Comparing Offers on Sphere: How to Choose Between Drivers

Your phone buzzes. One driver has accepted your price. Another has sent a counter-offer that is higher. A third has sent one that is higher still, with a message about helpers. Which one do you take?

On Sphere you propose the price, and nearby verified drivers accept it or counter. How you choose between the replies is up to you. This guide gives you a simple method.

Start with what an offer means

An accepted offer means a driver agrees to your price and the details in your request. A counter-offer means the driver wants a different price, often because the job is bigger, further, harder to reach or more time-consuming than the price assumed.

Neither is wrong. A counter-offer is a way to start a short conversation. Often the driver has seen something in the load or the route that you can clear up. Our guide to how Sphere pricing works explains the mechanics.

Compare the same job

Before you compare amounts, make sure each driver is quoting for the same job. Check:

1. The vehicle: a truck or a pickup van, and its size.
2. The number of trips the driver expects.
3. Who loads and offloads, and whether helpers are included.
4. The pickup time and any waiting time you have agreed.
5. Access: stairs, long carries, estate rules.

A lower amount that leaves out helpers may cost more on the day than a higher one that includes them. Write down what is included in each offer, so you compare like with like.

Check what the driver tells you

Read the messages as carefully as the amount. Look for drivers who:

• Ask sensible questions about the load and access.
• Mention how they will protect or secure the load.
• Confirm the arrival time clearly.
• Answer questions directly without pressure.

Drivers on Sphere submit their licence, ID and vehicle details for approval before taking jobs, and you can read more in our post on how verified drivers are approved. Even so, a clear conversation is a good sign.

Ask the questions that matter

If two offers look close, send a short message to each:

• "Can you confirm the vehicle and how many trips you expect?"
• "Will you bring helpers for loading and offloading, or should I arrange them?"
• "What time can you reach the pickup, and what happens if I am delayed?"
• "Is anything in my description unclear to you?"

Answers like these show you who has read the request and who has not. Our note on questions to settle before an intercity move lists more questions for long trips.

Ready to move?

Request a truck or van on Sphere

Choose your vehicle, propose your price, and verified drivers in Lagos, Abuja and Ibadan accept or send a counter-offer.

Get Sphere on Android Get Sphere on iPhone Talk to our team

Do not assume the lowest is best

A bulk move depends on a strong vehicle, careful handling and good timing. If an offer is far lower than the others, ask why. The driver may have misread the load, may not plan to help with loading, or may not have a vehicle large enough. If an offer is far higher than the rest, ask the same question. The answer may tell you something about the access or the weight that you missed.

Think of the whole move: your furniture, your time, the schedule of the building and the people who will help.

When to counter back

You can respond to a counter-offer. If you like a driver but the amount is higher than you want, explain your budget and what you can change, such as a flexible time, help with loading or a lighter load. A reasonable reply often leads to an agreement.

If the job really is bigger than you described, update your description and tell the drivers you are talking to.

Accept in writing

Before you accept, put the agreement in the message thread: vehicle, time, who helps with loading and offloading, and anything else you settled. Then accept the offer. Agree loading and offloading help with the driver before you accept an offer, not after the truck arrives.

How to do this on Sphere

Open the app, choose a truck or pickup van, add the pickup and drop-off, describe the load and propose a price. When offers and counter-offers arrive, compare them using the checklist above, ask your questions and choose the one that fits. For a better description, read how to describe your load.

You can also read about truck hire in Lagos and Lagos on Sphere.