Line haul gets billed. It is on the rate confirmation, so nobody forgets it. The money usually leaks from everything around it: the chassis split, the pre-pull, the hour waiting at a dock, the extra stop the customer added on the phone. Each one is small. Together they are the difference between a thin month and a good one.
The usual suspects
- Chassis charges: rental, splits, positioning
- Pre-pull and storage: pulling early to beat the last free day, then holding the box
- Waiting time and detention: at the terminal, warehouse or customer dock
- Extra stops and re-deliveries
- Fuel surcharge, tolls and gate fees
- Special equipment: genset, overweight, hazmat or reefer handling
Why they fall off the invoice
It is rarely carelessness. It is information. The driver knows he waited three hours, the dispatcher knows the customer added a stop, and billing finds out a week later, if at all. By then, nobody remembers the details well enough to defend the charge.
A pre-invoice checklist
- Does the container record show every stop the driver actually made?
- Were there waiting times above your free time at any location?
- Did the load use a chassis, a pre-pull or storage?
- Is the signed POD attached, with times in and out?
- Does the customer contract list any extra charges for this lane?
Set the common charges up before the load moves
The easiest accessorial to bill is the one already waiting on the invoice. Give each customer a standard set of charges and rates, so the usual items are added as the load progresses instead of reconstructed later. Then use the status updates and times already coming from the driver as the evidence.
How LoadPilot helps
In LoadPilot, charges live on the load: base rate, chassis, detention, fuel and discounts, each with a unit and price. Customer rates apply automatically, drivers capture proof of delivery in the app, and the invoice builds from the completed load, so billing starts the same day. The load margin is visible before you send it.
Billing sooner and billing completely are the same habit. Do both and the cash shows up faster, too.