Accessorials are charges on top of line haul for extra work, waiting or equipment. They are one of the most common reasons brokers lose margin and argue with carriers. The fix is the same each time: agree it in writing, document it, and bill it.
Common accessorial charges
- Detention: payment for waiting past the agreed free time at pickup or delivery. Use the detention calculator.
- Layover: payment when a truck has to wait overnight or longer.
- Lumper fee: the cost of third-party labor to load or unload.
- TONU (truck ordered, not used): payment when a truck is dispatched and the load is called off.
- Extra stop: additional pickup or delivery beyond the plan.
- Reconsignment: changing the delivery destination mid-move.
- Driver assist: the driver helps load or unload.
- Tarping: covering flatbed freight.
- Fuel surcharge: usually shown separately from line haul.
Agree them before the load moves
For each likely charge, write down the amount or rate, what triggers it, who approves it and what proof is needed. Your rate confirmation is the place for carrier terms, and your shipper agreement for shipper terms. They need to line up, or you end up paying a charge you can’t bill.
Handling a charge when it happens
- The carrier tells you as soon as the charge starts to apply.
- You tell the shipper right away and get approval in writing.
- The driver gets proof: time stamps on the bill of lading, or a lumper receipt.
- You add the charge to both sides of the load.
- You bill it on the shipper’s invoice, with the proof attached.
Watch what it does to your margin
If you pay an accessorial and don’t bill it, it comes straight out of your profit. Put it into the margin calculator to see the difference. For the wider picture, read how to price a load.
Common questions
Who pays lumper fees?
It depends on your agreement. Often the carrier pays at the dock and is reimbursed, with the charge billed through to the shipper. Agree it in advance and keep the receipt.
What does TONU mean in freight?
Truck ordered, not used: a payment to the carrier when a truck was dispatched but the load was called off.
What is the difference between detention and layover?
Detention generally covers waiting hours past free time. Layover generally covers a truck held overnight or longer. Your agreements define both.