Guide
Weekly load review: 30 minutes that find the money
Missing money is cheapest to chase the week it goes missing. After a quarter it is a research project.
In short
- Once a week, list every load that paid or should have paid.
- Compare four things per load: billed, paid, gap and rate per mile.
- Every gap gets a reason and an owner. No reason means follow up.
- The routine is our suggestion. Adjust the fields to your business.
The habit that costs half an hour
A weekly review is small on purpose. It does not rebuild your books. It asks one question about each load: did the money match the work? When it does, move on. When it does not, you have a name, a date and a number to chase.
The figure shows the view you want: a billed bar against a paid bar, with the gap shaded. Run it on a fixed day, with the same list. For the numbers per load, the load profit tool shows profit after fuel and driver pay, and the true RPM guide explains rate per mile with empties counted.
The review also feeds your other numbers. The gaps you log become the evidence for a broker conversation, the rate per mile becomes the input for your floor, and the days from invoice to deposit become the input for your cash plan. One habit, three uses.
The 30 minute routine
List the week's loads
Delivered loads and loads paid this week. One line each.
Fill billed and paid
Invoice total and the amount that arrived, per load.
Compute the gap
Billed minus paid. Zero is fine. Anything else needs a reason.
Add rate per mile
Paid divided by all miles, empties included. It shows which lanes carry the week.
Assign follow ups
Name an owner and a date for every gap. Put it in the log.
What the weekly sheet holds
| Column | Source | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Load number | Dispatch | One line per load |
| Billed | Invoice | What you asked for |
| Paid | Bank or remittance | What arrived |
| Gap | Billed minus paid | What to chase |
| All miles | Trip record | Basis for rate per mile |
| Reason | Remittance or call notes | Closes the loop |
Worked example EXAMPLE VALUES
Example data. Four loads in one week. Rate per mile uses paid dollars over all miles.
| Load | Billed | Paid | Gap | Paid per mile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4401 | $2,400 | $2,400 | $0 | 3.75 |
| 4402 | $1,900 | $1,750 | $150 | 3.43 |
| 4403 | $2,700 | $2,700 | $0 | 3.75 |
| 4404 | $1,500 | $1,320 | $180 | 3.47 |
Billed $8,500, paid $8,170, gap $330. Two loads carry the gap: 4402 is $150 short and 4404 is $180 short. Loads 4401 and 4403 need no action. If the gaps repeat at the same broker, that is a pattern worth a call, and the days to pay tool will show it by broker.
What breaks the habit
- Too many columns. Four or five fields are enough. Add more only when you use them.
- No owner. Name one person. Others help, one person finishes.
- Skipping good weeks. A clean week still goes in the sheet. It shows your baseline.
- Gaps with no next step. Every gap leaves the meeting with a date and a name.
Copy and fill in
Keep it factual and short. Save the reply with the load file.
Do it on the same day every week
A routine tied to a day survives busy weeks. Put it in the calendar for the person who owns billing, and keep the sheet in one shared place. After a month you will see which brokers and which lanes show up in the gap column again and again. That list is where your next phone call goes, and it costs nothing but the half hour.
We do not give legal, tax or financial advice. Your contracts come first.
Questions
Do I need software for this?
No. A spreadsheet works. The free audit can run the same check on your last 20 loads.
How long should the review take?
About 30 minutes for a small fleet. If it takes longer, the data is scattered. Fix that first.
What counts as a gap worth chasing?
Any gap with no reason. Small gaps that repeat are worth more attention than one large one-off.
Who should do it?
The person who bills, with dispatch on call for load facts.
Related: true RPM, short pay and chargebacks, accessorial recovery calendar, invoice aging, 5 to 15 truck fleets, all guides.
See what your last 20 loads show.
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