Guide
Rate con versus invoice: the five-minute check
The rate confirmation is the contract for the load. The invoice is what you asked to be paid. When they disagree, the broker usually pays what the invoice says, even if the invoice is too low, and may not mention it.
Looking for why mismatches happen and what to do with rate con revisions? See the rate con and invoice mismatch guide.
Why the total can look fine
Linehaul is the big line and the one everybody checks. The money that goes missing sits in the small lines under it: fuel surcharge, detention, lumper, extra stops.
Put the signed rate con on the left and your invoice on the right. Work down the lines in the order the table below uses and mark every one that is not identical.
Compare in this order
Work down the list with the signed rate con on one side and the invoice on the other.
| Step | Look for | Typical problem |
|---|---|---|
| 1. References | Load number, PO, pro number, broker name and billing address | Invoice carries a number the broker's system cannot match, so it sits unmatched |
| 2. Revisions | Which version of the rate con is the latest and signed | You invoiced from the first version after a revision raised the rate |
| 3. Linehaul | Flat rate or per-mile rate times the miles on the rate con | Typo, or per-mile rate times your own odometer miles instead of the agreed miles |
| 4. Fuel surcharge | Whether it is a flat amount or tied to an index and week | Surcharge line missing, or computed from the wrong week |
| 5. Accessorials | Stop-off, detention, layover, TONU, lumper, tolls and other amounts the rate con allows | Allowed, earned and never billed |
| 6. Total | Rate con total plus approved extras, minus nothing | Invoice a few dollars under, with no one noticing |
gap = rate con total (linehaul + fuel surcharge + agreed accessorials) - invoice total
Worked example EXAMPLE VALUES
| Line | Rate con | Invoice | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linehaul | $2,240.00 | $2,240.00 | $0.00 |
| Fuel surcharge | $186.00 | $168.00 | $18.00 |
| Detention (4.5 h on site, 2 free) | $125.00 | $0.00 | $125.00 |
| Lumper reimbursed with receipt | $90.00 | $0.00 | $90.00 |
| Total | $2,641.00 | $2,408.00 | $233.00 |
Invented numbers. The linehaul matches, so nobody would have noticed anything wrong without the other three lines.
Fixing a gap
- Not yet paid: send a corrected invoice. Say plainly that it replaces the earlier one so nobody pays both.
- Already paid short: send a supplemental invoice for the difference only, with the rate con page that supports it.
- Extras you can prove: attach the proof (times, receipt, approval) to the same message.
- Check the deadline. Some agreements limit how long after delivery you can bill extras or dispute a short pay.
The fuel surcharge line is easy to get wrong when it follows an index. See the diesel snapshot for context. Your rate con says which index and week apply.
Questions
Which governs, the rate con or the broker agreement?
Contracts usually say which document controls when they conflict. Read yours. We cannot say for your agreement.
Should I invoice in the broker's portal or by email?
Whatever the agreement and the broker's AP team require. An invoice sent the wrong way may not count as sent.
Can the audit do this for old loads?
Yes. The free audit compares rate con and invoice totals line by line for up to 20 loads. See revenue recovery.
Related: rate con vs invoice mismatch guide.
See what your last 20 loads show.
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