The cost of shipping your goods and products is affected by numerous factors, such as the size of your shipment or the time of year. Other factors that can affect the price when shipping are freight charges.
Some of the more common types of charges that can occur when shipping are detention, TONU, special equipment or handling requirements, additional stops, redelivery, and storage.
Detention
Detention is the time a driver spends waiting for a shipper or receiver when the driver is onsite ready to pick up a load or unload for delivery. There is a grace period given to provide time to load or unload the shipment, but once the grace period is over, detention fees will start to incur.
TONU
Known as “truck order not used,” TONU can occur if a shipper no longer needs a truck, or if a shipment is not yet ready to ship.
Special Equipment / Handling Requirements
Having knowledge of whether locations have docks or proper equipment needed to load or unload a shipment can help you know what special equipment may be needed. If there are no docks and forklifts at locations, a customer may request a lift gate and pallet jack. These can require driver assistance and can be another charge on top. And if your shipment requires items like tarps or straps for handling, these things can be additional fees added to your shipping cost.
Additional Stops / Redelivery / Storage
Additional stops may be required when a location for pick-up or delivery is the wrong location. An additional stop fee is added, as the driver must reroute to the new location.
Redelivery fees are incurred when a delivery location may not have known to make an appointment prior to delivery, or the delivery location is closed. The driver will then redeliver on an available date or schedule an appointment, with a redelivery fee.
Storage fees can occur if a receiver is not available to take the load, and the shipper does not have the room to take the load back. The shipment can be put in storage until it is given the green light for delivery. Cost of storage depends on the size of the shipment as well as the length of time it stays in storage.
Making sure you know the requirements for successful shipping can help you prepare for, or avoid, freight charges. Contact a logistics specialist to make sure you have the right expertise to assist you and provide the services you need.