Accessorial charges
An accessorial is any charge on top of the line-haul rate: detention, layover, TONU, lumper, extra stops, driver assist, tarping and similar extras. If an accessorial isn't on the rate con, getting paid for it becomes a negotiation after the fact.
Line haul versus accessorials
Line haul is the price for moving the freight from A to B. Accessorials pay for the things that happen around the move: waiting, extra stops, unloading help, cancellations, special equipment. On a good rate con each one has its own line with an amount or a formula. On a weak one they are missing, or covered by a single sentence such as "accessorials must be approved in advance".
Common accessorials
| Accessorial | What it pays for |
|---|---|
| Detention | Waiting past free time, by the hour |
| Layover | A truck held overnight or to another day |
| TONU | A load cancelled after dispatch |
| Lumper | Third-party unloading fees, reimbursed |
| Driver assist | Driver loading, unloading or counting freight |
| Stop-off charge | Each extra pickup or delivery stop |
| Fuel surcharge | Fuel cost, when listed apart from line haul |
Why "approved in advance" matters
Many rate cons say accessorials are paid only if the carrier requests them during the load, sometimes within a fixed time, and only with proof. That's not unreasonable on its face, but it means a driver who doesn't call at the right moment can lose the charge. Find the rule, write down the deadline and the contact, and send requests in writing so you have a timestamp.
Checking what the broker was paid
Federal rules require a broker to keep a record of each brokered shipment for three years, showing among other things the compensation it received for the brokerage service and the freight charges it collected, and they give each party to the transaction the right to review that record (49 CFR 371.3). Carriers sometimes ask for this record when they believe the shipper paid an accessorial that was never passed on.
What the Rate Con Checker looks at
The checker doesn't add up accessorials as a group. It checks the main ones individually: detention, TONU, layover, lumper, driver labor and fuel. Each has its own finding, so a rate con with a good line haul but no accessorial language will collect several flags and a lower grade. That's deliberate: missing accessorials are where much of a load's real cost hides.
Practical habit
Before you sign, list each accessorial you expect for this load: likely wait times, number of stops, whether the receiver uses lumpers, whether the driver has to touch freight. Then check each one against the paper. Whatever isn't written, ask for in one message before you dispatch.