Freight glossary / Accessorials and charges

What is Accessorial in freight?

An accessorial is any charge on a freight invoice that is not the line haul itself. Detention, lumper fees, layover, extra stops, tarps, and liftgate service are all accessorials. They are where margin is most often lost, because they are agreed verbally at the dock and then disputed weeks later when the paperwork does not support them.

Also called: accessorials, accessorial charge.

Related terms

• Detention
• Lumper
• Layover
• Line haul
• Stop off