Accessorial charges

Accessorial charges are the fees a carrier bills in addition to the linehaul rate when a load needs more than a straight move from pickup to delivery. The GSA's rule for federal agency shipments (41 CFR 102-117.10) describes them as charges applied to the base tariff rate or base contract rate. Detention, redelivery, reconsignment, and inside delivery are typical examples. On truckload freight the most common ones are detention and layovers, extra stops, driver assist or lumper fees, tarping, and truck ordered not used.

Loads that cross the Mexico or Canada border add their own list: time in the yard, a transfer across the bridge, customs holds, and per-day trailer charges such as estadías. Each side of the border also has its own conventions for free time, so the same delay can be billable on one leg and routine on the other.

What this means when you move freight

Accessorials are where a load's margin often leaks, because they show up after the rate was agreed. Put them in writing before the truck moves: list each expected accessorial with its trigger and amount on the rate confirmation, spell out free time at pickup, delivery, and the border, and agree on the evidence that supports a claim (arrival and departure times, photos, signed paperwork). In an RFP or a mini-bid, price the linehaul and the accessorial schedule together; a low linehaul paired with an open-ended accessorial list rarely ends up cheap. For detention on Mexico freight specifically, see demoras. To compare the linehaul part of a quote against current carrier bids on Mexico lanes, see Market Rates.