Pillar 2 — Carrier Business Operations

What Are Accessorial Charges in Trucking?

Dwell Editorial · Updated 2026-04-24
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What Are Accessorial Charges in Trucking?

Accessorial charges are fees carriers bill for services or circumstances that fall outside the standard pickup-and-delivery freight rate. They include detention pay, TONU, layover, lumper reimbursement, stop-off fees, liftgate, fuel surcharge, and others. Accessorial charges are legitimate, contractual revenue that many carriers fail to collect consistently.

The Base Rate vs. Accessorials

A freight rate confirmation covers one thing: transporting a load from origin to destination. That’s the linehaul rate.

Accessorial charges cover everything else:

Accessorials are not optional charges or negotiating tactics. They’re compensation for real costs the carrier incurs when a load doesn’t go according to plan — and they’re typically established in the rate confirmation as contractual rights.

Major Accessorial Charges: What Each One Means

Detention Pay

The most common and most undercollected accessorial.

Detention applies when a truck is held at a shipper or consignee beyond the free time allowance in the rate confirmation — typically two hours. Every additional hour beyond free time is billable at the agreed detention rate ($50–$100/hour depending on load type).

According to ATRI’s 2024 Detention Study, detention occurs on 39.3% of all truck stops. Fewer than 50% of detention invoices are paid. The gap represents approximately $15 billion in annual uncollected revenue across the industry.

TONU (Truck Ordered Not Used)

TONU applies when a carrier has been dispatched (or the truck committed) to pick up a load, and the shipper or broker cancels after that point.

The carrier incurred real costs: deadhead miles, driver time, capacity committed and unavailable for other loads. TONU is the contractual remedy for that cost.

Typical rate: $100–$300 flat fee or a percentage of the linehaul rate, as specified in the rate confirmation.

Layover Pay

Layover applies when a driver cannot complete a load within their legal hours due to a shipper or consignee delay, and must overnight at their own expense.

This is different from detention (hourly pay for waiting) — layover is a flat daily or nightly fee compensating the driver for the expense and time of an unplanned overnight.

Typical rate: $150–$300 per night.

Fuel Surcharge

A per-mile or percentage-of-rate surcharge tied to current diesel fuel prices. Most carriers use the DOE/EIA weekly retail diesel price index as the reference point.

Fuel surcharges are usually built into the rate confirmation and less commonly disputed than other accessorials, though the calculation basis (per-mile vs. percentage) can vary.

Stop-Off Charge

A fee for each additional pickup or delivery stop beyond the first on a multi-stop load. The base rate covers Origin → Destination; every intermediate stop is a stop-off.

Typical rate: $50–$150 per additional stop, specified in the rate confirmation.

Lumper Fees

A lumper is a third-party laborer hired at a receiver’s facility to unload freight. Grocery distribution centers are the most common context. The carrier pays the lumper service (usually through a Comdata code or direct payment), then invoices the broker for reimbursement.

Lumper fees are a pass-through: the carrier bills the broker for the exact amount paid to the lumper service. Always get a receipt.

Driver Unload / Driver Assist

Compensation when the driver is required to physically unload or assist with unloading beyond their standard duties. Usually applies at residential deliveries or small business stops without dock equipment.

Typical rate: $50–$100/hour or a flat fee per load.

Liftgate

A charge for using the truck’s hydraulic liftgate to lower freight from truck height to ground level. Common for deliveries without a loading dock.

Typical rate: $50–$75 flat fee per use.

Oversize / Overweight Permit Fees

Reimbursement for state permits, pilot car costs, and special routing required for oversized or overweight loads. These are pass-through costs billed at actual expense.

Inside Delivery

Compensation when the driver delivers freight inside a building rather than curbside or to a dock. Common for appliance delivery, office furniture, or medical equipment.

Typical rate: Flat fee of $50–$150 or a per-floor charge.

Tarp Fee (Flatbed)

Compensation for tarping a flatbed load to protect cargo. The rate is per tarp or a flat fee per load.

Hazmat Fee

An additional fee for handling or transporting hazardous materials, reflecting the driver’s certification, regulatory compliance burden, and additional liability.

Which Accessorials Are Covered on Your Load?

The key question before every load: does your rate confirmation explicitly cover the accessorials relevant to that haul?

A rate confirmation that doesn’t mention detention, TONU, or lumper doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t bill them — but it gives the broker grounds to dispute. The cleanest approach is to negotiate coverage into the RC before dispatch.

For loads to facilities with a history of detention, add a detention clause before accepting. For loads with cancellation risk, ensure TONU is covered. For grocery DC deliveries, confirm lumper reimbursement.

The few minutes spent reviewing the RC before dispatch saves hours of billing disputes later.

The Accessorial Billing Gap

Most carriers leave significant accessorial revenue uncollected — not because of legal issues, but because:

Building a consistent accessorial billing process — detection, documentation, timely submission, systematic follow-up — is one of the highest-ROI operational improvements a carrier can make without adding trucks or drivers.

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