Accessorials are the line items that expand a base freight quote into a final invoice. For experienced shippers, managing accessorials is as important as negotiating base rates — on some lanes and freight types, accessorials can represent a significant share of total freight spend.
Common accessorials in truckload and LTL shipping include: fuel surcharge (universal, tied to a diesel index), detention (waiting time at origin or destination beyond the free time), liftgate (for facilities without a dock), residential delivery, inside delivery, notification or appointment scheduling, reconsignment (changing destination after freight is in transit), redelivery (a second delivery attempt), and hazmat handling.
Each accessorial has specific trigger conditions, charge increments, and free-time allowances that vary by carrier. Detention, for example, typically starts after two free hours at pickup and two free hours at delivery, then accrues at an hourly rate. Carriers publish accessorial schedules, but rates are often subject to negotiation in contract freight agreements.
Accessorial charges are a point of friction between shippers and carriers for a predictable reason: they represent costs that the shipper's operations impose on the carrier but that weren't visible at the time the base rate was agreed. A carrier who sits two hours waiting for a dock appointment, then waits an additional three hours for loading to complete, is being asked to absorb four costs beyond the basic freight move.
Reducing accessorial exposure requires operational discipline: reducing dwell time at pickup and delivery, ensuring facilities have the right equipment (dock-height loading docks, forklifts, adequate staging space), and providing accurate freight information at the time of booking so that no surprises arise at pickup.