Straight answer
What is a rate confirmation?
A rate confirmation is the written agreement between a broker and a carrier for one specific load. It states the rate, the pickup and delivery locations and times, the equipment required, and the terms that apply if something goes wrong. Brokers usually call it a "rate con." It is signed before pickup and it governs the load.
If the broker later disputes what they owe you, the rate confirmation is what settles it. If you never got one, or you signed one without reading the accessorial terms, you have very little to stand on.
The fields that matter
- Linehaul rate. The base pay for moving the freight. Check whether the figure is all-in or whether fuel surcharge is listed separately.
- Fuel surcharge. Sometimes separate, sometimes folded in. It matters because a good dispatcher should not be charging a percentage on it, and because "all-in" rates hide it.
- Pickup and delivery windows. Appointment versus FCFS changes your whole day. An appointment you can't hit is a late load; FCFS at a busy shipper can be six hours.
- Weight and commodity. Verify against your legal payload before you accept. An overweight ticket costs more than the load pays.
- Equipment requirements. Straps, chains, tarps, load bars, temperature set point, pallet exchange. If it's on the con and you don't carry it, that's your problem at the dock.
The three clauses that cost carriers money
1. Detention terms
Look for when detention starts (commonly after two hours free), the hourly rate, the cap, and the window for submitting the claim — often 24 or 48 hours after delivery. A rate con with no detention terms means you are not getting paid for sitting, no matter how long you sit.
2. TONU (truck ordered not used)
What you get paid if you arrive and the load isn't there. If the con is silent on TONU, a cancelled load is a free day of driving. Get a number in writing before you roll.
3. Lumper and accessorial reimbursement
Who pays the lumper, whether you're reimbursed, and on what timeline. Carriers routinely front lumper fees and then wait 45 days to see them back — or never, because the receipt wasn't submitted correctly.
Before you sign
- Check the broker's credit score and average days to pay. A good rate from a broker who pays in 90 days is a cash flow problem, not a win.
- Confirm the rate on the con matches what was agreed on the phone. Discrepancies happen, and once you sign, the document wins.
- Make sure your company name on the con exactly matches your authority and your factoring notice of assignment. A mismatch delays payment.
- Keep every rate confirmation. File them against the invoice. This is the single cheapest thing you can do to protect yourself.
Answers
Frequently asked questions
Is a rate confirmation legally binding?
It is generally treated as the contract for that specific load between the broker and the carrier, setting out the rate and the terms. Once signed, it governs what you're owed and what's expected. Specific enforceability depends on the language and the jurisdiction, so if you have a serious dispute, that's a question for a transportation attorney rather than a dispatcher.
What should I do if the rate con doesn't match what we agreed?
Don't sign it. Go back to the broker, get it corrected and re-issued. Once you sign, the document is what counts and a phone conversation is very hard to prove. This is one of the most common ways carriers lose money and it's entirely preventable.
How long do I need to keep rate confirmations?
Keep them at least as long as the payment cycle and any dispute window, and in practice much longer — storage costs nothing and they're the first thing anyone asks for in a dispute or an audit. We file every rate confirmation against its invoice for our clients.
Rather have someone else handle this?
This is what we do every day for carriers. Dispatch from 6% of gross or $300 a week, no contracts, first week free.