Short answer
A rate confirmation (rate con) is the load-specific agreement a freight broker sends a carrier before pickup. It sets the agreed rate, pickup and delivery details, equipment, reference numbers, accessorial terms and payment terms. The carrier signs and returns it, and it becomes the document both sides point to when anything about the load is disputed.
Why the rate con matters
The broker-carrier agreement in the carrier packet sets the general rules. The rate con applies them to one load. It is where the number the carrier agreed to on the phone gets written down.
When a driver waits four hours, a stop gets added, or a load cancels at the dock, the first question is always the same: what does the rate con say? If it’s silent on detention or TONU, you are negotiating after the fact.
It also feeds your records. Under 49 CFR 371.3, brokers must keep a record of each brokered transaction for three years, including the carrier, the compensation received and the date the carrier was paid. Each party to the transaction has the right to review that record.
What belongs on a rate confirmation
| Field | What it should say |
|---|---|
| Broker and carrier | Legal names, MC and USDOT numbers, dispatch contact |
| Load reference | Your load number plus the shipper’s PO, pickup or BOL numbers |
| Stops | Every pickup and delivery address with appointment time or window and time zone |
| Equipment | Trailer type and length, temperature setting for reefer, tarps or straps for flatbed |
| Freight | Commodity, weight, piece or pallet count |
| Rate | Linehaul and fuel shown separately, or clearly marked as all-in |
| Accessorial terms | Detention free time and hourly rate, layover, TONU, lumper reimbursement rules |
| Payment terms | Days to pay, quick pay fee, documents required for payment (POD, receipts) |
| Requirements | Tracking, check calls, no re-brokering, driver rules at the facility |
| Signature | Carrier signature, printed name and date |
What to check on every rate con
- The carrier is the one you vetted. MC number, legal name and dispatch phone match the carrier record. A mismatch can be a sign of double brokering.
- Times match the appointment. The carrier’s pickup time can differ from the customer’s window. Put the carrier’s time on the rate con.
- The rate basis is clear. Marked all-in, or linehaul and fuel on separate lines.
- Accessorials are priced in advance. Free time, hourly detention, TONU amount and the receipts you need.
- It’s signed before the truck rolls. A verbal yes doesn’t hold up when the invoice arrives.
When the rate changes, issue a new version
Rates change after booking. A stop gets added, the appointment moves a day, or the shipper approves layover. Don’t edit the signed document. Issue version 2, get it signed, and keep version 1 as history.
Example (illustrative numbers): a carrier signs at $2,065 all-in for a 700-mile dry van load. The shipper adds a second delivery 30 miles away and agrees to a $100 stop-off charge. The broker sends version 2 at $2,165. The carrier signs version 2, and that’s the version billing pays from.
How FreightVero handles it
FreightVero generates rate confirmations on your company letterhead with your terms, carrying the carrier’s times. Changing the terms creates a new version, and old versions can’t be edited or deleted. The Carrier Dispatched checkpoint requires the latest version signed, with the signed copy uploaded to the load. If the carrier falls off, the swap voids the old rate con and keeps the history. See rate confirmations in FreightVero. For teams receiving rate cons, AI load entry is live: it reads the document and drafts a load for a person to confirm.
