What a rate confirmation should include (checklist)

What a rate confirmation is (and isn't)

A rate confirmation, or rate con, is the document a broker sends after you agree on a load. It confirms who is moving what, from where to where, when, on what equipment, and for how much. Once you sign it and send it back, it is the written record of that load's deal.

It sits on top of your broker-carrier agreement. That agreement is the master contract you signed when you set up with the broker. It usually covers liability, insurance, payment process, claims, and rules like no double brokering. The rate con covers one load.

The two documents need to agree with each other. If the rate con says something the agreement doesn't, or contradicts it, ask the broker which one controls before you sign. Many agreements say which document wins in a conflict. Know what yours says.

In expedite, this happens fast. A sprinter load can go from phone call to pickup very quickly. That is exactly why a short, repeatable checklist matters. Speed is when mistakes and fraud slip through.

The field-by-field checklist

Go through these fields in order on every rate con. If a field is missing, ask for it before you dispatch.

Accessorials deserve a second read

This is where most money disputes start. For each accessorial, look for three things: when it starts, how much it pays, and what proof is needed.

• Detention: free time, hourly rate, any cap, and whether the broker must be notified while it's happening.
• Layover: what counts as a layover and the daily amount.
• TONU (truck ordered, not used): the amount if the load cancels after you've dispatched or arrived.
• Extra stops and after-hours: per-stop amount and what hours count as after-hours.

Payment terms

Payment terms vary widely. Net-30 is a common example, but some brokers pay faster and some slower. Quick pay usually means faster payment for a fee. If you factor, your factoring company has likely sent the broker a notice of assignment (NOA). Check that the rate con, or the broker's file, shows where payment goes. Paying the wrong party is a slow, painful mess to fix.

A sample rate con, annotated

Sample data. The broker, reference number, and details below are made up to show how to read a rate con.

• Broker: Northline Logistics. Check: legal name, MC, and USDOT match FMCSA records and your setup packet.
• Reference: NL-77182. Check: put it on your invoice and in every message about the load.
• Pickup: Atlanta, GA 30318, 10/17, 2:00–3:00 PM EDT. Check: full street address and dock info. A window means arrive inside it, not after it.
• Delivery: Orlando, FL 32809, appointment 9:48 PM EDT. Check: both stops are Eastern time, so no zone math. But that is an evening appointment. Confirm the receiver is open and whether after-hours pay applies. Also confirm the run is legal and realistic for your driver after a 3:00 PM pickup.
• Freight: 3 skids · 1,100 lb · liftgate. Check: skid dimensions and whether they're stackable. Confirm the skids fit through your doors with room to secure them.
• Equipment: cargo van. Check: this is a mismatch worth a call. Many cargo vans don't have a liftgate. Ask whether the liftgate is needed at pickup, delivery, or both, and whether a dock or forklift will be available. If a liftgate is truly required, this may be a straight-truck load.
• Rate: $1,380 all-in. Check: "all-in" usually means fuel and standard handling are included. Ask whether detention, layover, and TONU are paid on top, and get the terms written on the rate con.
• Missing from this sample: contacts, payment terms, tracking requirements, and signature block. On a real rate con, ask for anything missing before you sign.

Red flags and how to verify a broker

Fraudulent loads usually look normal at first glance. Watch for these:

• Mismatched identity. The company name, MC, or USDOT on the rate con doesn't match the FMCSA record or the name in your agreement.
• Contact info that doesn't match FMCSA records. A free email address, a phone number that isn't on file, or an email domain that is one letter off from the real broker's.
• Pressure to skip checks. "Just sign it, we'll fix it later." "No time to call, the truck needs to roll."
• Changes after acceptance. New pickup address, new consignee, or a request to deliver somewhere other than the rate con says.
• Vague accessorial terms. "Detention per policy" with no policy attached, or "TONU at broker's discretion."
• Odd payment requests. Asking you to pay someone, change remit-to details, or bypass your factoring company.

How to verify

1. Look up the broker on FMCSA's SAFER Company Snapshot. You can search by USDOT number, MC number, or company name.
2. Check operating authority, insurance, and process agent filings in FMCSA's Licensing and Insurance system. Make sure broker authority is active, not just carrier authority.
3. Call the broker using the phone number from FMCSA records or your onboarding file. Confirm the load number and the person who booked it.
4. Compare the rate con's email domain and phone against your past loads with that broker.
5. If anything doesn't line up, stop. Don't send a truck to "figure it out later."

When the rate con doesn't match the phone call

It happens. For example (made-up numbers): you agreed to $1,500 and the rate con says $1,350. The broker said detention was paid after two hours, and the rate con says nothing. The pickup time moved.

Here is what to do:

1. Don't sign and don't dispatch. Once the truck is rolling, your leverage is gone.
2. Reply in writing. List each difference: "Agreed $1,500 all-in on the call at 10:42 AM. Rate con shows $1,350. Please send a revised rate con."
3. Get a revised rate con, not a promise. "We'll adjust it on the invoice" is not a document.
4. If you must roll right away, get the correction in an email from the broker's verified address before pickup, and save it with the load.
5. If they won't fix it, decide on the written terms. Turning the load down is a valid choice.

The same goes for changes after you've signed. A new stop, a new appointment, or added work means a revised rate con. Ask for one every time.

Faster checks without skipping steps

Typing a rate con into your dispatch system by hand is where typos happen. A transposed ZIP code or a wrong appointment time can cost you the load.

BaltriX reads a rate confirmation from a PDF, photo, or screenshot and shows every extracted field for your review before a load is created. Nothing dispatches until you confirm. The goal is to make the checklist above faster, not to skip it.

Keeping records

Keep one file per load. At minimum, it should hold:

• The signed rate con and any revised versions.
• Emails and texts with the broker, including the original load offer.
• The BOL and the signed POD.
• Arrival and departure times, photos, and any detention or layover proof.
• Your invoice and the payment record.

Brokers have record-keeping duties too. Under 49 CFR 371.3, a broker must keep a record of each transaction, including the compensation it received and the freight charges collected. Brokers must keep these records for three years. The rule also says each party to a brokered transaction has the right to review the record of that transaction. If a payment dispute ever comes down to what the broker billed versus what you were paid, that right is worth knowing about.

How long you keep your own records is a decision for you and your accountant or attorney. Losing the rate con is never the right answer.

This article is general information from day-to-day expedite operations, not legal advice. Contract terms and regulations change and vary by situation. Talk to a qualified attorney about your broker-carrier agreements and specific disputes.