Per mile or per load: choosing how to bill
Carriers usually price a load in one of two ways. A per mile rate multiplies the agreed rate by loaded miles, which suits long and predictable lanes. A flat per load rate covers the whole move for one figure, which suits short hauls and dedicated runs.
- Per mile: “438 loaded miles at $2.35” shows the math on one line. Say whether deadhead miles are billed.
- Per load: “Linehaul, Amarillo TX to Denver CO, flat” with the figure from the rate confirmation.
- Per hundredweight or per pallet: used for less than truckload freight sharing a trailer.
What a freight bill must show under federal rules
Under 49 CFR 373.103, every for-hire, non-exempt motor carrier of property must issue a freight or expense bill for each shipment, give it to the shipper or receiver who owes the charges, and keep a copy. The regulation lists what the bill must contain, and that list maps neatly onto an invoice.
- Names of the consignor and consignee.
- Date of shipment, and the origin and destination points.
- Number of packages, a description of the freight, and its weight or volume if that affects the rate.
- The exact rates assessed.
- Total charges, including the nature and amount of any special service charges and where they were performed.
- The route, the name of each participating carrier, and any transfer points.
- The address where payment must be sent, or your principal place of business.
The rule covers for-hire, non-exempt carriers, so confirm which category your operation falls under. Section 373.101 sets out what the bill of lading itself must record.
Trucking invoice template accessorials and example rates
Accessorials are the charges on top of linehaul, and they are the lines most often short paid when they arrive without backup. Give each one its own line, with the hours, the stop or the receipt behind it. The rates below are examples only; use the figures in your own rate confirmation.
| Charge | Basis | Example rate |
|---|---|---|
| Linehaul | Per loaded mile | $2.35 per mile (example) |
| Fuel surcharge | Per mile, from a fuel table | $0.52 per mile (example) |
| Detention | Per hour after agreed free time | $75 per hour after 2 free hours (example) |
| Lumper fee | Reimbursed at cost with receipt | $185 (example) |
| Stop-off | Per extra stop | $100 (example) |
| Truck ordered not used | Flat, on a late cancellation | $250 (example) |
If your fuel surcharge follows a published index, such as the weekly U.S. on-highway diesel price from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, name the week and the price you used.
Paperwork to attach: bill of lading, rate confirmation and POD
A freight invoice gets paid fastest when the payer can match it to three documents: the bill of lading signed at pickup, the rate confirmation that set the price, and the proof of delivery signed by the receiver. Quote all three numbers and send scans with the invoice.
- BOL number, shipper reference and any seal number.
- Load or rate confirmation number from the broker.
- Signed POD, with any shortage or damage the receiver noted. Never alter it.
- Check in and check out times from your log or ELD, to support detention.
- Lumper and scale receipts.
Billing a broker, a shipper or a factor
Who you invoice depends on who hired the truck. On a brokered load, the haulage invoice goes to the broker named on the rate confirmation, not to the shipper. On a direct load, it goes to the shipper or receiver who owes the charges. If you sell invoices to a factoring company, its remit to address replaces yours.
Brokers often set their own portals and deadlines for accessorial claims, so read the rate confirmation terms first. Our guide to payment terms explains net 30 and quick pay wording.
Using the trucking sample
Open the trucking invoice sample to start from a dry van load, Amarillo to Denver, with linehaul by the mile, a fuel surcharge, three hours of detention, a lumper receipt and a stop-off. Change the lane, miles and rates, add your MC and USDOT numbers, then download a PDF.
This layout is for freight. A family’s household move is billed on the moving invoice, small parcels with waybills on the courier invoice, and short drops from a store on the delivery invoice. More designs are in our invoice template library.
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