The linehaul rate is not always the whole price of moving a load. Freight can create extra work, waiting, canceled capacity, additional stops, unloading costs, or other conditions outside the basic pickup-to-delivery move. Accessorial charges are how many of those extras get handled commercially.

For a small carrier, the useful question is not how many fee names you can memorize. It is which events cost the truck time or money, what the agreed terms say, and what evidence you need when the event happens.

What is an accessorial charge in trucking?

An accessorial charge is an additional freight charge tied to a service or operating condition beyond the basic linehaul. The exact trigger, amount, free-time rule, and documentation requirement depends on the agreement for the load. A rate confirmation, broker-carrier agreement, shipper contract, or tariff can define terms differently.

Common accessorial charges carriers run into

  • Detention: compensation tied to excessive waiting after the agreed free-time threshold.
  • Layover: compensation when a delay becomes a much larger scheduling disruption under the agreed terms.
  • Lumper fee: a charge for third-party loading or unloading labor.
  • TONU: truck ordered not used, generally tied to committed capacity that is canceled after dispatch under the agreed terms.
  • Stop-off charge: compensation for additional pickup or delivery stops.
  • Driver assist: compensation for qualifying loading, unloading, sorting, or freight handling by the driver.
  • Redelivery or reconsignment: additional work when freight must be delivered again or redirected.

Detention is a time problem

Detention usually begins with a clock. The truck arrives, the facility takes longer than the agreed free time, and the carrier may become eligible for compensation under the load terms. The detention guide explains the documentation and operating impact.

FMCSA continues to study detention because waiting time affects commercial motor vehicle operations and can consume available driver work hours. That makes detention more than a billing nuisance; it can change what the truck is able to do next.

Layover is usually a bigger scheduling disruption

Detention and layover are related but should not automatically be treated as synonyms. Detention is commonly tied to hours of waiting. Layover is commonly used when the delay holds the truck for a much longer period or into another day. The contract controls the trigger. See detention vs layover.

Lumper fees are about loading and unloading labor

A lumper is a third-party worker or service used to load or unload freight. This comes up frequently in food and grocery freight, making it especially relevant to reefer carriers. FMCSA guidance says drivers may not be forced to employ unwanted loading or unloading assistance under 49 U.S.C. 14103. The lumper fee guide goes deeper into payment and documentation.

TONU is about capacity that was committed but not used

TONU stands for truck ordered not used. In ordinary freight practice it refers to compensation when a carrier commits or dispatches a truck and the load is then canceled under circumstances covered by the agreement. Read what TONU means in trucking for the timing and documentation questions.

Accessorials change lane economics

A lane that looks strong at the linehaul rate can weaken when the truck repeatedly loses hours at the same facility, pays unloading costs that are difficult to recover, or gets held overnight. Use the Lane Economics Calculator to compare the posted rate with the full operating cycle.

Document the event while it is happening

  • Keep the rate confirmation and any accessorial schedule.
  • Record appointment, arrival, check-in, release, and departure times when relevant.
  • Save lumper receipts and third-party invoices.
  • Notify the broker or shipper when a delay or cancellation crosses the agreed threshold.
  • Keep messages showing dispatch, cancellation, rescheduling, or authorization.
  • Match the invoice to the contractual trigger instead of relying on an assumed industry standard.

If an event changes the economics of the load, record it. Over time those records show which facilities, customers, and lanes repeatedly consume capacity in ways the posted rate does not show.