Rate confirmations: what to check before you sign and accept a load

A rate confirmation (rate con, or RC) is the document a broker sends after you've agreed on a load. It looks like a formality — a one- or two-page PDF that says "please sign and return" — but it's the written agreement for that load. If something on it is wrong, the version on paper is usually the version that counts when the invoice gets paid.

Reading it takes three minutes. Not reading it can cost a detention claim, a late-delivery fine, or a rate that's $100 lower than what you agreed to on the phone.

Why the rate con matters more than the phone call

When you negotiate a load, you and the broker agree on a number and a few details. The rate con is the broker's written version of that agreement, and many rate cons also pull in the broker–carrier agreement you signed when you set up with them, which may include terms about fines, claims and payment.

That means two things:

1. If it isn't on the rate con, assume you won't get paid for it. Detention, layover, a second stop, a driver assist — if you discussed it, it should be written there.
2. If the rate con adds something you didn't discuss, it may still apply once you sign. Fines for late check calls, tracking requirements and deductions often live in small print.

The checklist

Go through these in order. Most rate cons follow roughly this layout.

Your company information

• Carrier name and MC/DOT number are yours, spelled correctly.
• The remit-to or factoring company is right, if the rate con shows one. A wrong remit-to sends your payment to the wrong place.
• Driver name, truck and trailer numbers, if they're filled in.

Pickup and delivery

• Addresses match what you were told, including the city. Two facilities with the same company name in different towns is a common mix-up.
• Dates and appointment times — and whether each is a firm appointment, a window, or first-come-first-served (FCFS).
• Number of stops. A second pickup or a drop-off on the way is a stop-off and is normally paid separately.
• Reference numbers: pickup number, PO numbers, delivery appointment number. You'll need them at the gate.

Freight and equipment

• Commodity and weight. Check the weight against your equipment and your legal limits.
• Equipment type and length; any requirement for straps, load locks, tarps or temperature settings.
• Special requirements: TWIC card, hazmat endorsement, team drivers, a clean trailer, driver unload.

The money

• Line haul rate matches what you agreed on.
• Fuel surcharge — whether it's included in the total ("all-in") or listed separately.
• Total adds up.
• Accessorials: detention (how many free hours, then how much per hour, and what proof is required), layover, truck-ordered-not-used (TONU), stop-off charges, lumper reimbursement, driver assist.
• Payment terms: how many days, and whether a quick-pay option takes a percentage.

The fine print

• Late fees or fines for missed check calls, missed tracking, or late delivery.
• Requirements to use a tracking app for the whole trip.
• How and when paperwork must be submitted, and any deadline (some rate cons say invoices received after a certain number of days won't be paid, or will be paid at a reduced rate).
• Who to contact after hours.

How to handle a mistake on the rate con

Don't sign a rate con you disagree with and plan to sort it out later. Instead:

1. Reply to the broker's email the same day and say exactly what's wrong: "Rate con shows $1,850. We agreed $1,950 all-in. Please send a revised RC."
2. Wait for the corrected version before dispatching, if you can.
3. If timing forces you to roll before the revision arrives, keep the email thread. A written exchange made before the load moved is far better than a phone call nobody remembers.

Signing and returning it

Most brokers send the rate con as a PDF by email and want it back signed. You don't need to print it.

1. Open the PDF in a PDF editor or signing tool on your phone or computer.
2. Add your signature on the carrier signature line, then add your printed name and the date with the text tool if those fields are blank.
3. Fill in any blanks the broker asks for — driver name, cell number, truck number — using text boxes placed on the lines.
4. Download the signed copy and look at it once before sending: is the signature on the right line, and is every page still there?
5. Reply to the original email with the signed PDF attached so it stays in the same thread.
6. Save a copy in your load folder named with the load number, for example Load-91234_RateCon_signed.pdf. You'll attach it to the invoice later; many factoring companies require it.

Example: catching a problem before it costs money

A carrier books a load at $2,400 with a delivery appointment at 08:00. The rate con arrives showing the correct rate, but the delivery reads "FCFS 06:00–14:00" at a different address in the same city, and the detention line says "detention paid after 3 hours with prior approval." The dispatcher replies asking whether the address is a second warehouse, and whether the appointment is FCFS or fixed. The broker corrects the address and confirms FCFS. Now the driver knows that waiting in line at a first-come warehouse is normal, that detention starts only after three hours, and that it requires approval — so the driver should message the broker at the two-and-a-half-hour mark, not after.

Common mistakes

• Signing from a phone notification without opening the full PDF. The second page is where the fines are.
• Not checking the remit-to. If you factor, a missing or wrong remit-to can route payment around your factoring company.
• Assuming detention is standard. Free time and hourly rates vary. Some rate cons pay none.
• Losing the signed copy. The broker has it, but you need it for the invoice packet. Save it the moment you sign.
• Signing the wrong rate con. On a busy day, two rate cons from the same broker look identical. Check the load number before you sign.

FAQ

Is a rate confirmation a legally binding contract?

It's generally treated as the agreement for that specific load, often alongside the broker–carrier agreement you signed earlier. If you have questions about a particular clause, ask the broker in writing or talk to someone who handles contracts for you.

Can I edit a rate confirmation myself?

You can fill in blanks the broker asks for, like a driver name or truck number. Don't change the rate, dates or terms yourself and send it back — ask the broker for a revised version instead, so both sides have the same document.

Do I need to sign every page?

Only where there's a signature line, unless the broker asks for initials on each page. If they do, add initials with a signature or text tool on each page.

What file should I send back?

A signed PDF, not a photo of a printed page. It's smaller, easier to read, and keeps the original text sharp.

Where should I keep signed rate cons?

With the rest of that load's paperwork, under the load number. When you invoice or send the load to factoring, the rate con usually goes in the same packet as the signed BOL/POD.