Free · No login required # Free Rate Confirmation Generator Build a broker-carrier rate confirmation (rate con) for one load: both parties with MC and USDOT numbers, pickup and delivery stops, equipment, linehaul, fuel surcharge and accessorials such as detention, layover, TONU and lumper. Download it as a PDF. Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is uploaded or stored: the PDF is created on your device. A template to put your agreed terms on paper, not legal advice. Check it against your broker-carrier agreement. ## Load Load numberDate ## Broker / shipper Company nameStreet address CityStateZIP code ContactPhone Email MC numberUSDOT number ## Carrier Company nameStreet address CityStateZIP code ContactPhone Email MC numberUSDOT numberDriver nameDriver phoneTruck #Trailer # ## Equipment and freight EquipmentTemperature (reefer)CommodityWeight (lb)Pieces / palletsLoaded miles ## Stops Stop 1: Pickup Company nameStreet address CityStateZIP code DateTime fromTime to AppointmentPickup / PO / reference #Stop notes Stop 2: Delivery Company nameStreet address CityStateZIP code DateTime fromTime to AppointmentPickup / PO / reference #Stop notes ## Rate Linehaul (USD)Fuel surcharge (USD) Accessorials | Type | Description | Amount (USD) | Remove accessorial | | ---- | ----------- | ------------ | ------------------ | Total carrier pay$0.00 ## Payment terms and instructions Payment termsSpecial instructions ## What is a rate confirmation? A rate confirmation, or “rate con”, is the load-specific agreement a freight broker (or a shipper) sends a carrier: the pay for one load, its pickup and delivery details, accessorials and payment terms. It usually sits under a broker-carrier agreement and becomes binding once the carrier signs it. There is no federal form, so the parties decide the content. ## What to put on a rate confirmation A clear rate con leaves nothing to interpret at the dock or when the invoice arrives. The checklist this generator follows: * Broker and carrier legal names, MC numbers (operating authority) and USDOT numbers * Load number and date * Every pickup and delivery: facility, address, date, time or appointment window, and reference numbers * Equipment (for example a 53’ dry van, or a reefer with its set temperature), commodity, weight and piece count * Linehaul, fuel surcharge, each accessorial and the total carrier pay * Payment terms and the paperwork the carrier sends to get paid, such as the invoice and signed BOL or POD * Signatures of both parties ## Common accessorials on a rate con Accessorials are charges on top of the linehaul for extra services or waiting. For truckload they are negotiated per load, so write the rate and the conditions on the rate con: * Detention: pay when the truck is held at the shipper or receiver beyond the agreed free time. Two hours free, then an hourly rate, is the common norm; there is no federal detention-pay rule. * Layover: a charge when the driver can’t load or unload on the scheduled day and has to wait overnight or longer. * TONU (truck ordered not used): a fee when a load is canceled after the carrier has committed or dispatched the truck. * Lumper: the cost of third-party labor to load or unload. Federal law (49 U.S.C. 14103) makes the shipper or receiver provide the help or pay for it; the carrier often pays at the dock and bills it back with the receipt. * Extra stops, and a fuel surcharge shown as its own line however the parties calculate it. ## Rate confirmation FAQ ### Is a rate confirmation legally binding? Once both parties sign it, a rate confirmation is generally treated as the binding agreement for that load, usually under a broker-carrier agreement that covers the general terms. It is a contract between the parties, not a government form, so read it with the master agreement and get legal advice for disputes. ### What is the difference between a rate confirmation and a bill of lading? The rate confirmation is between the broker and the carrier: what the carrier gets paid to move the load and on what terms. The bill of lading is the shipping document for the freight itself, signed at pickup as the carrier’s receipt and carried with the load. Carriers typically need both, plus the signed proof of delivery, to invoice. ### Why are MC and USDOT numbers on a rate con? They identify both companies with FMCSA. The USDOT number identifies a regulated carrier; the MC number is the operating-authority docket number that for-hire carriers of regulated freight and property brokers need for interstate work. Putting both on the rate con ties the load to the authority you checked before booking. ### How is detention usually written on a rate con? As free time plus an hourly rate, for example two hours free at each stop and then a set amount per hour, sometimes with a cap and the rule for how arrival and departure times are proven. No federal rule sets detention pay, so what the rate con says is what applies. ### What is TONU and when is it paid? TONU stands for “truck ordered not used”: a fee paid to the carrier when a booked load is canceled after the truck was committed or dispatched. The amount is negotiated, so add it to the rate con as an accessorial with the conditions under which it is owed. ### Who sends the rate confirmation? The party that books the truck: normally the freight broker, or a shipper that tenders directly to a carrier. The carrier reviews it, signs it and sends it back before pickup; a signed copy usually goes with the invoice. [Need the bill of lading too? Use the free bill of lading generator](/en-us/tools/bill-of-lading-generator) ### Rate cons without the retyping Transportial’s TMS creates rate confirmations and bills of lading from the order you already entered and keeps them with the load. [Try Transportial free](https://portal.otms.transportial.com/auth/register) [← Back to all free tools](/en-us/tools) --- Canonical page: https://transportial.com/en-us/tools/rate-confirmation-generator