Accessorial charges in trucking: detention, layover, lumper fees and TONU

Detention pay and layover

Detention pays for the time a truck waits at the shipper or receiver after the agreed free time has run out. It is usually charged per hour once that free time ends, and only for the hours you can show with arrival and departure times.

How detention pay works in practice: note your check-in and check-out times on the bill of lading or in your own records, tell the broker before the free time runs out, and send the times with your invoice.

Layover is different. It applies when the truck is held over to another day because the pickup or delivery was moved, and it is agreed as an amount for each day held rather than by the hour.

Lumper fees

A lumper fee is what a third-party unloading crew charges at the receiver, for example at a grocery distribution center. The lumper service sets the fee for each load, by pallet count, case count, weight or time spent unloading.

Agree before pickup who pays it: the broker or shipper may pay the lumper service directly, or reimburse you against the receipt. Keep every receipt and send it with your invoice.

Truck order not used (TONU)

TONU compensates the carrier when a load is canceled after the truck has been dispatched or has arrived at the shipper. Agree whether a TONU applies, when it applies and how much it is before you dispatch, and get the cancellation in writing.

Deadhead miles

Deadhead miles are the empty miles to a pickup or after a delivery. Deadhead is usually not paid as a separate charge: it is a cost you build into the rate you accept, so add the deadhead to each pickup before you compare two loads.

A backhaul from your delivery area turns some of those empty miles into paid ones.

• Backhaul loads and deadhead

Agree accessorials in the rate confirmation

1. Before you accept the load, ask about free time and the detention charge after it, layover, the lumper process, TONU and any extra stops or driver assist.
2. Check that every accessorial you agreed appears in the rate confirmation before you sign it.
3. Record arrival and departure times and keep lumper and other receipts during the trip.
4. Invoice the accessorials with the signed bill of lading and the receipts.

• Rate confirmation: what to check

Where GigFreight fits

Load boards can be browsed without an account. Visitors see the route, dates, equipment and price of each load, but not the poster’s contact details. On the US board each load shows its miles, the posted rate and the rate per mile, and you can sort loads by rate per mile.

Rates and accessorials are agreed between the poster and the carrier for each load; GigFreight publishes no rate index and no recommended rates. No commission per load. Broker and shipper contact details on a load are shown only to members with a fully paid, active subscription. A trial gives access to the platform but not to load contact details.

• Open the US load board

Frequently asked questions