Accessorial Charges for Freight Brokers: What to Authorize, What to Reject
A practical guide to freight accessorials — liftgate, detention, lumper, residential — and how to keep unauthorized charges off the payment run.
2026-08-02 · 9 min read
Accessorials are where exceptions hide
Linehaul is usually negotiated. Accessorials are where invoices expand: liftgate, residential, limited access, detention, layover, lumper, reconsignment, and more.
If the rate confirmation does not authorize the charge — or the POD/BOL does not support it — paying it is optional charity.
Authorization checklist
Before paying an accessorial, confirm:
- It appears as authorized on the rate confirmation (or a written exception)
- Evidence exists (POD notes, timestamps for detention, lumper receipt)
- Amounts match agreed rates or caps
- The same charge is not already baked into an all-in rate
Detention and lumper deserve extra scrutiny
Detention needs free time, hourly rate, and evidence of wait. Lumper needs a receipt and authorization when your RC requires it.
Without those, Needs Review or Reject is safer than auto-pay.
Automate the boring checks
Jorora’s Freight Audit rules evaluate common accessorial authorizations against the RC and supporting docs so your team spends time on true exceptions — not re-typing PDF fields.