Abstract: A preferred method of managing logistics sourcing decisions including shipping rates in a network involves transmitting a shipping bid, receiving a plurality of bid responses from a plurality of carriers including a first bid having a first shipping rate and a first expiration date from the first carrier, receiving a shipping constraint, determining whether the plurality of bid responses meet the shipping constraint to identify a rejected bid and a plurality of accepted bids, storing a plurality of accepted bids until at least their respective expiration dates, receiving a selected bid of the plurality of accepted bids of step, wherein the accepted bid is the first bid, transmitting a booking request to the first carrier and receiving tracking information related to the freight being shipped including a ship date when the freight is received by the first carrier and a receipt date when the freight is delivered to the consignee.