What to Check on a Rate Confirmation
Last updated:
The rate confirmation is where a load becomes a contract. Once you sign, it governs what you’re paid, when detention starts and who’s liable if something goes wrong. Here’s what to check, in the order that matters, before you sign it.
The three that decide what you get paid
1. Does the rate match the call? Not roughly, exactly. And establish whether it’s linehaul or all-in, because comparing one load’s linehaul against another’s all-in is how you talk yourself into a bad load.
2. What are the detention terms? When the free period ends, the hourly rate, and whether the clock starts at gate arrival or dock check-in. That last detail decides a surprising number of disputes.
3. What accessorials are included? Layover, lumper, extra stops, tarping. If they were agreed on the phone and aren’t in this document, they didn’t happen.
The one that decides whether you get paid at all
Does the sending email domain match the broker? Compare it against the domain from the earlier conversation and against their public website. Impersonation gets the paperwork right and the domain slightly wrong: a hyphen added, a letter swapped, a different top-level domain.
Thirty seconds, and it’s the check that prevents the most expensive category of problem. More on double-brokering.
Then the operational detail
- Appointment windows: achievable from your current position and hours?
- Number of stops: the same number discussed?
- Reference numbers: matching the load you talked about?
- Weight and commodity: legal and suitable for your equipment?
- Facility requirements: gate codes, check-in procedure, FCFS?
- Payment terms: QuickPay or net 30, and from invoice or delivery?
The clauses worth reading properly
Most ratecons are standard. The ones that aren’t tend to hide it in three places: claims liability above the normal cargo limit, fine or chargeback structures for late delivery, and detention terms that are stricter than what was described.
If any of those look unusual, they’re worth a call before signing rather than a discovery afterwards.
If something doesn’t match
Raise it before signing. After signature you’re arguing against a document you accepted, and “that’s not what we agreed on the phone” is a weak position against a signed contract.
Where Hey Bubba! fits
Hey Bubba! is an AI back-office automation platform for fleets. It parses rate confirmations, compares every term against what was actually negotiated, validates the sending domain, and flags discrepancies before anything is signed.
Frequently asked questions
Rate against the call, detention terms, accessorials, and the sending email domain. Then appointments, stops, reference numbers, weight and payment terms.
Once signed it functions as the contract for that load. Read it accordingly.
Raise it before signing. Afterwards you’re arguing against a document you accepted.
Check the sending domain against the earlier conversation and the broker’s public website. Verify their authority against FMCSA if anything feels off.
Last updated:
Meet Bubba,
AI Back-Office
Automation for Fleets
Dispatch, paperwork & compliance - automated.
Just say Hey Bubba!