A freight invoice bills against the bill of lading (BOL) and rate confirmation: the line-haul rate (per mile or flat), the fuel surcharge as a separate line, and accessorial charges — detention (typically $50–$100/hour after 2 free hours), layover ($150–$350/day), lumper fees passed through with receipts, and liftgate or inside-delivery fees. Carriers invoice brokers or shippers on Net 30 with the signed POD attached; without the proof of delivery, the invoice doesn't start the payment clock.
Freight Invoice Template
Reviewed by the Agiled editorial teamUpdated June 2026
A freight invoice is only as collectable as the paperwork stapled to it: the rate confirmation that fixed the price, the BOL that defined the load, and the signed POD that proves it arrived. The billing itself is line-haul plus fuel surcharge plus accessorials — each a separate line, each traceable to the rate con or a documented event. This template is built around that paper chain, with detention, layover, and lumper lines ready. Download it in PDF, Word, Excel, Google Docs, or Google Sheets, or generate a pre-filled version below.
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Your Company Name
123 Business St, City, State 12345
billing@yourcompany.com
INVOICE
INV-0001
Bill to
Client Company
Due
Net 30
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freight shipping (full truckload) | 1 | $3,500.00 | $3,500.00 |
| Loading and unloading | 2 | $200.00 | $400.00 |
| Insurance fee | 1 | $150.00 | $150.00 |
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Style
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Create online- Payment terms
- Net 30 from brokers/shippers; factoring advances 95–98% same-day
- Detention
- $50 – $100/hour after 2 free hours, documented in/out times
- POD rule
- No signed proof of delivery, no payment clock
- Fuel surcharge
- Separate line, per the rate confirmation's index
What to include on a freight invoice
Load and reference numbers
Your invoice number plus the broker's load number, BOL number, and PO where applicable. Freight AP matches on their references, not yours — a missing load number is a week of limbo.
Origin, destination, and dates
Pickup and delivery locations with appointment dates/times. One line of route context that makes the invoice self-verifying against the rate con.
Line-haul rate as agreed
Flat rate or miles × per-mile rate, exactly matching the rate confirmation. Any variance from the rate con — even a fair one — must reference a documented amendment.
Fuel surcharge, separate
Per the agreed index/schedule. Folding fuel into line-haul breaks the shipper's audit and looks like repricing.
Accessorials with evidence
Detention with in/out times, layover with dates, lumper fees with receipts attached, liftgate/inside delivery per the rate con's schedule. Undocumented accessorials are donations.
Signed POD attached
The delivery receipt with the consignee's signature — the document that converts your invoice from a claim into a payable. Submit it with the invoice, not after the first rejection.
Remit-to and factoring notice
If the receivable is factored, the notice of assignment and the factor's remit-to address must be on the invoice — payments sent to the wrong party are everyone's worst month.
Typical freight charges (U.S., 2026)
| Charge | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dry van line-haul (spot) | $1.60 – $2.60 per mile | Lane and season dependent |
| Reefer line-haul (spot) | $2.00 – $3.20 per mile | |
| Flatbed line-haul (spot) | $2.20 – $3.50 per mile | |
| Detention (after 2 free hours) | $50 – $100 per hour | Documented in/out times |
| Layover | $150 – $350 per day | |
| Truck order not used (TONU) | $150 – $300 | |
| Liftgate / inside delivery | $50 – $150 | Per rate con schedule |
| Lumper fee | Pass-through + receipt | Reimbursed at cost |
Spot rates move weekly with the freight market; contract lanes follow their agreements. Accessorial rates are whatever the rate confirmation says — negotiate them before pickup, not after.
How freight billing actually works
Broker freight: invoice + POD + rate con, then chase day 25
The standard cycle: deliver, assemble the packet (invoice, signed POD, rate confirmation, lumper receipts), submit through the broker's portal or AP email the same day, and expect Net 30. Brokers reject packets for mismatched references and missing PODs far more often than for rate disputes — packet discipline is payment speed. Check broker credit before hauling; a perfect invoice to an insolvent broker is still zero.
Factoring: same-day cash against the invoice
Carriers running on factoring submit the same packet to the factor, which advances 95–98% of the invoice same-day and collects from the broker (recourse vs non-recourse determines who eats a deadbeat). The invoice must carry the factor's notice of assignment and remit-to — and once a broker is notified, every load with them pays the factor until released.
Detention and accessorials: bill the events you documented
Detention pays only when arrival and departure times are recorded (ELD screenshots, signed in/out on the BOL, geofence stamps) and the broker was notified as the clock ran. Same for layovers and TONU. The pattern: document in real time, notify in real time, invoice the accessorial as its own line with the evidence attached. Day-later detention claims are courtesy refusals waiting to happen.
Invoicing mistakes that cost freight professionals money
Invoicing without the POD
The unsigned-POD invoice doesn't enter the payment queue — it sits in 'pending paperwork' while your Net 30 never starts. Scan the POD at the dock and submit the full packet the day you deliver.
References that don't match the rate con
Wrong load number, missing BOL reference, or a line-haul that differs from the confirmed rate by $50 throws the invoice to manual review. Mirror the rate confirmation exactly; amendments get their own paper.
Eating detention to stay friendly
Four undocumented dock hours per week is thousands a year donated to shippers with slow forklifts. Run the clock, notify the broker at the free-time boundary, and bill it — professionally and every time. Carriers that bill documented detention get loaded faster, not dropped.
Hauling for unchecked credit
The most expensive invoice is the perfect one sent to a broker who won't pay. Check credit scores and days-to-pay before accepting the load, and factor or require quick-pay from anyone marginal.
How to use this template
- 01
Download the template in your preferred format, or generate a pre-filled version with the download studio above.
- 02
Add your carrier details (MC/DOT numbers) and the broker or shipper's billing details.
- 03
Enter the load, BOL, and PO references with origin, destination, and dates.
- 04
Bill the line-haul per the rate confirmation and the fuel surcharge as its own line.
- 05
Add documented accessorials — detention with times, layover, lumper with receipts.
- 06
Attach the signed POD and rate con, set Net 30, and submit the same day you deliver.
Skip this template if…
- Parcel and courier work — per-package local delivery bills differently; see the trucking template for route-based work.
- Freight brokerage itself — brokers invoice shippers and pay carriers; their paperwork runs the other direction.
FAQs
What should a freight invoice include?
Your carrier identity with MC/DOT numbers, the broker's load number and BOL/PO references, origin and destination with dates, the line-haul rate matching the rate confirmation, the fuel surcharge as a separate line, documented accessorial charges, the remit-to address (or factor's), and the signed POD attached.
When do freight invoices get paid?
Net 30 from delivery-with-complete-paperwork is standard for brokers and shippers. Quick-pay programs advance in 1–7 days for a 1–5% fee, and factoring pays 95–98% same-day. The clock starts only when the packet — invoice, POD, rate con — is complete and matching.
How does detention billing work?
Most rate confirmations allow two free hours at pickup or delivery; after that, detention bills at $50–$100 per hour. It pays only with documented in/out times (ELD data, signed BOL timestamps) and broker notification while the clock runs — then it goes on the invoice as its own line with evidence attached.
What is a lumper fee on a freight invoice?
A charge by third-party loading/unloading crews at warehouses, mostly in food and grocery. The driver pays (often via broker-issued codes like EFS checks), keeps the receipt, and the fee passes through on the invoice at cost with the receipt attached — it's reimbursement, not revenue.
Why does the POD matter so much?
The signed proof of delivery is the legal evidence the freight arrived as shipped — without it, the broker has no basis to release payment and your invoice sits outside the queue. Scan it at the dock; submit it with the invoice the same day. Lost PODs are the leading self-inflicted payment delay in trucking.
Should a small carrier use factoring?
If cash flow can't carry 30–45 day receivables across fuel and payroll, yes — 95–98% advanced same-day for a 1.5–4% fee beats missed payments. Compare recourse terms, check for hidden minimums, and remember the notice of assignment must appear on every invoice once you start.
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