By Luis Lopez, AI transportation consultant, CEO of Go Hub.io Holdings Corp and subsidiaries, and host of the Freight Guru Podcast
A load delivers, the invoice arrives, and there are charges on it nobody remembers approving: detention, layover, a truck order not used fee, a lumper receipt, driver assist. The shipper says it never agreed. The broker says it never authorized. The carrier says the time was real and the work was done. Accessorial authorization disputes are among the most common billing fights in freight, and most of them come down to two questions: what did the agreement say about approval, and what proof exists? This guide walks through both, plus how to resolve these disputes and prevent them.
Start With the Documents
Before arguing about whether a charge is fair, figure out which document governs it. Depending on the shipment, that could be one or more of the following:
- The rate confirmation. For brokered truckload freight, the rate confirmation usually lists the agreed line haul and any accessorials, and often states conditions for detention, layover and other charges. Read our guide on what a rate confirmation is.
- The broker-carrier agreement. This master agreement often sets rules for when accessorials are payable, what notice is required and what documentation must accompany an invoice.
- The shipper-carrier or shipper-broker contract. Contracts frequently include an accessorial schedule and approval requirements.
- The carrier’s rules tariff. Common in LTL, where accessorials are published in the carrier’s tariff and apply unless a contract says otherwise.
Look for specific language: does a charge require prior written approval? Is there a notice requirement, such as the carrier alerting the broker when a truck is approaching the free time limit? Is there a deadline for submitting accessorial invoices? Is supporting documentation required? Those terms usually decide the outcome more than anyone’s opinion about fairness.
The Usual Suspects
Detention
Detention is charged when a truck is held at pickup or delivery beyond the agreed free time. Disputes center on arrival time, whether the driver was on time for the appointment, when free time started, and whether the carrier gave notice. See our article on truck detention time.
Layover
Layover is charged when a driver is held overnight or until the next day because a load was not ready or could not be received. The dispute is typically whether the delay was caused by the shipper or receiver, or by the carrier arriving late.
TONU
A truck order not used charge applies when a carrier dispatches a truck and the load is cancelled or not available. Disputes involve whether the cancellation was timely, whether the truck was actually dispatched, and whether the carrier was in position. Our guide to TONU in trucking explains how it typically works.
Lumper fees
Lumper fees are paid to third-party unloaders at some receivers. Disputes come up when the fee was not pre-approved, the receipt is missing, or the amount does not match. Our lumper fee guide covers the basics.
Driver assist
Driver assist charges apply when the driver helps load or unload. Disputes ask whether the service was ordered, whether the driver actually performed it, and whether the load was booked as no-touch.
What Proof Looks Like
Most accessorial disputes are won or lost on evidence. The strongest proof is created at the time of the event, not reconstructed later.
- Timestamps. Check-in and check-out times signed or stamped by the facility, electronic logs, tracking pings or geofence records showing arrival and departure.
- In and out times on the bill of lading. A signed BOL with times written in by facility staff is hard to argue with.
- Receipts. Original lumper receipts showing the facility, date, amount and payment method.
- Notice records. Emails, messages or call logs showing the carrier told the broker or shipper about a delay while it was happening.
- Approval records. Written approvals with the name of the person who approved and the amount or terms.
- Cancellation records. For TONU, timestamps showing when the load was cancelled and where the truck was.
If a carrier bills detention without any documented arrival or departure times, the payer has a reasonable basis to ask for them. If the carrier has stamped times and a record of timely notice, the payer’s position weakens considerably.
The Broker in the Middle
Brokered freight adds a layer. The carrier invoices the broker, and the broker may bill the shipper. Each relationship is governed by its own agreement, and the terms often do not line up perfectly.
Common problems:
- The broker owes the carrier under the rate confirmation, but the shipper contract does not allow the broker to pass the charge through.
- The carrier gave notice to the broker, but the broker did not relay it to the shipper in time.
- The shipper approved a charge verbally to the carrier, bypassing the broker.
- The deadlines for submitting accessorials differ between the two agreements.
Brokers should align their carrier and shipper terms as closely as possible and document every approval in both directions.
How to Resolve a Dispute
- Identify the governing terms and quote them in your response.
- Request or provide supporting documents. Ask specifically for what is missing, such as stamped times, receipts or notice records.
- Separate the charges. Agree on the ones that are documented and dispute only the ones that are not. Holding up an entire invoice over one line item creates more friction than it solves.
- Put your position in writing, with dates and facts, not tone.
- Look for a reasonable middle ground when the facts are mixed, such as partial detention when arrival times are clear but notice was late.
- Escalate calmly. If the relationship matters, a call between decision makers often settles what emails cannot.
When the disputed amount or the relationship is significant, talk to a transportation attorney about your contract and options.
Prevention: A Written Approval Workflow
The best way to win these disputes is to not have them. A simple written workflow helps:
- List accessorial terms on every rate confirmation and tender, including free time and notice requirements.
- Require carriers to notify a specific inbox or contact when a delay begins.
- Respond to notices quickly with approval, denial or instructions.
- Record approvals with a name, time and terms.
- Require receipts and timestamps with every accessorial invoice.
- Match accessorial invoices against approvals before paying.
As an AI transportation consultant, I see AI tools that match invoices to rate confirmations and approval records, flag charges that have no matching approval, and pull timestamps from tracking data automatically. They speed up review and catch what busy people miss, but a person should still make the final call on any disputed charge.
For more conversations on freight and AI, subscribe to the Freight Guru Podcast.
About the author: Luis Lopez is a Miami-based AI transportation consultant and logistics entrepreneur, the CEO of Go Hub.io Holdings Corp and subsidiaries, and host of the Freight Guru Podcast.
This article is general information for the freight community, not legal advice. Talk to a transportation attorney about your specific situation.
