The Carrier’s Complete Guide to Accessorial Charges (2026)
Accessorial charges are additional fees carriers bill for services or events that go beyond standard pickup and delivery — including detention, layover, TONU, fuel surcharge, lumper reimbursement, and dozens of others. They represent a significant portion of potential carrier revenue that goes uncollected due to inconsistent documentation and billing processes.
What Are Accessorial Charges?
In trucking, the base freight rate covers transporting a load from origin to destination. Accessorial charges cover everything that falls outside that scope: delays caused by the shipper, special equipment or labor required, and situations where the load can’t be completed as booked.
Most accessorial charges are contractual rights established in the rate confirmation. Some are also established under FMCSA regulations. In either case, carriers are entitled to collect them — but collection depends on documentation, timely submission, and knowing what you’re owed.
The Major Accessorial Charge Types
Detention Pay
What it is: Compensation when a truck is held at a facility beyond the free time allowance (typically 2 hours).
Typical rate: $50–$100/hour depending on load type. Reefer loads command higher rates.
Frequency: 39.3% of all stops result in detention (ATRI 2024). For refrigerated freight, 56.2%.
Documentation required: GPS-verified arrival and departure timestamps, rate confirmation showing detention terms.
Collection challenge: Fewer than 50% of detention invoices are paid industry-wide. The gap is almost entirely documentation quality and submission timing. Full detention guide →
TONU (Truck Ordered Not Used)
What it is: Compensation when a carrier dispatches a truck to pick up a load that is then canceled by the shipper or broker after the truck has been committed.
Typical rate: $100–$300 flat fee, or a percentage of the linehaul rate. Varies significantly by RC.
When it applies: When the load is canceled after the driver has been dispatched (or is en route). Cancellations before dispatch typically don’t trigger TONU.
Documentation required: Load tender or rate confirmation showing the booking, proof the truck was dispatched (GPS records showing truck en route), and the cancellation communication.
Layover Pay
What it is: Compensation when a driver is unable to complete delivery and is required to stay overnight at their own expense due to shipper/consignee delay.
Typical rate: $150–$300 per night, or a flat daily rate.
When it applies: When a load cannot be picked up or delivered within the driver’s legal hours, and the delay is attributable to the shipper or consignee.
Documentation required: GPS data showing truck location, driver logs showing HOS constraint, and documentation of the shipper-caused delay.
Fuel Surcharge
What it is: A per-mile or percentage surcharge tied to fuel prices, adjusted weekly or monthly based on the EIA diesel fuel index.
Typical rate: Varies by fuel index; many carriers use the DOE/EIA weekly retail diesel price as the reference.
Documentation: Usually built into the rate confirmation; less commonly disputed than other accessorials.
Stop-Off Charge
What it is: A fee for each additional pickup or delivery stop beyond the first on a multi-stop load.
Typical rate: $50–$150 per additional stop.
Documentation required: Load tender showing all stops, GPS records confirming each stop was made.
Lumper Fees (Reimbursement)
What it is: Reimbursement for third-party labor hired to unload freight at a receiver’s facility. Lumpers are common at grocery distribution centers and certain warehouse operations.
Typical rate: Pass-through — billed at actual cost. Carrier pays the lumper service, then invoices the broker for the full amount.
Documentation required: Lumper receipt from the labor service, signed by the driver. Always get a receipt.
Truck Unloading (Driver Assist)
What it is: Compensation when the driver is required to assist with unloading beyond their standard duties.
Typical rate: $50–$100/hour or a flat fee per load.
Documentation: Note on delivery receipt or driver log documenting time spent on driver-assist activity.
Overweight / Permits
What it is: Fees for oversize or overweight loads that require special routing, permits, or pilot cars.
Documentation: Permit copies, pilot car invoices, routing documentation.
Liftgate
What it is: Charge for use of the truck’s liftgate at a delivery that requires lowering freight to ground level.
Typical rate: $50–$75 flat fee per use.
Why Accessorial Charges Go Uncollected
The same patterns that cause detention to go uncollected apply across all accessorials:
1. No rate in the rate confirmation. If an accessorial isn’t covered in the RC, you’re billing without a contract. Some brokers pay anyway; most don’t. The fix is negotiating coverage before accepting the load.
2. Poor documentation. Lumper fees without receipts, detention without GPS, TONU without proof of dispatch — all are easy to dispute.
3. No dedicated billing process. Accessorials get bundled into the main invoice and forgotten if the driver doesn’t flag them, or submitted so late that the broker has already processed the base freight payment and closed the load in their system.
4. Not knowing what you’re owed. Many smaller carriers don’t have a systematic list of accessorials they’re entitled to bill, so they only invoice when a problem is obvious.
Building a Better Accessorial Billing Process
Step 1: Audit Your Rate Confirmations
Before every load, verify which accessorials are covered and at what rates. The minimal checklist:
- Detention: covered? Rate? Free time? Claim window?
- TONU: covered? Rate? Trigger conditions?
- Layover: covered? Rate?
- Lumper: will the broker reimburse?
Flag loads where key accessorials aren’t covered and push back on the RC before dispatch.
Step 2: Create Driver Reporting Standards
Drivers are your field reporting system. Train them to:
- Note arrival time at every stop (confirmed against GPS)
- Flag any detention, TONU risk, or driver-assist events to dispatch immediately
- Collect lumper receipts before leaving the facility
- Document any unusual circumstances that might support an accessorial claim
Step 3: Centralize Accessorial Tracking
Every load in your TMS should have an accessorial field where pending claims are logged. Review this daily and submit within the claim window.
Step 4: Separate Accessorial Billing From Freight Billing
Don’t bundle accessorials into the main freight invoice. Submit them separately with their own supporting documentation. This makes it easier for broker billing teams to process and easier for you to track payment status.
The Revenue Opportunity
For a 100-truck fleet, the combined uncollected accessorial revenue is significant:
| Accessorial | Events/Month (est.) | Avg. Amount | At 45% Collection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detention | 470 | $150 | $31,725 |
| TONU | 30 | $200 | $2,700 |
| Lumper | 80 | $125 | $4,500 |
| Stop-off | 100 | $75 | $3,375 |
| Total (approx.) | $42,300/month |
At 80% collection across all accessorials, the same fleet recovers $75,200/month — a difference of nearly $33,000/month.
The gap isn’t legal. It’s operational.
Related Articles
- What Are Accessorial Charges in Trucking?
- Complete List of Accessorial Charges and Rates
- TONU Pay: What It Is and How to Collect It
- Layover Pay Guide for Carriers
- The Complete Guide to Detention Pay
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