Free tool, runs in your browser
True cost of short pay: what unpaid extras cost you each year
Brokers deduct detention, lumper and fuel lines, pay less than the rate confirmation, or never get billed for the extras a driver earned. Each one looks small. Over a year they add up. Enter how many loads you run and how often money goes missing, and see what you lose, what you already win back, and what full follow-up could add.
Example values until you change them
Every number pre-filled below is an Example value (EXAMPLE VALUES), invented to show how the maths works. They are not averages, benchmarks or what any carrier loses. The result is labelled "Example values" until you edit a field.
Result
Runs in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere. Example numbers are invented (EXAMPLE VALUES). This is a calculator, not financial, tax or legal advice.
Next step: run it on real loads
The calculator uses your estimates. The free audit checks your last 20 loads against the rate confirmations and invoices, and shows the short pays and unbilled extras it finds. You approve every claim. Check my last 20 loads See an example report
How we calculate
The tool turns your monthly counts into a yearly money flow and splits it into what you win back today and what you lose.
short pays per year = 12 x loads x short-paid % x average shortfall unbilled per year = 12 x loads x unbilled % x average unbilled amount leaked per year = short pays + unbilled recovered today = short pays x disputed % x win rate lost today = leaked - recovered today recoverable with full follow-up = short pays x (1 - disputed %) x win rate + unbilled x win rate still lost = lost today - recoverable per load = lost today / (12 x loads) share of revenue = lost today / (12 x loads x revenue per load)
Each dollar line is rounded to the cent and the totals add the rounded lines. The "recoverable" line assumes your win rate stays the same when you pursue more claims and that you have the proof for each. Later claims are often harder to win, so treat it as a ceiling for the numbers you entered, not a forecast.
Worked example (Example values)
60 loads a month. 8% are short-paid by $85 on average. 6% carry an extra worth $120 that was never billed. You dispute 25% of short pays and win back 60% of what you pursue.
| Line | Per year |
|---|---|
| Short pays (12 x 60 x 8% x $85) | $4,896.00 |
| Unbilled extras (12 x 60 x 6% x $120) | $5,184.00 |
| Leaked in total | $10,080.00 |
| Recovered today ($4,896 x 25% x 60%) | $734.40 |
| Lost today | $9,345.60 |
| Recoverable with full follow-up | $5,313.60 |
| Still lost after that | $4,032.00 |
That is $12.98 lost on every load hauled, or 0.46% of revenue at $2,800 a load. The point is the shape: most of the money is not in disputes you lose. It is in claims nobody sends.
Where short pays and unbilled extras come from
- Rate confirmation versus invoice. The rate on the confirmation is not the rate that was invoiced or paid. See rate con and invoice mismatches.
- Detention and layover. Hours on site beyond free time, never billed or deducted at payment. The detention calculator shows the dollars.
- Lumper receipts. Paid at the dock, then partly or fully reimbursed. See the lumper tool.
- Chargebacks and deductions. Claims for damage, late delivery or paperwork that were never contested. The short-pay and chargeback guide covers what to send back.
- Quick-pay and fuel lines. Fees or surcharge lines that differ from what you agreed.
Why most of it goes unclaimed
A short pay of $85 does not feel worth an hour of phone time, so it is written off. An extra the driver earned but dispatch never recorded is never invoiced at all. Neither shows up as a line in the books, which is why the total feels smaller than it is.
The fix is a routine, not a heroic effort: compare each paid invoice with its rate confirmation, keep proof from the day of the load (timestamps, receipts, signed paperwork), and send a short dispute inside the broker's window. The accessorial recovery calendar lists the usual deadlines to ask about.
What this tool does not know
- How many of your short pays are legitimate deductions. Some are, and the tool treats every shortfall you enter as money owed.
- Whether a broker will accept a claim late. Your contract and the broker's rules decide.
- Your cost of chasing claims, which reduces the net gain.
Questions
Where do I find my short-pay percentage?
Compare invoiced and paid amounts on a sample of recent loads. Count the loads where they differ and divide by the number of loads. The free audit does this on up to 20 loads for you. Until then, use your best estimate and try a range.
What counts as an unbilled extra?
Anything you earned and never invoiced: detention, layover, lumper reimbursement, truck ordered not used, extra stops, reweigh fees. If your paperwork supports it and your agreement allows it, it counts.
Why is "recoverable" lower than "lost today"?
Because you will not win every claim. The win rate you enter is applied to the new claims, so some of the loss stays lost even with full follow-up.
Are the example numbers typical?
No. They are invented to show the maths and carry no statistical weight. We do not publish an industry average here because we have no source for one.
Is anything I type sent or saved?
No. The calculation runs in your browser. Nothing is posted, stored or logged, and reloading the page clears it.
Does a free audit commit me to anything?
No. It is a one-time check on up to 20 loads, and you decide whether any claim is sent. See pricing for how follow-on work is scoped.
Related: revenue recovery, rate con vs invoice, pay or wait. Ready to test it on real loads? Get the free audit or see an example report.
See what your last 20 loads show.
One short form. We reply by email with the next step, and a one-page report follows. Free, no obligation.
Mon-Fri, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (Raleigh, NC). Voicemail is answered the next business day.