Freight Accessorial Charges: The Complete List, What Triggers Them and How to Avoid Them

When booking freight, there's nothing more frustrating than receiving an invoice that's higher than the original quote. In many cases, the difference comes down to freight accessorial charges — fees carriers apply for services beyond standard dock-to-dock pickup and delivery.

Simply put, accessorial charges cover the additional equipment, labor, time or coordination needed to move freight safely and efficiently. They're especially common in less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping, where shipments that fall outside a carrier's standard pickup and delivery requirements may need additional services.

The good news is that most accessorial charges are predictable. This guide explains the most common fees, why they're increasing in 2026 and, most importantly, how to avoid unexpected costs before your shipment moves.

What the 2026 Freight Rebound Means for Your Accessorial Fees

Here’s the direct answer to the question many shippers are asking: Yes, accessorial charges are increasing in 2026, and they’re rising faster than base transportation rates. That makes it increasingly important to understand which fees are affecting your shipments and where you may be able to avoid or reduce them.

2026 LTL pricing increases

Why is this happening? Several market forces are coming together:

• Capacity left the market and never fully returned. The 2023 wave of carrier exits, including the loss of Yellow’s terminal network, permanently reduced the number of LTL providers. The carriers that remain have more pricing leverage than they would in a more fragmented market.
• Truckload capacity is tightening, too. As dedicated capacity becomes more difficult to secure, additional freight is moving into LTL networks, adding volume to a system that hasn’t expanded to match.
• Carriers are charging more for service complexity. Instead of putting every cost increase into the base rate, where shippers can compare and negotiate prices, many carriers are relying more heavily on accessorial line items. These charges are less visible at booking and harder to benchmark across providers.

Fuel pricing adds another layer of complexity. Diesel prices fluctuate, causing fuel surcharges to rise and fall over time. But changes in fuel costs don't always translate into lower—or higher—freight invoices. Many carriers offset fluctuations in fuel-related revenue by adjusting other accessorial charges, making it important to review the total transportation cost rather than focusing on the fuel surcharge alone.

What does this mean for your team? In a tight-capacity market, preventing unnecessary accessorial charges and auditing freight invoices are no longer optional. They’re essential for maintaining a predictable freight budget.

If you suspect extra fees are inflating your invoices, check out our guide on how to dispute accessorial fees and learn how to challenge charges that shouldn’t have appeared on your bill.

Handling and Special Services Fees

These accessorial fees apply when a shipment requires additional equipment, labor, handling or coordination beyond standard freight service.

• Liftgate Service: If a pickup or delivery location does not have a dock, a liftgate may be required for freight weighing more than 100 pounds. Carriers apply a liftgate fee whenever this equipment is needed. If a driver arrives without one and the shipment must be rescheduled, additional freight charges are added for the delay. To avoid extra costs, always notify the carrier of liftgate requirements during booking, particularly for LTL freight, where multiple stops increase the risk of miscommunication.
• Inside Delivery: This freight accessorial charge applies when a driver must move cargo beyond the first access point (like a front door or loading dock). Tasks like pushing a pallet jack up or down a ramp, carrying items across a driveway or bringing freight inside a hallway require extra labor and time. Carriers bill an inside delivery fee to cover these efforts.
• Residential Delivery: Delivering to a residence adds significant complexity. Drivers must navigate narrow streets, limited parking and longer unloading times, all of which justify a residential delivery fee. These charges are common in LTL freight, since TL shipping rarely serves homes. Shippers delivering directly to consumers should account for this cost in their freight shipping budgets.
• Limited Access Pickup/Delivery: A limited access fee is charged when a location is difficult to enter, requires special clearance or delays the driver. Common examples include military bases, schools, prisons, hospitals, malls, construction sites and convention centers. Drivers may face restricted hours, security checks or time spent finding the consignee. While sometimes unavoidable, this freight fee can often be reduced by providing carriers with detailed instructions and contacts in advance.
• Metro Pickup/Delivery: Deliveries in congested metropolitan areas often trigger a metro delivery charge. Traffic, tight city streets, limited loading zones and parking restrictions increase delivery times. In some cases, freight must be transferred to smaller vehicles like sprinter vans or box trucks to complete final mile delivery. Cities such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and other large metropolitan areas are especially known for these freight accessorial charges.
• Tradeshow/Exhibition Shipments: Trade show freight requires precise scheduling to align with setup and teardown windows. Drivers may need to wait, handle booth materials or coordinate with event staff. Carriers treat these shipments as premium white-glove services[INT | /shipping-resources/worldwide-express-white-glove-shipping], applying a tradeshow delivery fee for the added coordination. Businesses that regularly attend events should budget for these specialized freight fees.
• Blind Shipments: Blind shipping conceals the identity[INT | /shipping-resources/blind-shipment-3pl] of the original shipper from the consignee. The product appears to come directly from your business, even if it originated with a supplier. While this provides brand control, it requires special documentation and processing. Carriers apply a blind shipment fee for the extra coordination. For many resellers, the benefits outweigh the cost.
• Driver Load/Unload: Standard loading and unloading are typically handled by warehouse staff. However, when drivers must provide physical labor — such as lifting freight, repositioning pallets or operating liftgate equipment — carriers add a driver load/unload fee. This accessorial reflects the additional effort beyond the driver's primary role.
• Packaging Fee: Shipments that are not adequately packaged for transit may need additional preparation. Carriers may palletize loose items, add shrink wrap or secure loads with straps. The packaging fee covers materials and labor to ensure freight moves safely. Shippers can avoid this freight accessorial charge by properly packaging freight before pickup.
• Pallet Jack Fee: When freight must be moved with a pallet jack instead of forklifts or dock equipment, carriers charge a pallet jack fee. This manual handling requires more time and effort, which is why it is passed on as an extra freight fee. Facilities without docks or powered equipment are the most common sources of this charge.
• Tarping Fee: Freight moved on flatbed trailers may need tarps for protection against weather or road debris. Carriers apply a tarping fee to cover both the heavy-duty tarps and the driver's time to secure them. This accessorial is particularly common in construction, agriculture and heavy equipment freight shipping.
• Sort & Segregation (LTL) / Driver Assist (TL): In LTL freight, multiple shipments share one trailer, and dock workers may need to sort and count cargo to ensure accuracy. This process results in a sort and segregation fee. In TL shipping, drivers may sometimes assist with sorting or verifying pieces, which also leads to an additional charge.
• Extra Labor/Helper/Lumper: At many facilities — especially grocery distribution centers — third-party workers called lumpers handle loading and unloading. Carriers pay these workers, then pass the cost on as a lumper fee. Because these charges are unavoidable at many sites, shippers should plan for them as part of normal freight charges.

Time-Based Charges

Time-based accessorials are among the most controllable fees on any freight invoice because they typically result from scheduling issues and dock operations—not the freight itself.

• Detention Fee: When shippers hold drivers at a facility longer than scheduled, carriers apply a detention fee (also known as dwell time). This freight accessorial charge compensates for the driver's lost time and inconvenience. If a delay is expected, it may be possible to negotiate extended free time with the carrier to avoid or minimize the freight fee.
• Layover Fee: A layover fee is charged when a driver must wait until the next day to pick up or deliver freight. Because layovers prevent the driver from accepting other shipments, they can be costly. Rates often vary for refrigerated, flatbed or other specialized freight shipping equipment due to higher operating costs.
• Truck Order Not Used (TONU): If a shipment is canceled after the carrier's cutoff time, the shipper is charged a TONU fee. This covers the lost revenue from holding a truck that could have been used elsewhere. With refrigerated, flatbed or other specialty equipment, the costs are higher to offset additional lost profit.
• After-Hours/Before-Hours Deliveries: Businesses with unique schedules sometimes require shipments to arrive outside standard operating hours. Carriers can accommodate, but they apply a time-based freight fee for the added logistics, coordination with consignees and security needs that come with these off-hour deliveries.
• Advance Notification Fee: Certain facilities require carriers to call ahead before delivery. A driver must contact the consignee, confirm delivery details or secure access codes. Carriers charge an advance notification fee to cover this extra coordination, which helps ensure freight is received on time.
• Redelivery Fee (LTL): In LTL freight, if a consignee refuses a shipment or no one is available to accept it, the carrier must attempt delivery again. Each attempt adds a redelivery fee, which can be expensive since redelivery disrupts multi-stop LTL routes and delays other shippers' freight.

Weight and Dimension Adjustments

When freight exceeds a carrier’s standard weight or size limits, additional charges may apply to account for the extra space, equipment or handling required.

• Oversized Freight: Shipments that exceed standard size limits are classified as oversized or overlength, with the fee covering permit costs, specialized equipment and, in some cases, escort requirements. This charge is more common in LTL shipping because oversized freight reduces available trailer space, though truckload shippers should also confirm handling requirements before pickup.
• Reweigh and Reclassification Fees: Carriers rely on the bill of lading (BOL) to classify LTL shipments based on weight, density and handling requirements. If any of that information is inaccurate, the carrier may reweigh the shipment and assign a new freight class, resulting in a reclassification fee. And in 2026, that fee is getting more expensive.

Why is it getting more expensive? That's because the NMFTA's density-based classification overhaul, which took effect in July 2025, replaced the previous freight classification methodology with a model where density is the primary factor in determining class. Freight with a lower density profile is now more likely to be reclassified.

In today's tighter freight market, carriers also have more incentive to use dimensioners and certified scales to verify shipment information, making accurate weights and dimensions more important than ever.

The best defense starts before freight leaves your dock. Calculate shipment density accurately, verify the correct NMFC code and freight class, and confirm dimensions before tendering the shipment. Our freight density calculator provides a quick way to validate your numbers before they turn into an unexpected fee.

Route and Equipment Adjustments

These accessorial fees apply when a shipment requires changes to its planned route, equipment or transportation requirements.

• Fuel Surcharge: Carriers apply a fuel surcharge based on the weekly National U.S. Average on Highway Diesel Fuel Price report. This freight accessorial charge protects carriers if fuel prices rise between booking and delivery of an LTL freight or TL shipping load. While unavoidable, monitoring fuel price trends can help shippers plan for this cost.
• Deadhead Miles Fee: Deadhead miles occur when a truck is driven empty after a delivery — wasting fuel, time and equipment capacity. Carriers may assess a deadhead fee, especially when serving rural areas with little outbound freight. This charge mainly affects TL shipping, as LTL freight is optimized to avoid empty returns.
• Additional Stops: Shipments with multiple delivery points often incur an additional stops fee. Each stop requires unloading, verification and driver time. This is common in TL shipping, where a truck may serve several distribution centers or job sites. In LTL freight, carriers may charge if a single shipment requires multiple drop-offs.
• Reconsignment/Diversion Fee: If a shipment is rerouted after dispatch, carriers charge a reconsignment or diversion fee. This freight charge offsets the cost of extra fuel, lost time and rerouting. Confirming addresses at booking is the best way to avoid it.
• Corrected Bill of Lading Fee: Changes to a bill of lading (BOL) after tender — such as weight, class or delivery address — result in a corrected BOL fee. More common in LTL freight, this reflects the importance of accurate data for pricing and load planning. Remember, errors disrupt efficiency and lead to higher freight charges.
• Cross-Border Processing Fee: International freight shipping requires customs clearance, duties and regulatory compliance. A cross-border processing fee covers administrative filings and inspection coordination. Many shippers rely on customs brokers or 3PLs to manage this process.
• Customs or In-Bond Freight Fee: Carriers apply this fee for shipments moving in-bond (aka passing through a country without immediate customs clearance). It covers regulatory filings and documentation until freight reaches its final clearance point. In-bond shipping is often used to defer duty payments or consolidate loads.
• Storage Fee: When freight must be stored due to delivery delays and no arrangements were made in advance, carriers assess a storage fee, billed daily or hourly. Unlike warehousing, this is a short-term measure and often paired with redelivery charges.