Rate confirmation template for trucking
A rate confirmation, or rate con, is the load agreement between a broker and a carrier: who picks up what, where, when, and for how much. Use the template to see what a complete one contains, and the checklist to catch problems before the carrier signs.
Trial includes 2 sales agents and 1 dispatcher. No credit card.
What a rate confirmation includes
- Broker: legal name, MC number, address, contact and an after-hours number
- Carrier: legal name, MC and DOT numbers, and the dispatcher's contact
- Load number and every reference number the facilities will ask for
- Pickup: facility, address, date, time window and appointment number
- Delivery: facility, address, date, time window and appointment number
- Freight: commodity, weight, pieces or pallets, equipment type and length, and temperature for a reefer
- Rate: linehaul, fuel surcharge, each accessorial with its terms, and the total
- Payment terms, quick pay option and where to send the invoice
- Special instructions: tracking, check calls, tarps, straps, seal numbers
- Signatures and dates from the broker and the carrier
Copy the template
RATE CONFIRMATION Load #: ________ Broker reference: ________ Date: ________ BROKER Company: ________ MC #: ________ Address: ________ Contact: ________ Phone: ________ Email: ________ After-hours phone: ________ CARRIER Company: ________ MC #: ________ DOT #: ________ Dispatcher: ________ Phone: ________ Email: ________ Driver: ________ Truck #: ________ Trailer #: ________ PICKUP Facility: ________ Address: ________ Date: ________ Window: ________ Appointment #: ________ DELIVERY Facility: ________ Address: ________ Date: ________ Window: ________ Appointment #: ________ FREIGHT Commodity: ________ Weight: ________ Pieces or pallets: ________ Equipment: ________ Length: ________ Temperature (reefer): ________ RATE Linehaul: $________ Fuel surcharge: $________ Detention: $____ per hour after ____ free hours Layover: $____ per day TONU: $________ Lumper: reimbursed with receipt (yes / no) Total: $________ PAYMENT Terms: ____ days Quick pay: ____ Invoice to: ________ Send with the invoice: signed BOL, POD, lumper receipts SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS ________ Broker signature: ________ Date: ________ Carrier signature: ________ Date: ________
A filled example
Every value below is an example to show the format, not a typical rate or term.
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Load number | 482913 |
| Lane | Dallas, TX to Atlanta, GA |
| Pickup | Tuesday, 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM, appointment 55102 |
| Delivery | Wednesday, 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM, appointment 7741 |
| Freight | Paper goods, 38,000 lb, 22 pallets, 53 ft dry van |
| Linehaul | $2,150 |
| Fuel surcharge | $250 |
| Detention | $50 per hour after 2 free hours |
| TONU | $150 |
| Total | $2,400 |
| Payment | 30 days, or quick pay for a fee |
Seven checks before a carrier signs
- The carrier name and MC number on the rate con match the carrier's authority exactly.
- Pickup and delivery dates and time windows match what was agreed on the phone.
- The total equals linehaul plus fuel plus the accessorials you agreed, with no missing line.
- Detention, layover and TONU terms are written down, including the free time.
- The equipment, length and weight fit the truck that will run it.
- Payment terms and any quick pay fee are the ones you were told.
- Special instructions you cannot meet, such as a tracking app or check call times, are fixed before signing, not after pickup.
Who signs: the dispatcher or the carrier?
The rate confirmation is an agreement between the broker and the motor carrier. When a dispatcher signs, they sign for the carrier, so keep the carrier's written permission on file, usually as part of your dispatch agreement. Have a licensed professional confirm what your agreement allows.
Rate confirmations in KeepCarrier
Open the broker's PDF on the load, fill it in the browser, place your saved signature and keep the signed copy on that load. KeepCarrier asks for the carrier's written permission before the first signature and keeps it with the carrier record.
Questions
What is a rate confirmation in trucking?
It is the document a broker sends a carrier that confirms one load: pickup and delivery details, the freight, the rate with every accessorial, payment terms and special instructions. Both sides sign it before pickup.
Is a rate confirmation the same as a bill of lading?
No. The rate confirmation is the agreement between broker and carrier about the load and the pay. The bill of lading is the shipping document signed at pickup that travels with the freight.
Who sends the rate confirmation?
The broker sends it to the carrier or the carrier's dispatcher once the rate is agreed, usually by email, and expects a signed copy back before pickup.
What if the rate con does not match what was agreed?
Do not sign it yet. Ask the broker for a corrected version in writing. A promise made on the phone that is not on the rate con is hard to collect later.
Sign rate cons where the load lives
Start the 7-day trial with 2 sales agents and 1 dispatcher. Log a load, fill its rate confirmation in the browser and keep the signed copy on the load.