The paperwork that decides who pays
How to read a rate confirmation
In a broker-arranged shipment, the shipper accepts the broker's quote and the broker separately arranges transportation with a carrier. A broker-to-carrier rate confirmation is not necessarily the same document the shipper receives.
Whatever your document is called — quote, booking confirmation or rate confirmation — check the parties, shipment and terms. Do not assume one page replaces every other agreement.
The rate and included services
Confirm whether the price includes fuel and the services this shipment needs. The words “all-in” do not tell you what happens if the weight, destination or required service changes. Ask which events can add a charge and how that charge is calculated.
If you discussed a liftgate, inside delivery or another requirement, get it into the written booking record. Save accepted changes and emails with the confirmation so the instruction can be checked later.
Pickup and delivery
Check whether each stop has a confirmed appointment, a requested time or first-come-first-served receiving hours. A time window alone does not establish which one applies.
Confirm the facility's actual hours and appointment reference. Ask who books the appointment, whether transit is estimated or guaranteed, and what happens if the truck misses the time.
Free time and waiting charges
How long can the driver wait before detention starts? What rate and notice requirements apply? What records support the charge? A blank field does not establish that waiting is free.
If loading is expected to take longer, resolve it before booking. Ask how overnight delays are handled as well.
Equipment and handling
Check trailer type, usable dimensions and required loading equipment. For temperature-controlled freight, confirm the shipper's temperature instructions and operating mode. For open-deck freight, confirm securement and protection requirements.
Carry any food-grade, washout or other required condition into the booking record. The broker or coverage team needs enough detail to select a suitable carrier, and the carrier needs the same instructions.
What is actually on the dock
Match the commodity, packed dimensions, weight and piece count. If the shipment grows after booking, tell the broker before dispatch. The assigned equipment may no longer fit, and the charge or service plan may need to change.
Reference numbers
Check the load, purchase-order, pickup and appointment numbers the facilities require. Confirm which numbers the driver needs at each stop and provide a working contact for an exception.
Before you accept
- Are the parties and shipment correctly identified?
- Does the price include the services we requested?
- Are the pickup and delivery arrangements confirmed?
- What waiting or cancellation charges can apply?
- Do the equipment and handling instructions fit the goods?
- Do dimensions, weight and piece count match?
- Does the driver have the required references and contacts?
When something is wrong
Request a corrected confirmation or written amendment before dispatch. Make sure the broker and carrier receive changes that affect the move. Keep the accepted version with the load record.
Written terms make the agreement easier to establish. They do not make every dispute automatic, and an omission is a reason to resolve the question now.
Questions welcome
Have a question about this lesson? Email Joseph. For a review of your own freight, discuss the scope first.