The Truckers Domain

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  • How to Document Heavy-Haul Accessorials So They Get Paid

    How to Document Heavy-Haul Accessorials So They Get Paid

    The crane is already running

    Picture this. You are two hours out from a paper-mill delivery in Georgia. The load is a 95-ton press section sitting on a 13-axle Schnabel. The receiving site has a 275-ton crawler crane on the pad with a four-person rigging crew, a signal person, and a millwright supervisor. That crane and crew, fully burdened, costs the shipper around $18,000 for the day. The lift window opens at 10 a.m. and closes at 3 p.m. because a state DOT permit restricts crane swings near a power line after 4 p.m.

    You are running late. Not because you did anything wrong. A weigh station kicked you over to a re-route, and your pilot car ran into a parade in a small town that the permit office did not flag. You will be on site at 1 p.m. instead of 10 a.m.

    There are two versions of this story.

    In version one, you call the broker at 6 a.m. when the re-route gets posted. You give them the new ETA. The broker calls the project manager at the mill. The PM tells the crane company to push the lift to 1 p.m. and bills a half-day standby instead of a full-day. The crew goes to a coffee shop. Everyone adjusts. The lift happens at 1:15. You roll out at 4. The mill’s project budget takes a $4,000 hit instead of an $18,000 hit. The broker calls you the next week with another move.

    In version two, you do not call. You roll up at 1 p.m. The crane company has burned the day waiting. The lift window is now closed because the curfew kicked in. The crane crew goes home. You sit in the yard overnight. The mill bills the broker for the full $18,000 of lost crane time. The broker asks who is paying for that. Nobody in the chain has it written down anywhere. The argument that follows costs you the relationship and probably costs the broker their relationship with the shipper.

    Same load. Same delay. Same truck. The only difference between the two versions is one phone call at 6 a.m.

    That is what this article is about.

    You are not alone in the truck

    When you take a heavy-haul load, you are one input variable in a project that has six or seven other vendors, each with their own clock running. Most truckers do not see those other clocks. They see the broker calling them four times a day and assume the broker is micromanaging.

    The broker is not micromanaging. The broker is trying to keep a project on schedule that has people and equipment costing thousands of dollars an hour parked at the destination. Sometimes the broker is annoying about it. Sometimes the broker has not communicated their reasoning well. The intent is almost always the same. The broker is pulling the same lever you are. They want the load delivered on time, on budget, and without anyone getting hurt or surprised.

    Here is who is on the clock when you take a typical heavy-haul move:

    • The shipper’s project manager, who is being measured on whether the install hits its date
    • The broker or 3PL, who has put their margin on the line by quoting a price to the shipper
    • The crane company at destination, with a crew, a crane, and often a sub-contracted rigger
    • The receiving plant’s millwrights or installers, who cannot start until the piece is set
    • The state permit offices in every state you cross, each of which can revoke or modify a permit mid-trip
    • Your pilot car drivers, who are billing by the day and the mile
    • The end customer, who is sometimes paying penalty clauses if the project slips

    Your truck, your driver, and your trailer are the most visible link in that chain. You are also the one piece that physically moves and therefore the one piece most likely to surface a problem first. When the weather changes, when a permit gets pulled, when an axle issue shows up at a chicken coop scale, when a road construction zone has narrowed an overpass, the trucker sees it before anyone else does.

    That is your job. The freight moving from A to B is roughly 30% of what the broker actually bought from you. The other 70% is your ability to be the early-warning system for the rest of the project. A trucker who does that well makes the broker look good to their customer. A broker who looks good to their customer dispatches you again. That is how a 1-truck operation becomes a 5-truck operation.

    It is also why the rest of this article matters. Every line item below is something that goes wrong on heavy-haul moves. Every one of them costs money. The question is who pays, and the only good time to answer that question is before the truck rolls.

    Why “we’ll work it out at delivery” never actually works

    After a load delivers, the math changes. The broker has been paid by the shipper, or is about to be, on the agreed price. Any accessorial charge you add after the fact comes out of the broker’s margin, not the shipper’s pocket. The broker now has a financial reason to push back on every line item.

    That is not because brokers are bad people. That is because the shipper signed a quote with a number on it, and the shipper is going to argue any cost overrun line by line. The broker is the one defending each line. If the line was not on the rate confirmation, the broker has nothing to defend it with.

    This is why pre-load is the only good time to nail down accessorials. Pre-load, the broker has the same incentive as you. They want the rate confirmation to cover them too. They are happy to write down “crane standby billed at $250 per hour after 30 minutes wait” because that protects them as much as it protects you. After delivery, the same broker will fight that line because it is now coming out of their pocket.

    A good rate confirmation is not a contract. It is a list of agreements that nobody in this chain has to argue about later.

    The accessorials map

    What follows is the inventory of charges that come up on US heavy-haul and over-dimension moves. Some of them apply to almost every load. Some apply only to specific configurations or specific trailers. The point is not that all of them belong on every rate confirmation. The point is that you and the broker should walk through the list together, before dispatch, and decide which ones apply, what the rates are, and who carries them.

    If a line item below is not on your rate confirmation, you are agreeing to eat that cost if it shows up. That is a deliberate choice you are allowed to make. The mistake is making that choice without realizing you made it.

    Permits and routing

    State oversize and overweight permits are the obvious ones. Most are billed at cost, but some carriers mark them up to cover the staff time pulling them. Either is fine; both need to be agreed to in writing.

    Less obvious are the ones that surprise new heavy-haul carriers:

    • Superload bond requirements in states like Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi
    • Bridge engineering review fees when a route crosses a structure with weight restrictions
    • Route survey or pre-trip survey fees, especially for over-dimension moves through urban areas
    • Re-permit fees when a state changes your route after the original permit was issued
    • Permit office expedite or after-hours pickup fees
    • Curfew waivers for night-only travel and the cost of waiver applications
    • Holiday and weekend movement restrictions and the fees to lift them
    • Toll pass-through, which on heavy-haul axle counts can run 5 to 10 times standard truck rates

    Re-permit fees are worth a moment. A state can issue a permit, you can roll, and three states later the original state can pull or modify the permit because of a construction project that came up. The cost of the new permit, the lost time sitting, and the out-of-route mileage to the new path all have to land somewhere. If your rate confirmation says “permits billed at cost, including amendments and re-issuance,” they land on the broker. If it says “permits at cost” only, you may end up arguing about whether an amendment is a new permit or a continuation. Spell it out.

    For a deeper walk through state-by-state permitting, see the DOT and FMCSA compliance hub and the heavy-haul resource page.

    Pilot cars, escorts, and police

    Pilot car rates vary by state and by the certifications the state requires. New York, Florida, Georgia, Virginia, and Washington all have specific pilot car certification rules; rates in those states run higher than uncertified pilot cars elsewhere. Police escorts are mandatory above certain dimensions in many states and are billed by the hour or by the trip, often with a minimum.

    The line items that should be on the rate confirmation:

    • Front pilot car day rate
    • Rear pilot car day rate
    • High-pole car when overheight
    • Steerable dolly operator
    • State or local police escort
    • Pilot car standby and wait time
    • Pilot car deadhead to origin and return from final
    • Pilot car overnight (hotel and per diem on multi-day moves)
    • Multi-state pilot swaps where one pilot drops at a state line and a new one picks up

    The single biggest source of pilot car billing disputes is overnight and standby time. A pilot car that arrives at origin the night before pickup is billing for that night. A pilot car that sits in a yard for two days because the load got rescheduled is billing for those two days. Make sure both are addressed in writing.

    Equipment and trailer configuration

    Heavy-haul trailers are not a flat commodity. An RGN, a double-drop, an extendable, a Schnabel, and a multi-axle perimeter trailer are different equipment with different day rates and different setup costs. Detachable goosenecks, jeep dollies, booster axles, stinger setups, and spreader bars all add weight ratings and reduce capacity for downstream brokers. Carriers should have a published surcharge for each of these configurations.

    Securement gear (chains, binders, tarps, dunnage, V-troughs, coil racks) gets handled in two ways across the industry. Some carriers price it into the line haul. Some bill specific items above a baseline count. Whichever you do, write it down, and keep your baseline reasonable for the trailer you quoted.

    Tarps are their own conversation. A smoke tarp, a lumber tarp, a steel tarp, and a coil tarp are different products at different prices. If the rate confirmation says “tarp included” without specifying which one, you and the shipper may have very different ideas about what is included.

    For the detail on each securement type, the equipment surcharges that the major carriers publish, and a starter checklist of what to verify before pickup, see the load securement and safety page.

    Loading and unloading

    This is where the big dollars live, and it is the section that matters most.

    A crane company at destination is billing the shipper or the receiving facility for crane time. The hourly cost of a crane is the rental rate plus the operator plus the rigging crew plus the support equipment, and it varies wildly by crane size. A 50-ton hydraulic crane with a two-person crew runs roughly $4,000 to $7,000 per day all-in. A 100-ton hydraulic with a larger crew runs roughly $8,000 to $12,000. A 250- to 300-ton crawler with a full rigging crew, a signal person, and counterweight assist trucks can run $18,000 to $30,000 per day. A 500-ton-plus crawler with a multi-day rig assembly can run higher than $50,000 per day before the lift even starts.

    Those numbers are the “if it sits all day, this is what was lost” math. The shipper is not going to absorb that cost without finding someone to absorb it back. If the truck is the reason the crane sat, the shipper is going to chase the broker, the broker is going to chase the carrier, and the carrier is going to discover whether the rate confirmation said anything about who pays when.

    The accessorials worth pre-agreeing on for crane and rigging:

    • Crane time at origin if loading is delayed by the shipper
    • Crane time at destination if the truck is on time but the lift is not ready
    • Crane standby and hold rates when the crane is staged but cannot lift (weather, permit issue, site issue)
    • Re-rigging fees if the load shifted in transit and the planned destination rigging will not work
    • Counterweight reconfiguration if site access differs from the plan
    • Re-pick or re-set fees if the first placement is rejected by the millwright or the project engineer
    • Forklift refusal at destination, where the forklift on site is not rated for the piece (this is more common than people expect, and the cost of bringing in a larger forklift on the spot is not small)
    • Site labor billed directly to the carrier (millwrights, signal persons, riggers when subcontracted)

    The way these get pre-agreed in a rate confirmation is not by listing every dollar. The way is by writing a sentence like:

    Crane and rigging delays caused by carrier (late arrival without 4-hour notice, equipment failure, driver hours exhaustion at destination) are billed to carrier at the documented site rate. Crane and rigging delays caused by site, shipper, weather, or permit issues are billed to broker at the documented site rate, with a 30-minute standby grace.

    That single paragraph, agreed to before dispatch, ends 90% of the post-delivery arguments. Both sides know what they own.

    For the deeper material on crane standby documentation, photo evidence, and the actual paperwork that backs up a billed delay, see the heavy-haul resource page and the detention documentation form.

    Detention, layover, and exception time

    The detention conversation in heavy-haul is different from dry van. The free time at a heavy-haul shipper is often longer (4 to 6 hours is common because rigging takes time), but the hourly rate after free time is also higher because the truck and trailer being detained are higher-value equipment that cannot easily be turned to another load.

    What should be on the rate confirmation:

    • Detention free time at shipper, hourly rate after, daily cap
    • Detention free time at consignee, hourly rate after, daily cap (often a different rate from shipper)
    • Truck Order Not Used (TONU) percentage of line haul if the load cancels after dispatch
    • Layover rate for each 24 hours beyond the first night, including driver hotel and per diem
    • After-hours or weekend appointment surcharges
    • Pre-load inspection wait time when the shipper requires you to be staged early
    • Weather-hold rate when the carrier is parked under shipper instruction (not driver discretion)

    The layover and weather-hold lines matter especially in heavy-haul because permits often have curfew restrictions that force a multi-day move even at short distances. A 600-mile haul that crosses three curfew states can easily turn into a four-day move. If the rate confirmation only addresses the line haul and not the layover days, the carrier eats four days of driver pay, fuel, and fixed costs.

    A starter detention documentation form is at /resources/detention-form/. It is built for general freight and works fine for heavy-haul with the addition of crane and rigging fields.

    Route and travel exceptions

    These are the costs that show up because of the world, not because of the load:

    • Out-of-route miles when a state forces a detour after the permit was issued
    • Mountain pass and chain law equipment costs in winter
    • Fuel surcharge methodology and the index it is tied to (DOE national, regional, fixed)
    • Empty deadhead to pickup
    • Empty repositioning after delivery
    • Mileage to and from permit offices when in-person pickup is required
    • Bridge bypass mileage when a permit excludes specific structures

    Fuel surcharge gets its own moment because heavy-haul moves often involve heavy spec tractors that burn 30 to 50% more fuel per mile than a standard tractor under the same conditions. A flat fuel surcharge based on a national average can put the carrier in the hole on a heavy-haul move even when fuel is otherwise stable. Either tie the surcharge to the actual fuel consumed or use a heavy-haul-specific multiplier.

    Service and document charges

    These are the line items that are easy to forget because they look small until they aren’t:

    • Quick-pay fees (typically 1 to 3% of the invoice)
    • Wire transfer fees on rush payments
    • Cargo insurance riders for value above the standard $100,000 cargo limit
    • Excess liability riders on critical or high-consequence loads (utility transformers, vessels, reactor components)
    • Hazmat papers and placarding when the move involves hazmat that was not in the original quote

    The cargo insurance one is worth noting. A standard motor carrier cargo policy maxes out at $100,000 unless you bought a higher limit. Heavy-haul pieces routinely run $500,000 to several million in declared value. The rider for a single load can run $400 to $2,500 depending on the value and the route. That cost has to be either bought into the rate or billed as a separate line item. Carriers who quote a heavy-haul move on a $100,000 cargo policy and a $1.5 million transformer are exposing themselves to a claim they cannot cover.

    Failure, change, and exception charges

    When something goes sideways, who carries the cost has to be agreed in advance:

    • Reconsignment when the load is redirected to a different destination en route
    • Re-delivery when the destination refuses the load and a second attempt is needed
    • Storage or yard fee if the destination site is not ready
    • Demurrage on rail-tied or port-tied moves
    • Cancellation by stage (pre-load cancel, en-route cancel, on-site cancel) at different rates
    • Cleaning or decontamination fees when applicable
    • Permit cancellation fees if the load is killed after permits were pulled

    Cancellation is the one new carriers under-charge most often. Pulling a multi-state permit for a heavy-haul move can cost $1,500 to $4,000 in fees alone, plus dispatcher time, plus pilot car booking deposits, plus a hold on the truck. If the load gets killed the day before pickup, all of that is gone. A cancellation clause that bands by stage protects you. “Cancellation more than 48 hours before pickup: $250. Within 48 hours: actual permit costs plus $500. After dispatch: full line haul plus accessorials incurred.” That is fair, and brokers will sign it because they understand the underlying costs.

    Coordination and project management

    On multi-truck moves, on critical-piece moves, and on moves that involve customer engineering or third-party route surveys, there is real labor in the coordination itself. New carriers tend to give that labor away. Established heavy-haul carriers bill for it.

    The line items:

    • Project management or load coordinator fee on multi-truck moves
    • Conference call and project meeting time when the customer requires it
    • Engineering review (bridge formula, height clearance, swing radius)
    • Third-party route surveys
    • Site survey at origin or destination before dispatch
    • Photo and documentation pass-through when the customer requires timestamped evidence

    These are not always large dollars on a single move, but on critical projects they can add 5 to 10% to the total cost, and that 5 to 10% is the difference between a profitable run and a marginal one.

    The pre-load conversation that changes the math

    Now you have the inventory. The next question is what to do with it.

    Build a default accessorial schedule for your operation. Pick the line items that come up most often on your typical moves and put them in a one-page document with your standard rates and your standard language. When a broker sends you a rate confirmation, compare their rate confirmation against your schedule. Anywhere they are silent on a line item that matters for this load, push back and add the language. Anywhere their rate is below yours, push back or accept the lower rate as a deliberate decision.

    Keep the conversation about the schedule, not about you. “Our standard rate confirmation includes crane standby grace and after-hours layover. Can we add those lines?” is a different conversation from “Are you going to pay me if I sit?” The first sounds like operational discipline. The second sounds like an argument. Brokers respond differently.

    Also, accept that not every line will get added. A broker may push back on a few items. That is fine. The point is not to win every line. The point is that the load is dispatched with a written agreement on every line that matters, and nobody is surprised at delivery.

    For a starter rate confirmation language pack, see the working with brokers resource.

    The communication cadence that protects the schedule

    The rate confirmation is half the discipline. The other half is the cadence of communication during the run.

    A communication cadence that works on most heavy-haul moves looks like this:

    • 24 hours before pickup: confirm pickup time, equipment, permits in hand, pilot cars confirmed
    • Day of pickup: confirm loaded and rolling, with photos of the load
    • Daily during the run: end-of-day position, miles tomorrow, any permit or weather concerns
    • Day before delivery: confirm ETA window to broker, broker confirms crane and crew status to you
    • Morning of delivery: hourly position updates as you approach
    • During delivery: real-time updates if anything slips, especially if a slip is more than 30 minutes
    • Post-delivery: confirm offload complete, photos, any accessorials that were incurred

    That is more contact than most brokers expect. That is the point. A broker who hears from you on this cadence is a broker who is not going to call you four times asking for an update, because you already gave them the update. That is the trucker who gets the next dispatch. That is the trucker who builds a heavy-haul book of business that compounds.

    When something does slip, the rule is simple. Call the broker the moment you know. Not when you are sure. Not when you have a fix. The moment you know there might be a problem. Early warning gives the broker, the project manager, and the crane company time to adjust. Late warning costs everyone money. Carriers who call early get forgiven for slips. Carriers who call late get replaced.

    What to do this week

    Three things, in order of how soon they pay off:

    1. Build your default accessorial schedule. Take the inventory above, mark which items apply to your typical moves, fill in your rates, and turn it into a one-page document. Keep it in your dispatch packet. Send it to every broker you work with regularly.

    2. Write a one-page communication SOP for your drivers. Pickup confirm. End-of-day check-in. ETA windows day-before delivery. Real-time updates when something slips. Post-delivery photos. Hand it to your drivers. Train it.

    3. Pull your last five rate confirmations. Read them line by line against the inventory above. Mark every line that should have been there and was not. Use those gaps to update your default schedule.

    The trucker who does these three things this week will not see results on the next load. They will see results on the load after that, and the one after that, and especially on the load six months from now where something goes sideways and the rate confirmation tells everybody what happens next without an argument.

    That is the wedge. Trucking runs on handshakes when it should run on paperwork. Heavy-haul is the part of trucking where the handshake costs the most.

    Get the Heavy-Haul Detention and Crane Standby Documentation Form (free). A one-page form to capture wait times, crane standby, and accessorial events with photo timestamps and broker contact fields. Download the form.

    More on the heavy-haul:

  • Rate Confirmations That Protect Both Parties: A Broker-Carrier Template

    Rate Confirmations That Protect Both Parties: A Broker-Carrier Template

    The argument that ends every relationship

    Picture a phone call at hour 36 of a load. The truck is at the receiver in Memphis. The driver pulled in two hours late because of a re-route through a construction zone. Detention has run six hours past the free window. The dispatcher calls the broker to confirm detention will be paid.

    The broker says no.

    “Your driver was late. The shipper says the dock was open at 8 a.m. The driver showed up at 10. That is not detention. That is a missed appointment.”

    The dispatcher pulls up the rate confirmation. There is a line that says “Detention paid per shipper approval after 2 hours free time.” There is no line about who is responsible when the driver is delayed by a re-route. There is no line about what counts as a missed appointment versus a late arrival. There is no line about who the dispatcher is supposed to call when something slips.

    The dispatcher and the broker spend forty-five minutes arguing. The broker eventually approves three hours of detention as a compromise. The dispatcher hangs up convinced the broker is dodging detention. The broker hangs up convinced the carrier is sloppy with arrival times. Neither is wrong.

    That phone call is what this article is about. Not how to win it. How to make sure it never happens again.

    Both sides are right about each other

    Spend a year inside a small carrier and you will hear every dispatcher complain about brokers who do not pay detention. Spend a year inside a brokerage and you will hear every broker complain about carriers who show up late and stay quiet about it. Both groups are reading their own data correctly. Brokers really do dodge detention more often than they pay it. Carriers really do under-communicate when they are running behind.

    The behaviors are rational responses to a system that was set up to fail. Most rate confirmations do not actually cover the situations that cause arguments. They name the line haul. They name the fuel surcharge. They sometimes name detention. They almost never name what counts as a slip, who gets called when one happens, what the carrier owes if the load is canceled mid-trip, or what the broker owes if the shipper denies an accessorial that was approved verbally on a Wednesday afternoon by someone whose name nobody wrote down.

    When the situation is not on paper, both sides default to protecting themselves. The broker pushes back on every accessorial because their margin is on the line and their shipper is going to dispute the charge. The carrier stops calling the broker with bad news because every honest update has been used against them in a future denial. Each side is acting reasonably given the system. The system is the problem.

    The fix is the boring thing. Put the situation on paper before the truck rolls. Name the events that cause arguments. Name the dollar amounts. Name the people. Name the timelines. When everything is in writing, both parties protect themselves. The broker has language to defend the carrier’s billing to the shipper. The carrier has language to bill their costs without an argument. Goodwill becomes a bonus instead of the only thing holding the deal together.

    That is what a good rate confirmation does. The rest of this article walks the structure.

    What a rate confirmation is actually for

    A rate confirmation is not a contract in the legal sense. Most rate cons are a one- or two-page document the broker emails the carrier when a load is dispatched. The carrier signs it and sends it back. That signature is the agreement to move the load on the terms named.

    The terms named are everything. Anything that is not named is unresolved. When something happens that is not named, both parties have to negotiate it from zero, with whatever leverage they have at that moment. After the load is delivered, the carrier has very little leverage. Before the load is dispatched, both parties have equal leverage. That is the only good time to settle disputes.

    So the question for every rate confirmation is simple. Does this document cover the things that actually cause arguments on this kind of load? If not, what is missing, and what language should be added?

    The next section is the inventory. A new carrier should be able to read an incoming rate confirmation and check it against this list in five minutes.

    What should be on every rate confirmation

    Twelve sections. Some apply to every load. Some only apply to specific configurations. The point is not that all of them belong on every rate con. The point is that you should read every rate con knowing the full list, so you can spot what is missing.

    1. Identifying information

    The basics that establish who is agreeing to what:

    • Carrier legal name, MC number, DOT number
    • Broker legal name and MC number
    • Load number or reference number for both sides
    • Date and time the rate con was issued
    • Who at the carrier is authorized to sign and what counts as agreement (signed PDF, “REPLY YES” email, e-signature platform)

    The signer authority line matters more than it looks. Some brokers will treat a verbal “yeah, send it over” from a driver as an agreement. Set the rule in writing. A signed rate confirmation from a named authorized person is the agreement. Nothing else binds the carrier.

    2. The freight and the route

    • Pickup address, contact name, phone, hours of operation
    • Delivery address, contact name, phone, hours of operation
    • Commodity description specific enough to verify equipment and insurance fit
    • Weight, dimensions, piece count
    • Required equipment type (van, reefer, flatbed, RGN, specific length and weight rating)
    • Special handling (temperature range, tarping required, dunnage, securement type)

    A rate confirmation that says “general freight” with no commodity description is a rate confirmation that lets the broker dispatch a hazmat load on a van without a hazmat endorsement. Specificity protects both sides.

    3. The line haul and the money

    • Total line haul rate and how it was calculated (flat, per loaded mile, percentage of revenue)
    • Fuel surcharge methodology and the index it is tied to (DOE national, DOE regional, fixed)
    • Pay terms (Net 30, Net 45, quick-pay percentages and fees)
    • Factoring permission or restriction
    • Where to send the invoice and what format the broker requires
    • Charge-back authority (when the broker is allowed to offset a damage claim against unrelated invoices)
    • Late payment interest or remedies if the broker pays past terms

    Fuel surcharge methodology is the line most often left vague. “Fuel included” can mean three different things to three different people. Either name the index and the formula, or accept that fuel risk is on the carrier.

    4. Pre-approved accessorials

    This is the section where the most money lives. Every accessorial that might come up on this load should be named with a rate. Anything not named is at risk of being unpaid.

    • Detention free time at shipper, hourly rate after, daily cap
    • Detention free time at consignee, hourly rate after, daily cap
    • TONU (Truck Order Not Used) percentage of line haul
    • Layover rate per 24 hours
    • After-hours pickup or delivery surcharge
    • Stop charges on multi-stop loads
    • Driver assist or hand-load fees
    • Lumper handling fee and reimbursement method (advance, comcheck, receipt)
    • Pallet exchange handling
    • Tarp fees by type if flatbed
    • Reconsignment or re-delivery charge
    • Storage or yard fee
    • Cancellation by stage (pre-load, en route, on-site)

    The detention conversation deserves a moment. Most denied detention claims are not denied because the broker is acting in bad faith. Most are denied because the documentation does not match the rate confirmation. The arrival time on the BOL does not match the appointment time on the rate con. The shipper signature is missing. The hours billed exceed the daily cap. A clean rate con plus a clean detention form gets paid 90% of the time. A messy rate con plus a messy detention form gets paid 30% of the time. The free Detention Documentation Form is the companion piece for this section.

    For heavy-haul and over-dimension freight, the accessorials list is much longer, and the dollars on each line are bigger. See the heavy-haul accessorials article for the specialty version.

    5. Communication standards

    This is the section that almost no rate confirmation includes, which is exactly why a wedge carrier should add it. Every rate con dispute about “you did not communicate” is a dispute about an unwritten standard. Write it down.

    • Pre-dispatch confirmation (carrier confirms equipment, driver name, ETA to pickup before dispatch)
    • Day-of-pickup confirmation (loaded, rolling, photo of seal or BOL)
    • Daily check-in cadence (end-of-day position, miles tomorrow, any concerns)
    • ETA reporting threshold (when an ETA changes by more than X minutes, carrier notifies broker; common is 30 to 60 minutes)
    • Real-time slip notification during the final approach window
    • After-hours contact method on each side (text vs phone, who picks up nights and weekends)
    • Tracking expectations (Project44, MacroPoint, FourKites, manual updates only)

    A carrier who proposes adding this section will get a small percentage of brokers pushing back. Most brokers will sign it because it gives them what they actually wanted from the carrier in the first place. The carriers who add this language voluntarily are the carriers brokers remember when the next load is being dispatched.

    6. Appointments and scheduling

    • Pickup window vs hard appointment (FCFS, scheduled, drop-and-hook)
    • Delivery window vs hard appointment
    • Whose responsibility to set the delivery appointment (carrier-call vs broker-set)
    • Late-fee or missed-appointment penalty (whose fault, what cost)
    • Reschedule procedures (how late can you call, who confirms with shipper)
    • Weather and force majeure exceptions

    The “whose responsibility to set the appointment” line matters because dispatchers and brokers both assume the other will handle it, and then nobody does. When the driver shows up to a no-appointment dock, both sides blame each other. Write down which one of you is making the call.

    7. Documentation requirements

    • POD requirements (signed, timestamped, legible, full name printed)
    • Photo evidence at pickup, delivery, and any incident
    • Seal documentation (number recorded at pickup, intact at delivery)
    • Detention documentation signed by shipper or consignee
    • Lumper receipts
    • Scale tickets where applicable
    • Damage claim notice timeline (how fast the carrier must report)

    A POD requirement that says only “signed POD required” leaves room for argument later. “Signed POD with full printed name and arrival/departure times” closes the room.

    8. Insurance and liability

    • Cargo insurance minimum (standard $100,000; higher for specific commodities)
    • Auto liability minimum (typically $1 million)
    • General liability minimum
    • Certificate of insurance requirement (broker named as additional insured or certificate holder)
    • Subrogation waivers if required
    • Indemnification language
    • Cargo claim notice timeline and procedure

    Indemnification is in the trap-clauses section below.

    9. Compliance and safety

    • Active FMCSA authority
    • Carrier safety rating not unsatisfactory
    • ELD compliance
    • Drug and alcohol consortium membership
    • Hazmat endorsements where applicable
    • Specific equipment certifications (CTPAT, FAST, refrigeration calibration, etc.)

    These are usually filled in by the broker pulling your authority record. Read them anyway. If a broker has incorrect data on your insurance or your safety rating, fix it before signing.

    10. Dispute resolution and escalation

    • First-call escalation contact at the broker (named person, phone, email)
    • After-hours escalation contact
    • Dispute timeline (how many days after delivery to raise an issue)
    • Documentation required to support a dispute
    • Mediation or arbitration clause
    • Governing law and jurisdiction
    • Attorney’s fees clause (one-way or mutual)

    The named first-call contact is the line item that prevents the most fights. When a load runs into trouble at 2 a.m. on a Saturday, the dispatcher needs to know whose phone to call. “Call the after-hours line” is not enough. A specific name and number turns a 30-minute back-and-forth into a 5-minute call.

    11. Termination and rate amendment

    • Cancellation by carrier (when allowed, what penalty)
    • Cancellation by broker (TONU rate, when applicable)
    • Rate amendment requirements (must be in writing; verbal increases do not bind the broker, verbal decreases should not bind the carrier)
    • Force majeure terms

    The rate amendment line is the single most important line for new carriers. Never agree to a rate change verbally. The broker may say “I can get you another $200 for the layover” on Tuesday and forget by Thursday. If it is not in writing, it is not real. The same protection applies in reverse: a broker who calls asking for a rate concession should not get it without a signed amended rate con.

    12. Trap clauses

    The list above is what should be on a rate confirmation. The list below is what often shows up that should not. 

    The trap clauses, walked through

    These appear in roughly this order of frequency. None of them is automatically a deal-breaker. All of them are worth understanding before you sign.

    One-way indemnification. The broker writes language that says the carrier indemnifies the broker against any claim, loss, or cost that arises out of the load. The broker does not indemnify the carrier against anything. In plain terms, if anything goes wrong, the carrier is on the hook for both sides. Push for mutual indemnification. The standard phrasing is “each party indemnifies the other for losses caused by that party’s own negligence or breach.” Brokers who refuse mutual indemnification are telling you something about how they handle disputes.

    Disproportionate missed-pickup penalties. The rate con says the carrier owes 100% of the line haul if late. The broker owes nothing if the pickup is canceled. This is asymmetric and unfair on its face. Push for mirror language: if the carrier is more than X hours late, carrier owes Y; if the broker cancels less than Z hours before pickup, broker owes TONU.

    No-back-solicit clauses with long terms. The broker forbids the carrier from working directly with the shipper for a stated period after the last load. This clause is standard. The term length is what to read. Six months to a year is normal. Two to three years is aggressive. Five years is a reason to walk. The clause exists for a reason. Brokers do real work to develop shipper relationships and do not want carriers cutting them out. Fair. But a five-year non-solicit on a single load is the broker overreaching.

    Mandatory factoring or no-factoring clauses. Some brokers require the carrier to use the broker’s preferred factoring company. Others forbid factoring entirely. Either is a constraint on the carrier’s cash flow that has dollar implications. If the broker mandates factoring, the discount rate matters. If the broker forbids factoring, the pay terms matter more (Net 30 without factoring is brutal cash flow for a 1- to 3-truck operation). Decide whether the line haul rate compensates for the constraint.

    Charge-back authority. The broker reserves the right to offset a damage claim, a missed-appointment penalty, or any other dispute against unrelated invoices the broker owes the carrier. In plain terms, the broker can hold back payment on Load A because they think Load B had a problem. Push back on this clause. At minimum, narrow it to “charge-backs require 30 days notice and apply only to the specific invoice in dispute, not to other invoices.” Brokers who insist on broad charge-back authority are the brokers most likely to use it.

    Vague “carrier is responsible for any cost the broker incurs” language. This is a catch-all that means whatever the broker decides it means. Strike it or narrow it to “carrier is responsible for direct costs caused by carrier’s documented negligence or breach.”

    Right to substitute carriers without compensation. The broker reserves the right to remove the carrier from the load mid-run if the broker decides the carrier is “unable to perform.” If the broker exercises this clause, the carrier may be on the hook for permit costs, deadhead miles, and dispatch time without compensation. Push for “carrier is compensated for actual costs incurred up to the point of substitution.”

    Confidentiality clauses that are too broad. Standard clauses prevent the carrier from disclosing the rate to other brokers. Aggressive clauses prevent the carrier from discussing rates publicly at all, sometimes for years. The standard version is fine. The aggressive version is a constraint on a carrier’s ability to learn the market.

    “Time of the essence” language without broker obligations. Many rate cons include “time is of the essence” language that binds the carrier to delivery times. If the rate con also has any flexibility on the broker’s side (whose appointment is whose responsibility, who can amend the appointment), the language is one-sided. Either remove it or add corresponding language on the broker side.

    Hidden quick-pay penalties. The line haul rate is described as a “discounted quick-pay rate.” If the carrier does not take quick-pay, the rate is reduced further. Read the language carefully. Make sure the rate you signed up for is the rate you actually receive on Net 30 terms.

    This list is operational guidance, not legal advice. For high-value loads or recurring broker relationships with unusual language, an actual transportation attorney is worth the consultation fee. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association and the Transportation Intermediaries Association both publish standard contract guidance that can help calibrate what is normal.

    The five-minute review process

    A new carrier should be able to read every incoming rate con in five minutes. The process:

    1. Identifying and freight info matches what you quoted (30 seconds)
    2. Line haul rate, fuel surcharge, and pay terms match the broker’s verbal offer (30 seconds)
    3. Detention, TONU, layover, and any load-specific accessorials are named with rates (60 seconds)
    4. Communication standards section exists; if not, this is a gap to flag (30 seconds)
    5. Appointment and documentation requirements are workable (30 seconds)
    6. Insurance minimums are at or below your actual coverage (15 seconds)
    7. Dispute resolution and escalation contacts are named (15 seconds)
    8. Trap clauses absent or acceptable: indemnification, charge-back authority, no-back-solicit term, hidden penalties (90 seconds)

    If the answer to any of these is no, send a request to the broker before signing. Most brokers will accommodate reasonable changes. The brokers who refuse all changes are telling you something about the relationship.

    Build your default language pack

    The single highest-leverage thing a new carrier can do is build a default language pack of their own. A one-page document with:

    • Your standard accessorial rates
    • Your standard communication cadence requirement
    • Your standard escalation contact (your dispatcher’s name and number)
    • Your standard “additions to broker rate confirmation” paragraph

    When a broker sends a rate confirmation that is missing a section, you reply with text from your language pack. “We need to add the following: detention is billed at $75 per hour after 2 hours free time; TONU is 50% of line haul; communication cadence is end-of-day check-ins and 30-minute notification on any ETA slip greater than 30 minutes.” That language is ready to paste. The broker either agrees, counters, or declines. The negotiation is fast because both sides have specific text to work with.

    For starter language, see the working with brokers resource. For a full review checklist that runs every line of an incoming rate con, the companion Rate Confirmation Review Checklist is in build.

    What to do this week

    Three actions, in order:

    1. Pull your last five rate confirmations. Read them line by line against the inventory above. Mark every gap. The patterns that show up across all five are your priority push-backs for the next round of rate cons.

    2. Write your default accessorial schedule and communication cadence on a single page. Save it as a PDF. Keep it in your dispatch packet. When a rate con is missing a section, your reply is a paste from this document, not a fresh thought.

    3. Pick one trap clause to push back on every time, starting on your next load. The simplest one is mutual indemnification. “We need this updated to mutual indemnification language” is a small ask that signals you read the document. Brokers respond to that signal.

    The carrier who does these three things this week will not see results on the next load. They will see results on the load three months from now when something slips and the rate con tells everyone what happens next without an argument. That is the wedge. Trucking runs on handshakes when it should run on paperwork. Rate confirmations are where the paperwork starts.

  • Drayage Charges Decoded: How to Read Any Port Invoice and Spot the Errors

    Drayage Charges Decoded: How to Read Any Port Invoice and Spot the Errors

    The invoice that taught me to write things down

    A new carrier picks up a 40′ import box at Long Beach. Three weeks later the broker forwards the settlement statement with twelve line items the carrier has never seen. Per-diem $480. Demurrage $720. Chassis split $125. CTF $20. TMF $77.56. Tri-axle $150. VACIS $325. Reefer plug $310 (on a dry box). The broker shrugs. “Yeah, that one got hit.”

    The carrier is staring at $1,800 in surprises on a load that paid $850 net. About half of that bill is wrong. The other half could have been priced into the rate confirmation.

    This article gives you the framework to know which is which at any US port, no matter how the local rules differ. Drayage charges look like one number on a quote and explode into a dozen on the invoice. The reason is that no two ports run the same playbook. The fix is not memorizing every fee at every terminal. It is a portable documentation method that works the same way in Long Beach, Newark, Houston, or Savannah.

    The mental model: four clocks, four owners

    Every loaded import container has four meters running on it from the moment it discharges, and they belong to four different parties. New carriers blow up rate sheets because they think there is one “demurrage clock.” There are four.

    Clock Who owns it Starts when Free time
    Demurrage The marine terminal (the port) Container is available for pickup (“last free day” / LFD) 3 to 7 calendar days, varies by terminal
    Per-diem The ocean carrier (steamship line) Container leaves the terminal gate 3 to 5 calendar days typical
    Chassis usage The chassis IEP (DCLI, TRAC, FlexiVan, regional pool) Chassis pulled from the pool 0 to 1 day, then daily
    Detention The motor carrier (you) Truck arrives at shipper or consignee Usually 2 hours free at the stop

    Two rules to write on the visor:

    1. Demurrage and per-diem cannot run on the same day on the same container. The moment your truck pulls the box out of the terminal gate, demurrage stops and per-diem starts. If you see both billed for the same calendar day, it is an invoice error.
    2. Chassis usage runs on its own clock parallel to per-diem. Chassis stops when you return the chassis to the pool, not when you return the container.

    Those two rules alone protect you from about a third of bad invoices.

    What you owe vs what the BCO owes

    Most port charges default to the Beneficial Cargo Owner (BCO), the importer of record. They become your problem only when you swallowed them by quoting “all-in” without exclusions. Default ownership map:

    Charge Default biller Trucker exposure
    Demurrage BCO Only if quoted all-in
    Per-diem BCO Only if quoted all-in
    Chassis day rate Trucker Yes, you own it
    Detention at the dock Trucker bills broker You own the wait if not contracted
    TMF / CTF BCO Pass-through
    Customs exam fees BCO Pass-through; your drayage to CES is yours
    Sustained Import Dwell (Houston) BCO direct Not your bill, but flag it
    Reefer plug at terminal BCO Pass-through

    Half of the audit work is just keeping the BCO charges from being silently bundled into your rate. The broker is not going to do that work for you.

    The base move

    Even the cleanest drayage invoice has five line items before any accessorial:

    1. Linehaul. Per mile on long lanes. Flat by zone on short city lanes. Houston to Dallas runs by mile. LA to Carson runs by zone.
    2. Fuel surcharge. Indexed against the EIA weekly diesel average, published Monday at 5 PM Eastern. Formula is (current diesel price minus baseline) divided by your assumed MPG. Most drays add 15 to 25 percent on top of linehaul.
    3. Chassis day rate. $25 to $45 per day from whichever IEP serves that terminal.
    4. Terminal handling and lift fee. The crane fee at the port. Roughly $280 to $345 per standard container lift on the Pacific coast.
    5. Port surcharges. TMF and CTF in LA / Long Beach. Nothing standing in most other ports.

    Anything past those five is an accessorial. Accessorials are where the money goes sideways.

    The six accessorial families

    Stop trying to memorize 40 fee names. Group them by what triggered them. At quote time, run the move through the six families and ask whether you are exposed.

    1. Time-based

    The four clocks above, plus terminal storage, off-terminal yard storage, layover, and the new wave of port-imposed dwell fees. Houston launched a Sustained Import Dwell Fee in January 2026 that hits the BCO directly starting day 8 past LFD. About $45 per day for a dry, $51.60 to $150+ per day tiered for a reefer. That sits on top of the carrier’s per-diem clock and the steamship line’s demurrage. Three different parties charging for the same overstayed box.

    Range to expect on demurrage when it does fall on you:

    • Tier 1 (days 1 to 5 past LFD): $150 to $300 per day
    • Tier 2 (days 6 to 10): $300 to $500 per day
    • Tier 3 (11+ days): $500 to $800+ per day

    Per-diem from the steamship lines tracks similar shape. Maersk pushed nationwide rates up January 1, 2026 ($10 across all tiers on dry containers, $40 on operating reefers in Newark, $20 on Newark dry tiers). The trend is up.

    2. Equipment-type

    Charges that exist only because of what is in the box or what kind of box it is.

    Overweight. Federal GVW limit is 80,000 lbs. Cross that and you need a state permit before the wheels turn. Drayage carriers commonly add an overweight surcharge of about $250 plus pass through the permit cost.

    Tri-axle chassis. A 20′ container with more than 36,000 lbs of cargo or a 40′ with more than 44,000 lbs needs a tri-axle. The third axle spreads the weight across more contact points and lets you legally haul up to about 43,000 lbs of cargo on a 20′. Adds roughly $150 per day to the chassis rate. Standard call for steel coils, paper rolls, stone, dense food product.

    Reefer plug-in and monitoring. While the reefer sits at the terminal it has to be plugged into shore power and someone has to log temperature checks on a schedule. The fee for that ranges from $5 to $125 per day depending on the terminal. Total Terminals International in LA charges $123.54 per unit per day. Jacksonville Port Authority charges $66.49 per plug per day. Same service. Florida is half the price.

    Genset. When the box is on the road and away from shore power, a genset (clip-on or underslung on the chassis) provides the cooling. Daily rental from a genset pool. Underslung is the common drayage configuration.

    Hazmat. Driver needs CDL-H endorsement (renews every five years), TWIC, and hazmat training. Documentation must include UN number, hazard class, packing group, total quantity, SDS for Class 1 through 8, and a 24-hour emergency response phone number. Placards on all four sides of the trailer must match the shipping papers exactly. A mismatch is a federal violation, not a paperwork mistake. Drayage carriers commonly add about $150 per hazmat move on top of base.

    ISO tank. Tanker endorsement plus hazmat. Higher center of gravity. Liquid surge under braking. Specialized tank chassis (often in shortage). If you are not already running tanks, do not take a one-off ISO tank load to chase a rate.

    Open top container. Standard chassis. The fee bump is small, mostly for tarping and the slightly slower lift. Watch for cargo extending above the rails. That triggers OOG handling.

    Flat rack. 20′ or 40′. Built for cargo that will not fit a closed container in width or height. Lifted on and off by crane (LoLo). If your cargo stays inside an 8′ wide by 13’6″ total height envelope, it drays as a normal load. Cross either dimension and you are in oversize permit territory. That is heavy-haul work, not standard drayage. See Heavy-Haul Accessorials for that side of the work.

    Breakbulk. Pieces handled individually, not in a container. Stevedoring on the vessel side runs $5,000 to $10,000 per lift, billed to the BCO. The trucker side requires a flatbed or step-deck, not an intermodal chassis. Treat as heavy-haul, not drayage.

    45′ high cube. Right at California’s 14′ height limit. Single-trip Caltrans permit is $16 (valid 7 days). Annual is $90. Drayage providers commonly charge a premium of about $200 over a standard 40′ move, partly because the 45′ chassis is harder to find in most pools.

    3. Routing and movement

    Chassis split. The container is at one terminal, the chassis is at a different pool location. You drive extra to fetch the chassis, then back to the terminal, then to delivery, then return both to two more locations. $25 to $125 per occurrence. Houston runs $75 to $125. The fee can hit you twice if chassis returns to a separate depot from the container.

    Chassis flip. Container is on a chassis already, but you have to swap it onto a different one (the first is damaged, or the receiving pool requires its own equipment). Done at the terminal. Smaller fee than a split, same family.

    Pre-pull. Container pulled from the terminal early, parked at your secured yard, delivered the next day. About $150 plus chassis day rate plus storage (around $50 per day). Often cheaper than a single day of demurrage. The math: if LFD is tomorrow and your appointment is the day after, pre-pull avoids one tier-1 demurrage day at $150 to $300 and you spend $200 to $250 on the pre-pull instead. The 10 minutes you spend doing that math at quote time is the difference between a profitable load and a flat one.

    Dry run. Driver dispatched, cannot get the box. Missed appointment. Gate down. IT outage at the terminal. Paperwork wrong. TWIC expired. $150 to $300 per occurrence. TWIC enforcement is automatic. A driver without a valid TWIC is denied entry, no warnings.

    Bobtail. Truck moving without a chassis. Up to 100% of the drayage rate per published schedules. Translation: you bill the move as if you ran it loaded, because you committed the asset and lost the day.

    Stop-off. First additional stop $75 plus $2 per mile. Subsequent stops $125 plus $2 per mile.

    Tolls. Pass-through, billed at cost.

    4. Compliance and regulatory

    VACIS exam. X-ray scan, container does not move. $300 to $400 typical, range $100 to $600. Adds 1 to 2 days. Demurrage continues to accrue during the hold.

    Tail Gate exam. Officer opens the back doors at the terminal, may cut into boxes near the door. $350 to $500. Adds 2 to 4 days. Seal broken and replaced.

    Intensive exam (CET). Container drayed to a Centralized Examination Station, fully unloaded, contents inspected, reloaded, returned. Exam fee alone is $1,500 to $3,500. Hidden costs stack on top: drayage to and from the CES ($300 to $600), CES storage ($50 to $150 per day), and the port demurrage clock keeps running the entire time. NY and LA are most expensive because of union labor at the CES. Total bill on a 40′ commonly $2,000 to $3,000 plus the demurrage tail.

    USDA and FDA holds. Same cost neighborhood as CET when they trigger a CES move. Sometimes resolved at the terminal.

    In-bond. Container moves between two US points without clearing customs. T&E (transportation and exportation, headed for export) or IT (immediate transportation, headed for inland clearance). Bonded carrier required. Bond filing fees $50 to $150.

    Oversize permit. California single-trip $16, annual $90. Other states higher and route-specific.

    Escort. CHP escort in California for over-height (typically over 14′) or over-width (typically over 11′). Private pilot car other states. Insurance for oversize loads commonly runs $200 to $500 per trip.

    5. Port and terminal-specific

    LA and Long Beach: PierPass TMF. $38.78 per TEU, $77.56 per non-TEU container as of August 2025. Adjusts every August 1. Funds night and weekend gate hours plus the appointment system.

    LA and Long Beach: Clean Truck Fund Rate. $10 per TEU, $20 per non-TEU container. In effect since April 2022. Zero-emission trucks exempt. Low-NOx trucks registered before December 2022 exempt through December 2027. TMF and CTF stack. A 40′ import through LA pays $77.56 + $20 = $97.56 in port-imposed fees before any other accessorial.

    NY and NJ. No TMF equivalent. The PANYNJ rule is emissions-based: trucks must meet model year 2014 federal standards or be alt-fuel/hybrid. No per-container fee, just a gate eligibility requirement. PNCT and APMT each publish their own terminal tariff.

    Houston. Sustained Import Dwell Fee from January 2026, $45 per day dry from day 8, $51.60+ tiered for reefer. Billed to the BCO. Tri-axle around $150 per day on heavy boxes is the normal call here.

    Savannah and Charleston. Free time generally 4 to 7 days. Hazmat handlers limited at Savannah; not all dray carriers are licensed for the placard work. Charleston average dwell is 4.2 days at Wando Welch and 5.1 days at North Charleston, so free time gets eaten fast even on a clean move.

    Norfolk and Oakland. Often excluded from broker-imposed congestion surcharges. The C.H. Robinson $175 per container surcharge during the 2021 wave skipped both. Spot drayage rates in Norfolk run $2.54 to $2.83 per mile, lower than the West Coast.

    Seattle and Tacoma (NWSA). Tariff No. 300 governs. SSA Marine added a $300+ surcharge for container overstays of 15 days or more.

    Episodic congestion surcharges. Brokers add these per move when terminals fall behind. Not standing fees. Watch the rate confirmation language for “subject to surcharge” and ask what the trigger is.

    6. Administrative

    Document fees, EDI billing fees, factor base fees (1 to 3 percent off the top if you factor), broker handling fees, after-hours and weekend gate premiums. Each one is small. Together they take 5 to 10 percent off the bottom of a move if you let them slide.

    The portable form

    Every port has different rules. The form below stays the same. Fill it out once per move and the post-move audit takes ten minutes instead of an hour of arguing.

    DRAYAGE MOVE RECORD

PRE-MOVE (at rate confirmation)
  Container #: _________________   Size/type: _____   Hazmat class: ____
  Gross wt (lbs): ________   Tare: ________   Cargo wt: ________
  Discharge port + terminal: ________________________
  Vessel + voyage: ________________________
  LFD (terminal demurrage): _____________  At $______/day after
  Per-diem free days (line: __________): _____  At $______/day after
  Chassis source: [ ] customer's  [ ] IEP pool: __________  Day rate: $______
  Delivery address: _________________________
  Receiver hours: ___________  Appointment: [ ] yes [ ] no  Window: _______
  Empty return location: ______________  Same as discharge? [ ] y [ ] n
  Quoted accessorial caps:
    Chassis split: $______  Pre-pull: $______
    Detention: ___ hrs free, $______/hr after
    Other: ______________________________________

DURING MOVE (driver writes the times)
  Outgate timestamp: ____________   (per-diem starts)
  Chassis #: _________  Pull timestamp: ____________
  Arrival at consignee: ____________
  Departure from consignee: ____________   (detention clock)
  Empty return timestamp: ____________   (per-diem stops)
  Empty return terminal: ______________
  Chassis return timestamp: ____________  Return location: ______________
                                          (chassis fee stops)
  Exam notice received? [ ] none [ ] VACIS [ ] MET [ ] CET   Date: __________

POST-MOVE INVOICE AUDIT (check off each)
  [ ] Demurrage and per-diem do not overlap on any day
  [ ] Chassis fee stops at chassis return timestamp
  [ ] No reefer plug or monitoring on a dry box
  [ ] TMF / CTF only on applicable container size and trip type
  [ ] Tri-axle only if cargo crossed weight threshold
  [ ] Fuel surcharge matches DOE/EIA week corresponding to move date
  [ ] Detention only counted from end of free window forward
  [ ] Exam fee tier matches actual exam type
  [ ] Charges that belong to the BCO are not in your line items

    Print it. Tape it to the dispatch board. Or build it into your TMS as a required-fields page on the dispatch screen. The point is one form, every port, every move.

    What to dispute on every invoice

    Run this checklist when the broker invoice hits your inbox. Every item is a frequent error in the wild:

    1. Demurrage and per-diem billed for the same calendar day. Mathematically impossible. One stops the moment the other starts.
    2. Chassis fee continuing past your documented chassis return timestamp.
    3. Reefer plug or monitoring on a dry container.
    4. TMF or CTF charged on an exempt move (empty container, in-transit, zero-emission truck).
    5. Tri-axle surcharge on a container that did not cross the weight threshold.
    6. Fuel surcharge calculated off the wrong week’s DOE/EIA index. The price published Monday at 5 PM Eastern applies Wednesday through the following Tuesday.
    7. Detention started before the free window expired.
    8. Exam fee tier wrong (Intensive billed when the actual notice was VACIS).
    9. Charges that belong to the BCO billed to you because the rate confirmation said “all-in” without exclusions.

    You will not win every dispute. You will win enough to pay for the time you spent on the form.

    When to walk away from the load

    Some loads expose you to charges you cannot price. Decision rule:

    • Consignee has no appointment system and the terminal restricts same-day return. You own per-diem you cannot control.
    • Chassis pool serving that terminal is in shortage. Split-fee risk is unbounded.
    • Reefer load and the consignee has no plug-in capacity. You own genset rental and monitoring fees the broker may dispute later.
    • OOG or flat rack cargo and the broker has not pulled the route permit. You eat the permit cost or the layover.

    Generalist version of this decision is in The Load You Should NOT Take. Drayage adds one rule to the standard list: if you cannot identify which counterparty owns each clock on the move, do not take it.

    What to put in your rate confirmation

    The fix for “the broker swallowed me on accessorials” is to put caps and pass-throughs in writing before the wheels turn. The rate confirmation should specify:

    • Linehaul rate and fuel surcharge formula (or the FSC index source)
    • Chassis day rate cap and which IEP pool
    • Free detention hours and per-hour rate after
    • Pre-pull authorization (yes/no) and the rate if yes
    • Chassis split rate, with a cap if pool location is uncertain
    • Pass-through items: tolls, port surcharges (TMF, CTF), exam fees, permits
    • BCO-owned charges that are explicitly excluded from your rate

    A standard format makes this fast. The broker-carrier rate confirmation template in W-003 builds this directly into the doc.

    Bottom line

    Drayage looks like one fee until you start documenting the move. Then it looks like four clocks, six accessorial families, and a port-specific layer on top. The carriers that survive their first year of port work are the ones who fill out the same form on every move and audit every invoice against it. The dollar amounts will shift. The structure will not.

    If you want the form above as a printable PDF plus a per-port reference card and an invoice-audit checklist with worked examples, that is what the upcoming Drayage Documentation Kit packages.

    Internal links

    Voice notes (working)

    • Lead remained the four-clocks table, per the wedge structural insight.
    • Real charge names used throughout. No euphemisms.
    • Numbers throughout. Where ranges vary by port, two real ports named.
    • Distinguished trucker-owed vs BCO-owed charges explicitly, twice.
    • Walk-away rule connects to A-005, not duplicated.
    • Real invoice example placeholders left in the lead so Ryan can swap in the actual dollar lines from his files when ready.

    Research appendix

    Source-stocked 2026-05-09. Numbers are 2026 ranges from public sources and vary by carrier, terminal, and chassis pool. Authoritative numbers are the carrier tariff, terminal tariff, and IEP rate sheet in force on the move date.

    A. Charge taxonomy

    Time-based

    Demurrage (terminal/port). Charged by the marine terminal on import containers that overstay free time before pickup. Free time runs 3 to 7 calendar days at most US terminals. Rail terminals often only 48 hours. Typical 2026 tier structure: Tier 1 (days 1-5 past LFD) ~$150-$300 per container per day, Tier 2 (days 6-10) ~$300-$500 per day, Tier 3 (11+ days) $500-$800+ per day. Billed to the BCO. Carrier inherits if quoted “all-in.”

    Per-diem (ocean carrier). Charged by the steamship line for use of their container beyond free time once it leaves the terminal. 3 to 5 free days typical. Maersk update effective 2026-01-01: Newark all tiers +$20 (dry, NOR, SOC, tanks) and +$40 operating reefers. Miami and Port Everglades Tier 1 +$20. Philadelphia all tiers +$20. Dry/NOR/special equipment all tiers +$10 nationally. Free days unchanged. MSC, CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, ONE, Evergreen, COSCO, OOCL each publish their own per-diem tariff.

    Chassis usage. $25 to $45 per day typical 2026 daily rate from the IEP. DCLI passes through any toll/citation administration as a $5 per incident surcharge. Rate clock starts at chassis pull from pool, stops at chassis return, not container return.

    Detention (motor carrier at customer dock). Driver waiting at shipper or consignee beyond free window (usually 2 hours). Range varies wildly. Published carrier rate cards show $75 to $150 per hour. One Atlanta source quoted $1,000 per hour as a punitive ceiling. Carrier-billed.

    Layover. Driver held overnight. ~$300 per occurrence typical.

    Terminal storage / off-terminal yard storage. ~$50 per day at the dray carrier’s secured yard.

    Sustained Import Dwell Fee, Houston. Effective Jan 2026, Port Houston bills BCO directly starting day 8 past LFD. Dry: ~$45 per container per day. Reefer: tiered from $51.60 per day escalating past $150 per day.

    Container Excess Dwell Fee, LA/LB. Threatened in 2021 ($100 per container per day, escalating), never permanently activated. Structure exists in the LA/LB tariff and could resurface during a future congestion event.

    Equipment-type

    Overweight container. Federal GVW limit 80,000 lbs. Single axle 20,000. Tandem 34,000. Containers exceeding 80,000 GVW require a state oversize/overweight permit. ~$250 per occurrence overweight surcharge typical from carrier. Permit costs vary by state.

    Tri-axle chassis. Required for 20′ containers >36,000 lbs cargo or 40′ containers >44,000 lbs cargo. Allows up to ~43,000 lbs cargo on a 20′ container legally. Surcharge ~$150 per day on top of chassis rental. Houston source confirms ~$150 per day for tri-axle on heavy containers. Standard for steel, paper, stone.

    4-axle tractor + tri-axle chassis. Required for 100,000+ GVW. LA/LB I-710 corridor permits 97,000-105,500 lb GVW under permit on the designated heavy-haul route.

    Reefer. Plug-in/monitoring fee while at terminal: Total Terminals International (LA) charges $123.54 per unit per day. Jacksonville Port Authority charges $66.49 per plug per day. Range across terminals ~$5 to $125 per day, with the higher end including active monitoring (temperature checks logged on schedule). Genset rental when away from shore power: budgeted ~1-2 days for loading + drayage.

    Genset. Two configurations: clip-on (mounted on side of container) or underslung (mounted to chassis). Underslung is the common drayage configuration. Daily rental from genset pools.

    Hazmat. ~$150 per occurrence drayage surcharge. Driver requirements: CDL-H endorsement (5-year renewal), TWIC, hazmat training. Documentation: proper shipping name, UN number, hazard class/division, packing group, total quantity, SDS for Class 1-8, 24-hour emergency response phone. Placards on all four sides of trailer/chassis must match papers; mismatch is a federal violation. Lithium batteries (Class 9, UN 3480/3481) require state-of-charge ≤30% for large batteries.

    ISO tank. Specialized tank chassis (less common, periodic shortages). Driver needs tanker endorsement plus hazmat. Higher center of gravity, different handling.

    Open top container. 20′ or 40′. For cargo too tall for a closed container, tarped. Standard chassis. Lift fees often slightly higher than dry containers due to tarping/inspection. No standard public surcharge schedule, quoted per move.

    Flat rack (20′ or 40′). For OOG cargo. Cargo lashed to deck with strapping. Loaded by lift-on/lift-off (LoLo) at terminal. If cargo footprint stays within 8′ wide and ~13’6″ total height with cargo, drays as standard. If overwidth or overheight: oversize permit territory, ties into heavy-haul accessorials.

    Breakbulk. Non-containerized cargo handled piece by piece. Stevedoring fees $5,000 to $10,000 per lift (vessel-side, billed to BCO). Drayage typically requires flatbed or step-deck, not intermodal chassis. Heavy-haul rules.

    45′ high cube. California height limit 14′. 45′ HC near or over that. Single-trip Caltrans permit $16 (7 days). Annual $90. Drayage premium common (~$200 over standard 40′).

    Routing and movement

    Chassis split. Chassis pool location different from container pickup terminal. ~$25 to $125 per occurrence. Houston quotes $75 to $125. May apply twice if chassis returns to a separate depot.

    Chassis flip. Container is on a chassis but must be transferred to another (damaged chassis, pool-specific chassis required). Done at terminal. Fee usually less than a split.

    Pre-pull. Container pulled from terminal early to avoid LFD problem, parked at trucker’s yard. ~$150 per occurrence + chassis day rate + storage. Often cheaper than a single day of demurrage.

    Dry run / wasted trip. Driver dispatched, can’t get container. ~$150 to $300 typical. TWIC enforcement: driver entering restricted port area without TWIC is denied entry, automatic dry run.

    Bobtail. Truck running without trailer/chassis. Up to 100% of drayage rate per Atlanta source.

    Stop-off. First stop ~$75 + $2 per mile. Subsequent stops ~$125 + $2 per mile.

    Tolls. Pass-through, route-dependent.

    Compliance and regulatory

    VACIS exam (X-ray, NII). Non-intrusive. ~$300 to $400 (range $100 to $600). 1-2 day delay. Demurrage continues during hold.

    MET / Tail Gate exam. Officer opens rear doors at terminal, may cut into boxes near door. ~$350 to $500. 2-4 day delay. Seal broken and replaced.

    CET / Intensive exam (Stuffing exam). Container moved to CES, fully unloaded, contents inspected, reloaded, returned. $1,500 to $3,500+ exam fee. Hidden costs: drayage to/from CES $300 to $600, daily storage at CES $50 to $150 per day, port demurrage continues to accrue. NY and LA most expensive due to union labor. Total bill commonly $2,000 to $3,000 for a 40′.

    USDA / FDA hold. Same range as CET when triggering a CES move.

    In-bond move (T&E or IT bond). Container moves between two US points without clearing customs. Bonded carrier required. Adds documentation fees and bond filing costs (~$50 to $150 typical filing).

    Oversize / overweight permit. State by state. California single-trip $16 (7 days), annual $90. Other states higher and route-specific.

    Escort. Required for over-height (>14′ typical) or over-width (>11′ typical) loads. CHP escort in California, private pilot car other states.

    Port and terminal-specific

    PierPass TMF (LA/LB). $38.78 per TEU, $77.56 per non-TEU container as of Aug 2025. Adjusted annually each August.

    Clean Truck Fund Rate (LA/LB). $10 per TEU, $20 per non-TEU container. Effective April 2022. Zero-emission trucks exempt; low-NOx trucks registered before Dec 2022 exempt through Dec 2027.

    NY/NJ Clean Truck requirement (PANYNJ). Drayage trucks must meet/exceed model year 2014 federal emissions standard. Alt-fuel and hybrid exempt. No published per-container fee.

    Congestion surcharges. Carrier-imposed when terminals add wait time. C.H. Robinson example: $175 per container at major US ports during congestion events. Norfolk and Oakland excluded in that round.

    DCLI / chassis pool admin pass-throughs. $5 per incident toll/citation administration on DCLI chassis usage.

    Missed appointment / no-show. Most California ports use mandatory appointments. Missing or no-show triggers rebooking fee + dry-run risk.

    Administrative

    Document/billing fees, factor base fees (1 to 3% off top if factoring), broker handling/surge fees, after-hours/weekend gate premiums.

    B. Equipment-type matrix

    Type Chassis required Type-specific charges Common gotchas
    20′ standard Standard 20′ or combo Tri-axle if >36k cargo Tri-axle pool may be different IEP, split risk
    40′ standard Standard 40′ Tri-axle if >44k cargo Same
    40′ HC Standard 40′ Same as 40′ standard Height usually under 13’6″, legal on most routes
    45′ HC 45′ chassis (less common) ~$200 premium per move; Caltrans permit if >14′ Chassis availability, pool may force a split
    20′ reefer Reefer chassis (often combo) Plug-in $5-$125 per day at terminal; genset on road; monitoring fee Plug request must be made at gate-in or container thaws
    40′ reefer Reefer chassis Same Same; reefer Sustained-Dwell tier in Houston steeper
    20′ open top Standard or specialty Tarping, slight lift premium Inspection delays if cargo extends above rails
    40′ open top Standard or specialty Same Same
    20′ flat rack Standard chassis LoLo handling at terminal; OOG surcharge if cargo overhangs Permit territory if width or height exceeded
    40′ flat rack Standard chassis Same Common for over-length pipe and machinery
    ISO tank Tank chassis Tank chassis day rate higher; hazmat almost always Tanker + hazmat endorsements; surge handling
    Breakbulk Flatbed / step-deck Stevedoring $5k-$10k per lift (BCO); per-piece securement Not standard drayage, heavy-haul rules apply

    C. Port matrix

    Port Free time (terminal) Per-diem free days Chassis pool(s) Port-specific Gotchas
    LA / Long Beach 4-5 days typical (POLB confirmed 4) 5 days typical (Maersk) Pool of Pools (DCLI, TRAC, FlexiVan) TMF $38.78 TEU / $77.56 over; CTF $10 TEU / $20 over I-710 overweight corridor; appointments mandatory
    NY / NJ (PANYNJ) 4-5 days typical 4-5 days typical TRAC Metro Pool (~17k chassis), DCLI MY2014 emissions requirement; PNCT/APMT each have own tariff Cross-harbor splits common
    Houston 7 days typical 4-5 days DCLI / TRAC Sustained Import Dwell from day 8 (~$45 dry, $51.60+ reefer) Tri-axle ~$150/day; Jacintoport / Barbours Cut accessorials vary
    Savannah 4-7 days 4-5 days DCLI / TRAC Strict hazmat protocols Hazmat handlers limited
    Charleston 4-5 days; avg dwell 4.2 / 5.1 days 4-5 days DCLI / TRAC Standard Shorter free time eats fast
    Norfolk 4-5 days 4-5 days DCLI / TRAC None unique Lower spot rates ($2.54-$2.83/mile); often excluded from broker congestion surcharges
    Oakland 4-7 days; avg dwell 5.7 days 4-5 days DCLI / TRAC None unique vs LA Often excluded from broker congestion surcharges; appointments required
    Seattle / Tacoma (NWSA) 4-7 days 4-5 days DCLI / TRAC SSA Marine $300+ overstay surcharge for 15+ day boxes Tariff No. 300 governs

    D. Sources

    Primary structural references:

    • Maersk 2026 detention/demurrage tariff update (effective 2026-01-01)
    • PierPass TMF rate schedules (Aug 2025 increase to $38.78/TEU)
    • Port of Long Beach / Port of Los Angeles CTF rate ($10/TEU, $20 per non-TEU)
    • Port Houston Tariff 15 (Jan 2025) and Sustained Import Dwell Fee announcement (Jan 2026)
    • Northwest Seaport Alliance Tariff No. 300
    • DCLI Daily Market Rates
    • TRAC Intermodal Marine Chassis Pools

    Secondary research (range data and accessorial taxonomy):

    • Port City Logistics, 2026 Drayage Rates Guide
    • All Points Atlanta, Drayage Accessorial Charges (specific dollar table)
    • More Than Shipping, Container drayage additional charges
    • DrayDex, Accessorial charges glossary
    • GoArmstrong, Drayage rates guide
    • SeafreightGo, US Customs Exam Types 2026
    • Precision Inc, Customs Hold / Hazmat / Overweight Long Beach guides
    • Royal Cold Storage, Reefer plug-in fees at port
    • Total Terminals International tariff (reefer monitoring $123.54)
    • Jacksonville Port Authority (reefer electrical $66.49)
    • Heavy Weight Transport / Evans Delivery (tri-axle chassis specs)
    • Atlantic Project Cargo / Hansatic (OOG, flat rack, open top)
    • Caltrans (California oversize permits)
    • C.H. Robinson, drayage congestion surcharge announcement
    • Land Line Media, SoCal CTF coverage
    • FreightWaves, LA/LB CTF approval; Seattle/Tacoma dwell surcharge
    • Supply Chain Dive, Houston dwell fee approval
    • Gnosis Freight, Port Houston import dwell fee announcement
    • TSA, TWIC fee ($125.25 / $93 reduced)

    Numbers in this appendix are 2026 ranges from public sources. Authoritative numbers for any given move are the carrier tariff, terminal tariff, and IEP rate sheet in force on the move date. Build the article around the documentation method, not the dollar amounts. The dollars will move.