How to read a rate confirmation

The rate confirmation is the document that turns a phone conversation into an agreement. Most people skim it for the price and sign. Then something goes wrong and everyone discovers that the answer was on page one the whole time.

It is short. Read it. Here is what is on it.

The rate itself

Check whether the number is all-in or a base rate with fuel and accessorials added separately. This is the most common source of an invoice that does not match expectations, and it is one word on the document.

Also check what is explicitly included. If a liftgate or an inside delivery was discussed on the call, it needs to appear here. A verbal agreement that is not on the confirmation will not survive a billing dispute.

Pickup and delivery windows

Note whether each is an appointment or a window. An appointment is a fixed time and missing it can mean rescheduling days out. A window is a range, usually first-come-first-served.

Also note whether it says FCFS (first come first served) or requires a scheduled appointment, and whether the receiver's hours are stated. If the confirmation shows a delivery window your receiver does not actually accept freight during, fix it now, not when the truck is sitting there.

Free time and detention terms

How long the driver waits before detention starts, and at what hourly rate. If this is blank, that is worth a question — blank does not mean free.

If you know your dock is slow, this is the moment to negotiate the free time up, not after the charge appears.

Equipment and requirements

Trailer type and length. Temperature setting if it is a reefer, and whether it is continuous or cycle. Any securement requirements on flatbed. Whether food-grade or a washout is required.

A temperature written wrong on the confirmation is how a load of product gets rejected at the receiver. It is one number and it is worth checking every time.

Commodity, weight, and piece count

This needs to match what is actually on the dock. If the confirmation says 12 pallets at 14,000 pounds and 16 pallets at 19,000 show up, the driver may legitimately refuse the load, and you will have a TONU and no truck.

Reference numbers

Load number, PO number, pickup number, delivery appointment number. These are what a receiver asks for when a driver arrives. Missing reference numbers cause real delays at the gate for a completely avoidable reason.

What to do when something is wrong

Do not sign and sort it out later. Ask for a corrected confirmation before the truck dispatches. It takes a provider about two minutes to reissue and it is completely routine.

The phone call is where the deal gets made. The confirmation is where it gets remembered. When those two disagree weeks later, the paper wins — every time.

Next: How LTL claims are won and lost →