Short answer
TONU stands for truck order not used. It’s a flat fee paid to a carrier when a load is canceled after the truck was dispatched or already arrived, so the carrier is paid for time and miles it can’t get back. The amount and conditions come from the rate confirmation and the customer contract. No federal rule sets it.
When a TONU applies
A TONU usually applies when the load goes away for reasons on the shipper’s or broker’s side, after the carrier has committed a truck:
- The shipper cancels the order after the truck is dispatched.
- The truck arrives and the freight isn’t there, and the load is canceled.
- The shipper pushes the load to another day with no notice, and the carrier can’t wait.
- The broker ordered the wrong equipment and the shipper refuses the truck.
It usually doesn’t apply when the carrier misses the appointment, shows up without the required equipment, or cancels on its own. That last case is a fall-off, and the broker is the one scrambling for a recovery truck.
TONU vs detention vs layover
| Charge | When it applies | Usual basis |
|---|---|---|
| TONU | Load canceled after the truck was ordered or dispatched | Flat fee |
| Detention | Truck held at the shipper or receiver past free time | Hourly after free time |
| Layover | Truck held overnight or the load moved to the next day | Per day |
Amounts and triggers are set by the rate confirmation and customer contract, not by federal rule.
All three are accessorial charges. See detention for how waiting time is billed.
Example: a canceled pickup
Example, with illustrative numbers. A carrier is dispatched at 7:00 a.m. and drives 85 miles empty to a shipper. At 9:10 a.m. the driver checks in and learns the order was canceled overnight.
- The rate con says TONU is $200 once the truck has been dispatched.
- The broker confirms the arrival with the driver’s tracking position and check-in time, then pays the carrier $200.
- The customer contract allows a $250 truck-cancellation charge, so the broker bills the shipper $250.
If the customer contract had no cancellation term, the broker would likely eat the $200.
What to put in writing
- Amount. A flat TONU figure, stated on the rate con.
- Trigger. Whether TONU starts at dispatch, at arrival, or after a cutoff time before pickup.
- Proof. What the carrier must show, such as tracking positions, a gate check-in, or a shipper contact name.
- Customer terms. A matching cancellation clause with the shipper, so the charge can pass through.
Common TONU mistakes
- No TONU line on the rate con, which turns every cancellation into a negotiation.
- Paying a TONU without proof the truck was dispatched or on site.
- Promising carriers more for TONU than the customer contract lets you bill.
- Not recording when the shipper’s cancellation came in, which decides whether the fee applies.
- Calling a reschedule a cancellation, or the other way around.
How FreightVero handles it
FreightVero doesn’t calculate or bill TONU charges today. What’s live is the record around a load that changes hands. When a carrier comes off a load in the broker TMS, the swap keeps the old assignment and the reason and voids the old rate con. Live tracking positions stay on the load, which helps when you need to show where a truck was.