Freight Accessorial Charges Explained: Detention, Liftgate, TONU, and More

What accessorial charges are

A freight rate usually covers a standard service: the carrier arrives, the freight is loaded within a reasonable time, the truck drives to the destination, and the freight is unloaded within a reasonable time. Anything beyond that is an accessorial, an additional service or circumstance that costs the carrier time, labor, or equipment.

Accessorials are not hidden fees in themselves. They reflect real costs. A driver waiting four hours at a dock is not driving, and the truck is not earning revenue. The problem for shippers is that accessorials are often unplanned, so they can make the final invoice much higher than the quote.

The good news is that most accessorials are predictable and preventable once you know what causes them.

Common truckload accessorials

Full truckload shipments usually involve fewer accessorials than LTL, but the ones that do appear can be expensive.

• Detention: charged when a driver waits beyond the free time at pickup or delivery, commonly after two hours, and billed by the hour.
• Layover: charged when a driver must wait overnight or longer because a load is not ready or a delivery cannot be received.
• TONU (truck ordered not used): charged when a shipper cancels a load after the truck has been dispatched or arrives and the load is not available.
• Stop-off charges: additional fees for each extra pickup or delivery stop on a multi-stop load.
• Driver assist or unload: charged when the driver is asked to load or unload the freight.
• Lumper fees: payments to third-party labor at some warehouses to unload trucks, usually passed through to the shipper.

Common LTL accessorials

LTL carriers price around dock-to-dock service between commercial locations. Any departure from that model adds a charge.

• Liftgate: needed when the pickup or delivery location has no loading dock or forklift.
• Residential delivery or pickup: for homes and home-based businesses, which take more time and smaller equipment.
• Limited access: for locations such as schools, churches, military bases, construction sites, storage units, and farms.
• Inside delivery: when freight must be moved beyond the dock or entrance into the building.
• Appointment or notify before delivery: when the consignee requires a scheduled time or a call ahead.
• Reclass and reweigh: when the declared freight class or weight is corrected after inspection.
• Redelivery: when a delivery attempt fails and the carrier must try again.

Common drayage and intermodal accessorials

Container moves have their own set of accessorials because they involve ports, rail ramps, ocean carrier equipment, and chassis. These can be the most expensive of all during congestion.

• Chassis rental: daily charges for the chassis that carries the container.
• Chassis split: when the chassis must be picked up at a different location from the container.
• Prepull: pulling a container from the terminal before the delivery date to beat last free day, then holding it in a yard.
• Yard storage: daily fees for keeping a container at the trucker’s yard.
• Demurrage: terminal charges for containers left at the port beyond free time.
• Per diem or detention: ocean carrier charges for keeping its equipment out too long.
• Overweight and triaxle: for heavy containers that require special chassis or permits.

Why detention is so common

Detention is one of the most frequent and most disputed accessorials. It often starts with something small: a dock that is running behind, a load that is not staged, missing paperwork, or an appointment that was not communicated to the receiving team. Each of those delays keeps the driver waiting, and after the free period the clock starts.

Detention matters for more than the invoice. Carriers track how long their drivers wait at each facility, and locations known for long delays may get higher rates or fewer available trucks over time. Running an efficient dock helps your costs and your access to capacity.

How to prevent accessorial charges

Most accessorials come down to information and timing. When the carrier knows exactly what to expect and the facility is ready when the truck arrives, extra charges become rare.

• Share full details at booking: dimensions, weight, freight class, location type, dock availability, and appointment requirements.
• Request liftgate, residential, inside delivery, or other services up front instead of after the fact.
• Confirm that freight will be ready and staged before the truck is dispatched.
• Schedule appointments early and communicate them to the receiving team.
• Track last free day on every container and plan pickups or prepulls ahead of time.
• Keep accurate contact information on the bill of lading so drivers can reach someone if there is a problem.
• Cancel or reschedule as early as possible if plans change.

Reviewing and disputing accessorials

Always compare the final invoice with the quote and ask for documentation on any accessorial you did not expect. Carriers should be able to provide check-in and check-out times for detention, inspection reports and photos for reclasses, and delivery attempt records for redeliveries.

If a charge seems incorrect, raise it quickly and calmly with supporting evidence, such as your own dock logs or scale tickets. Disputes are easier to resolve when they are handled within days rather than months.

Cross-border and specialized accessorials

Shipments that cross the US-Canada border can pick up their own set of charges. Border wait time may be billed as detention when customs paperwork is incomplete, and carriers may charge for customs inspections, bond fees, or the time needed to resolve a hold. Many of these charges come from documentation problems rather than the crossing itself, so sending complete paperwork to customs brokers immediately after booking is the best prevention.

Specialized freight has its own accessorials as well. Flatbed loads may include tarping charges for freight that must be covered. Heavy haul shipments often include permit fees, escort costs, and route survey charges. Temperature-controlled loads may add fees for pre-cooling the trailer, continuous temperature monitoring, or protective service in cold weather. Hazmat shipments carry additional charges for the endorsements, placards, and compliance requirements involved.

Fuel surcharges

The fuel surcharge is one of the most common line items on any freight invoice, though it is not always thought of as an accessorial. Most carriers adjust it weekly based on the average diesel price published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration or a similar index. When comparing quotes, confirm whether fuel is included in the rate or billed separately, because two quotes that look different may actually be very similar once fuel is added.

Building accessorials into your budget

Even well-run shipping programs will see some accessorials. Instead of treating them as surprises, track them by type, lane, and facility over time. Patterns usually emerge quickly. A single distribution center may account for most of your detention, or a handful of customers may regularly require liftgate service that is not being requested at booking.

Once you know where accessorials come from, you can fix the root cause, build expected charges into quotes and customer pricing, or negotiate terms such as longer free time with carriers on consistent lanes. Accessorials become a manageable cost rather than an unexpected one.

How LIME Logistics keeps invoices predictable

LIME Logistics reviews every shipment for likely accessorials before quoting. We ask the questions that matter, such as dock availability, appointment requirements, and container free time, so the rate you approve reflects the move as it will actually happen. When something changes in transit, we tell you right away rather than waiting for the invoice.

Whether you ship truckload, LTL, or intermodal containers, we can help you identify where accessorials are adding cost and how to reduce them. Request a quote or call us at (716) 815-7172 ext. 101.

Frequently asked questions