When a shipper walks our warehouse for the first time, the first question is almost never about square footage. It is: how do you determine value? It is the right question to start with, and the answer tells you a lot about whether a warehouse is a fit.

How warehouse pricing is actually set

At Gilbert, value comes down to two things: the class of material and the value of the actual goods.

  • Class of material decides how the freight has to be handled and where it can sit. Steel coil, paper rolls, palletized consumer goods and food-grade product all need different equipment, floor space and care.
  • Value of the goods is what the importer, shipper or market values it at. We would quote gold based on what gold is worth. It comes down to liability: the more your freight is worth, the more we are responsible for while it sits in our building.

So two shippers with the same number of pallets can get very different quotes. If a warehouse quotes you a flat number without asking what the freight is and what it is worth, it has not priced your freight. It has priced a generic pallet.

The cheapest quote is rarely the cheapest warehouse

Most of the shippers who come to us have already tried the cheaper option. In our experience, the lowest rate typically does not come with good service. The savings disappear the first time a trailer waits a day for a dock door, an order goes out wrong, or a load stuck at the bridge sits with no one tracking it.

Compare total cost, not the rate: how fast freight is received and shipped, and how often orders go out right.

Questions to ask before you sign

  • How do you price my freight? You want to hear questions about the material and its value, not a per-pallet number on the first call.
  • Do you have room for my peak, not just my average? Ask how much space and how many dock doors they actually have.
  • How fast do you turn a trailer? Ask for receiving and shipping times, not promises.
  • Are you bonded, and for which classes? If any of your freight might arrive in-bond, this matters. See the four classes of bonded warehousing.
  • Can freight arrive by rail? An on-site spur saves a drayage move. See when rail wins at the Laredo border.

What tends to surprise people here

When shippers tour our Laredo facility, what surprises them is how organized it is and how fast we move. And we do it across 250,000+ square feet under roof, a 60-trailer dock and a 10-car Union Pacific spur.

Where to start

Send us what you are shipping, what it is worth, how much moves per month, and whether it arrives in-bond. We will tell you plainly whether we are a fit. Request a quote or call 956-723-4308, Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm Central. More on how we work as a Laredo 3PL.

Quick answers

How is warehouse storage priced in Laredo?

At Gilbert, by the class of material and the value of the goods, not a flat per-pallet rate.

Is the cheapest warehouse the best deal?

Rarely. Slow receiving, shipping errors and poor communication usually cost more than the rate saved.

What should I ask a warehouse before signing?

How they price your freight, whether they have room for your peak, how fast they turn trailers, whether they are bonded, and whether they have rail.