You are buying an average, not a list of units. The winners on the manifest are obvious; the load is decided by the tail.
The goal is not to buy one good load. It is to build a business capable of buying good loads every week.
Read the manifest properly
Category mix, condition codes, unit count. Ignore the retail reference column.
Price it yourself
Your expected sell price by model and grade, based on what you have actually sold.
Apply a sell-through rate
Assume a share is unsellable or scrap. Your own history is the only honest source for that number.
Add every cost
Freight, lift gate, labor to unload, parts, testing time, disposal.
Compute landed cost
Total cost ÷ sellable units. This is the number you price and record COGS against.
Check cash, not just margin
Model how many weeks the cash is tied up. A profitable load you cannot fund is not a deal.
Receive against the manifest
Count, photograph and grade on arrival. Claims windows are short.
Buy the portfolio, not the cherries
Suppliers reserve their best loads for buyers who take full assortments consistently.
Example
- Dividing by manifest count instead of sellable count.
- Bidding on a category you have never sold.
- Cherry-picking only desirable loads and never becoming a supplier's real customer.
Your business is ready to buy wholesale.
A Pro account gets you access to inventory. It doesn't automatically come with terms or financing.