Understanding Freight Accessorial Charges
Accessorial charges are additional freight fees applied when a shipment requires services beyond standard pickup and delivery. These charges can significantly affect total transportation costs and are commonly triggered by delays, special handling, equipment needs, or location constraints.
For supply chain teams, factoring accessorial charges into freight budgets is essential for accurately forecasting total landed transportation costs.
What are Accessorial Charges in Freight?
In freight transportation, accessorial charges refer to services that fall outside standard dock-to-dock pickup and delivery. Carriers assess these fees when shipments require additional time, labor, equipment, permits, or special handling beyond the contracted linehaul rate.
These fees can impact any mode of transportation, including less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments, full truckload freight, and intermodal moves. Accessorial charges may be listed on an initial invoice (since some are known as soon as the shipment is tendered) or billed after the shipment is complete, depending on the services provided.
How Do Accessorial Charges Affect Freight Costs?
Accessorial charges can materially increase the total cost of a shipment beyond the contracted linehaul rate. Some fees are predictable, such as residential delivery or liftgate service. Others arise from delays, inaccurate shipment details, or unexpected site conditions.
Understanding when and why accessorial charges occur allows shippers to reduce variability, improve forecasting accuracy, and build more consistent transportation budgets, especially during periods of freight seasonality when capacity and scheduling pressures increase.
Most Common Freight Accessorial Charges
Here are some of the most common reasons an accessorial fee is added to an invoice:
| Accessorial | When It Applies | Primary Cost Driver |
|---|---|---|
| BOL Correction | Incorrect or missing bill of lading | Administrative processing |
| Detention | Loading or unloading delays | Time |
| Demurrage | Freight held at terminal beyond free time | Time |
| Driver Load/Unload | Driver assists with freight handling | Labor |
| Fuel Surcharge | Fuel price fluctuations | Fuel cost |
| Hazardous Materials | Shipment requires regulated handling | Compliance & risk |
| Inside Delivery | Delivery beyond dock or front door | Labor & time |
| Layover | Pickup or delivery delayed to next day | Driver time |
| Liftgate | No loading dock available | Equipment |
| Limited Access | Restricted or complex delivery site | Time & access constraints |
| Lumper | Third-party unloading labor | Labor |
| Out-of-Route Miles | Additional miles beyond contract | Distance |
| Oversized/Overweight | Freight exceeds standard dimensions | Permits & equipment |
| Per Diem | Equipment not returned on time | Equipment use |
| Redelivery | Shipment must be delivered again | Additional transport |
| Residential Delivery | Delivery to home or neighborhood | Location |
| Scale | Load must be weighed | Compliance verification |
| Sort/Seg | Freight reconfigured or separated | Labor |
| Storage | Carrier stores freight temporarily | Time & space |
| Truck Order Not Used (TONU) | Truck cancelled after dispatch | Capacity reservation |
Special Cases Resulting in Accessorial Charges
While many accessorial charges are known at booking, others arise unexpectedly during transit or delivery. Most fall into one of three categories:
- Additional distance and time. Any significant delay to the shipping process may result in additional fees. These are often the unforeseeable charges associated with sudden weather events, road closures or accidents.
- Specialty freight. Some shipments require special handling or equipment to load/unload (such as a liftgate).
- Special permits or escorts. This includes oversized loads or shipment weights requiring a permit and an escort vehicle.
Who Pays for Accessorials?
The party responsible for the base freight charges is typically responsible for any applicable accessorial fees. Known accessorials are included at booking, while unexpected services are added after delivery.
Which Shipments Are Most Likely to Draw Accessorial Fees?
A business will generally be able to anticipate whether or not its shipments will require accessorial fees. Shipments that frequently, if not always, require accessorials include:
- Hazardous materials
- Oversized, overlength, or overweight shipments
- Delivery at an exhibition or area with excessive wait times
- Blind shipments
- After-hours or before-hours deliveries
- Deliveries to major metro or residential areas
How to Keep Accessorials in Check
While some accessorials are unavoidable, there are a few common measures shippers can take to limit these added charges:
- Standardize and automate shipment processes where possible. Accurate product picking and safe packing (with the aid of good transportation management systems and warehouse management systems) can dramatically reduce additional fees.
- Double-check the shipment’s size and weight. If there are errors in the booking process (like incorrect dimensions or bill of lading errors), you’ll likely see an accessorial fee on your invoice.
- Prioritize shipping visibility. End-to-end shipment visibility helps identify problems before they happen. Anticipate the equipment your shipment will need for loading and unloading, coordinate shipment delivery and unload timing with its destination and limit any extra time or fuel spent on each trip.
Managing Accessorial Risk in Transportation Planning
Partnering with an experienced third-party logistics provider can help identify common accessorial triggers and improve shipment planning accuracy. Structured coordination, accurate shipment data, and proactive communication reduce unexpected charges and support more predictable freight spend.
Contact our team to review your shipment patterns and identify opportunities to reduce accessorial variability.
Improve Cost Predictability in Freight Planning
Transportation costs often extend beyond the base linehaul rate. Structured coordination, accurate shipment data, and proactive scheduling can reduce unexpected accessorial exposure and improve budget reliability.