“Accessorials” is a fancy term in the logistics industry for add-on charges beyond the line haul rate for picking up and delivering freight. Sometimes they can feel like those hidden airline baggage or seat selection fees, especially if your logistics partner doesn’t do a good job disclosing them up front.
However, they’re necessary fees that make sure truck drivers are paid fairly for their work, and understanding accessorials will keep you from being blindsided when an invoice arrives with a higher total than you might have been expecting.
Accessorials 101
Sometimes things happen during transportation that require the driver to spend more time, fuel, or labor than they would at a typical dock-to-dock job: waiting hours for a dock to open, needing special clearance for delivery to a secure facility, or rerouting because of a wrong address. In each of these scenarios, an accessorial may be charged to compensate the driver.
Certain modes and commodities come with their own accessorials, but there are several that are commonly applied across the trucking industry:
| Accessorial | When it’s charged |
|---|---|
| Detention | A driver waits beyond the industry standard of 2hrs free time, billed by the hour. |
| Stop-off charges | There’s more than one stop on a truckload run, planned or unplanned. |
| Out-of-route miles | The driver has to travel more miles than the initial dispatch states due to something like an incorrect address. |
| TONU | Stands for Truck Order Not Used, when the shipper cancels a truck within 24 hours of the scheduled pickup. |
| Limited access | A driver needs special permission or equipment to access a delivery or pickup site. |
Specialized modes, like intermodal and LTL, have their own specific accessorials in place to ensure the right equipment and handling procedures are used. LTL carriers have an extensive list of possible accessorial charges for niche services like moving hazardous materials, lift gates for locations without a dock, or appointment deliveries that impact the driver’s tight schedule for the day.
Accessorial charges aren’t going anywhere, so being aware and prepared can minimize any billing confusion or approval issues that might arise.
How to Stay Ahead of Accessorials
Justin Brown, Customer Success Manager at Shaker Logistics, offers strategies to stay on top of accessorials:
- Know when negotiation is an option: “Most accessorials are fixed prices, but there can be room for a negotiation if your 3PL has strong carrier relationships. Our carriers know we value them, so they’re often willing to work with us on a rate that’s both fair to them and reasonable for the shipper.”
Detentions and layovers are common negotiable accessorials. Billed by the hour, long detention periods can cost shippers up to thousands of dollars. If a driver has to wait overnight or for several days, Shaker can arrange for a layover accessorial instead – a flat rate for the whole wait period, which saves the shipper hundreds of dollars while still compensating the driver for their time.
- Plan for predictable charges: For accessorials with more concrete applications, shippers can plan with their 3PL to avoid surprise costs. For example, if a manufacturer knows they ship to a facility that has a security gate, they can build the cost of a limited access accessorial into their transportation budget.
- Set up a pre-approved accessorial schedule: Frequent shippers can set up a pre-approved accessorial schedule, or list of predictable charges for certain items, to streamline the billing process. Many of Shaker’s customers have their own accessorial schedule that they review with us annually. This makes charge approvals easier for their accounting departments and helps them plan transportation budgets accordingly.
- Choose a logistics partner you trust: “There are businesses out there who charge whatever they want for accessorials, so it’s important to make sure your logistics partner is reputable and fair. Shaker keeps logs of our customers’ accessorial histories, so we stay consistent with our charges, and we’re honest and up-front about what each accessorial amount is and why.”
Accessorials don’t have to be a stressful part of shipping. By planning with a logistics partner, shippers can protect their margins and keep their deliveries on schedule. Don’t let accessorials overwhelm you. Reach out to Shaker Logistics today for a reputable and knowledgeable partner in transportation.