{"carrier":"R&L Carriers","charge":"99.13","service_days":"Wednesday Oct. 22, 2014"}

<?php
    //include ('mysql_connect.php');

    $result = mysql_query('select * from quote where user_id = "'.$user_id.'" order by netCharge asc limit 1');

    if (!$result) {
        die('Could not query:' . mysql_error());
    }

    if (!$result) echo mysql_error();

    $api_data = array();
    $api_count = '0';
    while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result, MYSQLI_ASSOC)) {

    $api_data[carrier] = $row['carrier'];
    $api_data[charge] = $row['netCharge'];
    $api_data[service_days] = $row['serviceDays'];

    $api_count++;

    }

    $api_data = json_encode($api_data);

    print_r($api_data);

    ?>

<?php

    $input = file_get_contents('api_request.php?dest_zip=66101&weight=200&class=50&ltl_shipment=X&Residential_Delivery=X');
    echo $input;

    $obj = json_decode($input);
    var_dump($obj);

    ?>

$array = json_decode($data, true);

{"carrier":"R&L Carriers","charge":"99.13","service_days":"Wednesday Oct. 22, 2014"}

<?php

$input = file_get_contents('example.json');
echo $input;
// {"carrier":"R&L Carriers","charge":"99.13","service_days":"Wednesday Oct. 22, 2014"}

$obj = json_decode($input);
var_dump($obj);
// object(stdClass)#1 (3) {
//   ["carrier"]=>
//   string(12) "R&L Carriers"
//   ["charge"]=>
//   string(5) "99.13"
//   ["service_days"]=>
//   string(23) "Wednesday Oct. 22, 2014"
// }

$str = trim($str," ") ;

$str = trim($str,"n") ;

$str = stripslashes($str);