Guide
Accessorial recovery calendar
Most accessorials are lost to timing, not to a broker saying no. The proof is gone, the invoice went out without the line, or nobody followed up. A fixed routine fixes the timing. This one fits a small office with one person doing the billing.
In short
- Day 0 is the dock: record times, receipts and approvals. Day 1 is the invoice with every accessorial as its own line.
- Follow up once at a fixed date, in writing, then log the result.
- Check the whole open list once a week and review outcomes once a month.
- Your rate con sets any deadline for billing extras. Read it, because it overrides this calendar.
One week, one month
The top row is the weekly rhythm. The bottom strip is the life of one claim. The day numbers are an example schedule, so change them to fit your terms.
The full method for each charge is in accessorial recovery. This page only sets the dates.
The calendar, as a table
| When | Who | Task | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 0, at the dock | Driver | Message times, photograph BOL and receipts, ask for approval in writing | Evidence in the office the same day |
| Day 0, evening | Dispatch or office | Check each photo for readability, file by load number | Complete packet, or a gap found while the driver remembers |
| Day 1 | Billing | Invoice with each accessorial as its own line and proof attached | Invoice sent |
| Day 7 [example] | Billing | Check the invoice was received and no line was questioned | Status in the log |
| Day 14 [example] | Billing | One written follow up on any unpaid line | Reply saved, next date set |
| Day 30 [example] | Owner | Review open items, decide to keep chasing, escalate or stop | Decision per line |
| Month end | Owner | Total claimed, paid, denied. List reasons and brokers | One-page review |
How to run it
Put the rate con deadlines first
Some terms limit how long after delivery an extra can be billed, or require notice. Read these on each rate con and set your day numbers inside them.
Keep one open list
A shared sheet with load, broker label, charge, amount, billed date, next date and status. Nothing else is needed.
Bill on the day you invoice
A supplemental invoice is a second chance, not the plan.
Follow up once, in writing
Use a date, not a feeling. Ask what is missing.
Close every line
Paid, partly paid, denied with reason, or written off on purpose.
Worked example EXAMPLE VALUES
All numbers are invented. One week of 6 loads for a small fleet, accessorials billed under Broker A and Broker B terms.
- Detention billed: $150 + $225 = $375
- Lumper billed: $120 + $95 = $215
- TONU billed: $200
- Total billed: $375 + $215 + $200 = $790
By the day 30 review, $560 was paid, the $200 TONU was denied for a missing cancellation message, and $30 was paid short on a lumper. Check: $790 - $200 denied - $30 short = $560. The review turned the denial into one new rule: save the cancellation message the same day.
Follow-up message for day 14
Keep it factual. State the dates and what is attached. Do not add pressure or accuse anyone of ignoring you.
Weekly checklist
- Every delivered load has a readable POD in the file.
- Every accessorial is on an invoice line.
- Every unpaid line has a next date.
- Denials are logged with the reason.
- Anything past your review day has a decision.
Time the delay with the invoice aging tool and size a detention claim with the detention calculator.
Where calendars break
- The evidence arrives on day 9. The driver forgot, and nobody asked on day 0. Fix: the evening photo check.
- Extras go on a separate invoice later. They get lost between the two. Fix: one invoice, separate lines.
- The follow up depends on memory. Fix: write the next date on the open list the moment you send the invoice.
- Denials are not logged. The same reason repeats for months. Fix: one line in the log, with the reason in the broker's words.
- The review gets skipped. Put it on a repeating calendar entry with the owner's name on it.
Questions
How soon should I bill an accessorial?
With the linehaul invoice, on day 1 if you can. Your rate con may set a deadline for extras, so check it first and keep your schedule inside that window.
How many times should I follow up?
Once in writing at your set date, then a second only if the first got a reply promising action. After that, escalate on the date you set, or decide to stop.
Is a small accessorial worth chasing?
If the evidence is complete and the cost is one message, yes. If it needs hours of effort, decide in advance what size is worth chasing and write that number down.
Who should own this routine?
One named person for billing, with the owner reviewing monthly. Shared ownership usually means nobody sends the follow up.
Related: accessorial recovery, detention evidence, detention pay, TONU, lumper fees, POD and BOL errors, detention vs layover vs TONU vs lumper.
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