How do you read a trucking rate confirmation?
Read a rate confirmation top to bottom before signing: confirm the broker's legal name and MC number, the pickup and delivery details, the commodity and weight, and the total rate. Then check the accessorial terms (detention, TONU, lumper, layover), the payment terms and any fines or tracking rules in the fine print. If anything differs from what you agreed on the phone, get it corrected in writing first.
A rate confirmation (often called a rate con) is the document a broker sends after you agree on a load. It spells out what you will haul, where, when and for how much, and once you sign it, it is the paper you will rely on to get paid. Reading it carefully takes five minutes and can save you hundreds of dollars in disputes.
What a rate confirmation is and why it matters
When you set up with a broker, you sign a broker-carrier agreement that covers the general relationship. The rate con is the load-level agreement on top of that. It is what your factoring company, your bookkeeper and the broker's accounts payable team will look at when your invoice comes in.
That means anything not written on the rate con is at risk. If the broker said "we pay detention after two hours" on the phone but the rate con says nothing, you may end up arguing for money you earned. For a broader look at how broker setup and spot versus contract freight fit together, see our guide on broker setup and rate confirmations.
The header: who you are dealing with
Start at the top and confirm:
- Broker legal name and MC number. It should match the company you negotiated with. Look the MC up with FMCSA to confirm the broker authority is active.
- Contact details. The phone number and email domain should match what the broker uses elsewhere, not a free email account or a lookalike domain.
- Your carrier name, MC and DOT number. A wrong carrier name can delay payment, especially if you factor.
- Load or reference number. You will need this on your invoice and for every call about the load.
If any of these look off, stop. A mismatch is one of the most common warning signs of fraud, covered in our guide to double brokering and freight fraud.
Pickup and delivery details
Check each stop:
- Facility name and full address
- Appointment date and time, or the FCFS (first come, first served) window
- Pickup number, PO number or other reference the shipper will ask for
- Number of stops, and whether extra stops are paid
Compare this to what you were told. A "live load" that turns out to be a drop, or one stop that turns into three, changes your day and should change the rate.
Commodity, weight and equipment
Make sure the rate con lists:
- Commodity. Know what you are hauling. High-value or theft-target freight may need extra security steps, and some commodities need special permits or endorsements.
- Weight. Confirm it is legal for your truck and leaves room for fuel. An overweight surprise at the scale is your problem, not the broker's.
- Equipment and requirements. Trailer type and length, temperature setting for reefer, tarps or straps for flatbed, load locks, team requirement, and any special instructions.
The money section
This is the part most carriers read first, but read it fully:
| Item | What to check |
|---|---|
| Linehaul | Matches the agreed amount |
| Fuel surcharge | Included in the total or listed separately |
| Total rate | Equals what you accepted |
| Extra stops | Rate per stop, if any |
| Detention | Free time and hourly rate |
| Layover | Amount per day |
| TONU | Amount if the load is cancelled after dispatch |
| Lumper | Who pays and how you get reimbursed |
A quick worked example
Hypothetical example: you agree to $2,400 all-in for a 750-mile load, plus detention at $50 per hour after 2 hours free. The rate con shows $2,400 but no detention line. If the driver waits 5 hours at the receiver, that is 3 billable hours, or $150. Without the detention terms on the rate con, you may only collect if the broker agrees to amend it. The fix takes one email before you sign. You can model wait-time pay with our detention pay calculator, and see how to get detention paid for the full process.
The fine print: payment terms, fines and rules
The bottom of the rate con, or an attached page, often carries terms that cost money.
- Payment terms. Standard days to pay, quick-pay options and their fees, and the documents required with your invoice.
- Fines and deductions. Late fees for missed appointments, charges for failure to check in, deductions for missing tracking updates or late paperwork.
- Tracking requirements. Many brokers require an app or ELD tracking link. Know what happens if tracking drops.
- No re-brokering clause. Standard and fair. You are agreeing to haul it on your own authority with your own truck.
- Claims and liability language. Note any cargo value limits or claims terms. Questions about liability are worth running past your insurance agent or attorney.
- Paperwork deadlines. Some brokers require the BOL or POD within a set number of days to avoid a fee.
A 10-point rate con checklist
Before you sign, confirm:
- Broker name and MC match the company you negotiated with
- Your company name, MC and DOT are correct
- Pickup and delivery addresses, dates and times are right
- All reference numbers are present
- Commodity and weight are listed and legal for your setup
- Equipment and special requirements are clear
- Total rate matches the agreement
- Detention, layover, TONU and lumper terms are written in
- Payment terms and any quick-pay fees are understood
- Fines, tracking and paperwork rules are acceptable
If any item is wrong or missing, email the broker and ask for a revised rate con. Do not sign one version and rely on a promise to fix it later.
What to do after you sign
- Send the signed copy back from your business email and keep it with the load file.
- Give the driver the pickup number, appointment times and special instructions.
- Note detention start and stop times and get in-and-out times on the BOL.
- Build your invoice packet: signed rate con, signed BOL or POD, and receipts for any lumper or accessorial.
Clean paperwork is the fastest route to getting paid, whether you bill brokers yourself or work with a factoring company. Our guide on freight factoring for owner-operators explains how that packet moves through funding.
How Texas Solutions can help
Texas Solutions is a dispatch service, not a broker or motor carrier. Our dispatchers find and negotiate loads, read every rate con against what was agreed, handle broker packets and paperwork 24/7, and you approve every load before it is booked. Learn more about our dispatch services or talk to a dispatcher.
Frequently asked questions
Is a rate confirmation a legally binding contract?
A signed rate confirmation is generally treated as the agreement for that specific load, working alongside the broker-carrier agreement you signed at setup. Because it can be enforced, have an attorney review your standard broker agreements if you are unsure of your obligations.
What if the rate con does not match what the broker told me?
Do not sign it. Reply by email asking for a corrected version that matches the agreed rate and terms. A verbal promise that is not on the rate con is very hard to collect later.
Should accessorials be listed even if I do not expect them?
Yes. Ask for the detention rate, free time, TONU amount and lumper handling to be written in before pickup. It is much easier to collect an accessorial that is already on paper than to negotiate one after the fact.
Who should keep copies of the rate confirmation?
The carrier, the driver and whoever does billing or factoring. Your invoice packet usually needs the signed rate con plus the signed bill of lading or proof of delivery.
