First: is the broker real?
- MC number on the rate con matches the broker you talked to, and their authority is active on the FMCSA site
- Email domain on the rate con is really the broker's, not a lookalike or a free account
- Your company name and MC are on it as the carrier, not someone else's
- Phone number matches what the broker lists publicly
Fake brokers and double brokering hit owner-operators hard. A rate con that doesn't match is the first sign.
The money
- Rate matches what you agreed, all in or linehaul plus fuel
- Extra stops and what each one pays
- Detention: the hourly rate, the free time, and what proof they want
- Layover if the load can't deliver on time through no fault of yours
- TONU if the load gets cancelled after you're dispatched
- Lumper: who pays, whether you need approval first, and the receipt they want
- Driver assist or unloading, and what it pays
The fines
- Tracking: which app, for how long, and the fine if it drops
- Late or missed appointment charges, and how late counts as late
- Check call requirements and penalties
- Paperwork deadlines: fines or pay delays if the POD isn't in within so many hours
- Temperature, seal and photo requirements on reefer loads
Getting paid
- Payment terms: how many days after they get your paperwork
- Quick pay fee if you want paid sooner, as a percent of the load
- Factoring: if you factor, the broker should already have your notice of assignment
- What they need to pay: signed BOL, POD, lumper receipts, detention times
Clauses to push back on
- Detention waived or capped so low it doesn't matter
- Fines with no limit, or fines that can be bigger than the load pays
- Payment terms of 60 days or more with no quick pay option
- Back-solicitation and non-compete language that reaches past this one load
- A waiver of your right to review the broker's record of the transaction
Not every clause is negotiable. But you can always say no to a load before you sign, and you can't after the truck rolls. Know your break-even with the cost per mile calculator so you know how much fine print a load can carry.
How TenFour handles rate cons
We read every rate con before you roll: tracking rules, late and missed appointment fines, POD deadlines, lumper and detention terms. If it doesn't match what we agreed, we ask the broker for a corrected one before signing. We check every broker's authority before booking and flag a rate con whose MC doesn't match. Every rate con is in your name and comes to you as soon as it's signed, and your driver gets the terms that cost money in one plain text.
Questions
What is a rate confirmation?
The broker's written agreement for one load: pickup and delivery, the rate, extra charges, and the terms. Together with your broker-carrier agreement, it's what the broker will hold you to and what you can hold them to.
What if the rate con doesn't match what we agreed on the phone?
Don't sign it. Ask the broker to send a corrected one. Once it's signed and the truck rolls, the paper usually wins.
What is TONU?
Truck Ordered Not Used. If the broker cancels after you've been dispatched or arrived, a TONU pays you something for the trip. If the rate con doesn't mention it, ask before you sign.
Can I see what the broker was paid for my load?
Federal rule 49 CFR 371.3 gives each party to a brokered shipment the right to review the broker's record of the transaction. Many broker-carrier agreements ask carriers to waive that right, so read yours before you sign it.
Want a dispatcher who works for your margin?
Every truck gets its own dispatcher. We judge every load on rate per total mile, deadhead included, and never book under your minimum. Brokers pay you directly.