• Clearly show validity and what the customer should do next
• Group costs in a way that matches how customers evaluate them
• Ensure every template includes a quote reference ID and revision identifier
• Limit customer-specific templates to key accounts to avoid admin overload

Quick Checklist: Is Your Template Ready?

A template is ready when it:

• Looks branded and white-label (logo, colors, footer)
• Shows scope, total, and validity clearly
• Presents a complete cost breakdown with consistent naming
• Includes inclusions/exclusions and essential terms
• Can be applied correctly by service type, customer, agent, or lane
• Has controlled edit permissions and a documented rollout process