Accessorial charges calculator: TONU, layover, detention and more

Tick the charges on a load, enter the hours or counts and the rates from your rate con. The accessorial charges calculator totals them and writes the invoice lines.

By Rafael Fox · Updated October 2026

Charges on this load EXAMPLE rates: use your rate con

Load number (optional)

DetentionPay for time a shipper or receiver holds the truck past the free time on the rate con.
Billable hours
Per hour ($)
LayoverPay when pickup or delivery slips to another day and the truck has to wait overnight.
Days
Per day ($)
TONUTruck ordered, not used: a flat amount when a load is cancelled after you were dispatched or arrived.
Lumper reimbursementMoney you paid a third-party unloading crew, billed back to the broker with the receipt.
Driver assistPay when the driver loads or unloads, or helps the dock crew, instead of waiting in the cab.
Extra stopPay for each pickup or delivery beyond the first of each, if not already in the rate.
TarpFlatbed and step deck pay for tarping a load that must be covered.
Other agreed chargeAnything else written on the rate con, such as a scale ticket, overnight parking or a reefer pre-cool.

Accessorials to invoice

$350.00

Detention2 x $50.00$100.00
Layover1 x $250.00$250.00

Add these 2 lines to your invoice. On our loads, accessorials are written into the rate con before you sign it. Put a dispatcher on my side

How it's calculated

Each charge is quantity × rate: billable hours for detention, days for layover, stops for extra stops, a flat amount for TONU, and the receipt total for a lumper. Ticked charges with an amount above zero become invoice lines, and the lines add up to the total. The rates you enter should be the ones written on your rate con. The starting values are only EXAMPLE figures so you can see how it works.

The common accessorials, defined

What each charge means
Charge	What it is	Billed as
Detention	Pay for time a shipper or receiver holds the truck past the free time on the rate con.	Per hour, per hr
Layover	Pay when pickup or delivery slips to another day and the truck has to wait overnight.	Per day, per day
TONU	Truck ordered, not used: a flat amount when a load is cancelled after you were dispatched or arrived.	Flat, per load
Lumper reimbursement	Money you paid a third-party unloading crew, billed back to the broker with the receipt.	Receipt amount
Driver assist	Pay when the driver loads or unloads, or helps the dock crew, instead of waiting in the cab.	Each, per time
Extra stop	Pay for each pickup or delivery beyond the first of each, if not already in the rate.	Per stop, per stop
Tarp	Flatbed and step deck pay for tarping a load that must be covered.	Per load, per load
Other agreed charge	Anything else written on the rate con, such as a scale ticket, overnight parking or a reefer pre-cool.	Each, per item

What does TONU mean in trucking?

TONU, short for truck ordered, not used, is what you bill when a broker cancels a load after you've committed the truck. Maybe the shipper wasn't ready, the freight was already gone, or the load was given to someone else while you were rolling. You lost the trip there and maybe a better load you turned down. The TONU meaning in trucking is simple; getting it paid depends on two things: a TONU amount on the rate con, and proof you were dispatched or on site, such as messages from the broker and your ELD location.

What is layover pay in trucking?

Layover pay covers a day the truck can't work because the load slipped: a receiver that pushes the appointment to tomorrow, or a shipper that won't be ready until morning. Layover pay in trucking is usually a flat daily amount, and it differs from detention, which pays by the hour for waiting on the same day. Some rate cons switch from detention to layover after a set number of hours; read which one applies before you bill.

A worked example

EXAMPLE: on load BA-48213, the receiver held you 3.5 hours past free time, then pushed the second delivery to the next day. You also paid a lumper. The rate con lists $50 an hour detention and $250 a day layover, and says lumpers are reimbursed with a receipt.

EXAMPLE: invoice lines for one load
Line	Amount
Detention, load BA-48213	$175.00
Layover, load BA-48213	$250.00
Lumper reimbursement, load BA-48213	$225.00
Accessorials total	$650.00

The calculator writes each line in full, with quantities and rates, so the broker can match it to the rate con at a glance. Paste the lines into your invoice and attach the proof for each: signed BOL times for detention, the broker's message moving the appointment for layover, the receipt for the lumper.

Reading the result

The total

This is the extra you'll bill on top of the linehaul. If it's large compared with the rate, it's worth checking that every line is on the rate con or confirmed in writing, because big accessorial bills get the closest look.

Lines without a written basis

If a charge you're billing isn't on the rate con, say so in a note and attach whatever you have: an email from the broker, a message approving it, the facility's paperwork. Ask before you invoice; a quick yes by message is worth more than a long dispute later.

Get accessorials on paper first

Before you confirm a load, check the rate con for detention, layover and TONU lines with amounts.
If any is missing, ask for it. Our rate confirmation checker flags the gaps.
On the road, tell the broker as soon as something changes, and get any new charge approved in writing.
Collect proof as it happens: BOL times, receipts, photos, messages.
Invoice the same day you deliver, with every accessorial line and its proof attached.

For waiting time specifically, the detention pay calculator works out billable hours from your in and out times. Many broker-carrier agreements also set default accessorial terms that apply when a rate con is silent; our guide to the broker-carrier agreement covers what to look for.

Equipment-specific charges

Some accessorials come with the trailer. Flatbed and step deck loads often carry tarp pay; see how we handle those on flatbed dispatch. Reefers may see pre-cool or fuel lines, oversize loads permit and escort reimbursements, and box trucks liftgate or inside delivery. Use the "other agreed charge" line for anything specific to your load, and keep the wording the same as the rate con.

On every load we book, accessorials are negotiated into the rate con before it reaches you, and we request them from the broker with your proof. Browse all trucking tools or apply.

Questions carriers ask

What is TONU in trucking?

TONU stands for truck ordered, not used. It's a flat amount a broker pays when a load is cancelled after you've been dispatched or have arrived at the shipper, to cover the trip you made for nothing. The amount is set on the rate con. If the rate con has no TONU line, you may have no agreed basis to bill it, so ask for one before you sign.

What is layover pay?

Layover pay covers a truck that has to wait overnight or longer because pickup or delivery moved to another day, often because the shipper or receiver wasn't ready. It's usually a flat amount per day, separate from detention, which is hourly and same-day. The rate con should say what a layover pays and when it starts. Without that line, collecting it is a negotiation after the fact.

What accessorials can I charge?

Whatever your rate con or broker-carrier agreement allows. Common ones are detention, layover, TONU, lumper reimbursement, driver assist or unloading, extra stops, and tarping for flatbed loads. Others appear for specific freight, such as reefer pre-cool or overnight parking. If a charge isn't written down, you can still ask, but the broker doesn't have to pay it.

Do accessorials need to be on the rate con?

To be paid without an argument, yes. The rate con is the agreement for that load, and brokers bill their shipper based on what was agreed. Accessorials added after delivery with no written basis are often reduced or denied. When something changes on the road, get the new charge confirmed by the broker in writing, then add it to your invoice with proof.

Carrier pays dispatcher 5% of the rate con gross on delivered loads.

No setup fee. Cancel with 30 days notice.

Accessorials agreed before the wheels turn

We ask for detention, layover and TONU in writing on every load, then request them with your proof. You confirm each load.

Put a dispatcher on my side