What is a rate confirmation?

A rate confirmation, or rate con, is the agreement between a broker and a carrier for one load. It names both companies, the pickup and delivery details, the equipment, the rate, any accessorial pay and the payment terms. Both sides sign it before the load moves.

What's the difference between a rate con and a BOL?

The rate con is the deal between broker and carrier: who hauls what, for how much. The bill of lading is the shipping document between shipper and carrier that travels with the freight and describes it. The rate con sets your pay; the signed BOL and POD prove you delivered.

Who should receive the rate confirmation?

The carrier, because the carrier is the party agreeing to haul the load. If you use a dispatcher, the rate con should still name your company and come to you, so you can read exactly what was agreed. Ours always does.

What should I do if the rate con doesn't match what we agreed?

Don't sign it. Call the broker and ask for a corrected rate con before pickup. Once you sign and haul, the written rate con is what you'll be paid on, not what was said on the phone.

Is a rate confirmation a contract?

It's the written agreement for that load, usually under a broader broker-carrier agreement you signed during setup. Read both. This is general information, not legal advice.

Rate confirmation: what every line means, and what to check before you sign

Steve Woods · Lead Dispatcher, TruckSprint

Steve Woods leads the TruckSprint dispatch desk and reviews every guide we publish. How we research and update guides.

Updated October 2026

Quick answer

A rate confirmation (rate con) is the one-load agreement between a broker and a carrier: who's hauling, what, from where to where, on what equipment, for what rate and accessorials, and when payment comes. Check every line before you sign, especially the carrier name, the rate, detention terms and payment terms. What's on the signed rate con is what you get paid.

The rate con is the most important page in a load's paperwork, and the one drivers read least. I'm Steve, lead dispatcher at TruckSprint. Here's an annotated one, line by line, with what to check on each.

An annotated rate confirmation

Every company, number and detail below is made up. Real rate cons look different from broker to broker, but they cover the same ground.

Rate confirmation · EXAMPLE

Made-up broker, load and numbers

1BrokerBroker A Logistics LLC · MC 000000 · USDOT 0000000Check: Matches the broker's FMCSA record; email domain matches their website.
2CarrierYour Company LLC · MC 111111Check: Your legal name and MC. If another company is listed, don't sign.
3Load / reference #Load 448812 · PO 7731Check: Put these on your invoice exactly as written.
4PickupDallas, TX · Tue 08:00-10:00 · ApptCheck: Address, window, appointment or FCFS, any pickup number.
5DeliveryMemphis, TN · Wed 14:00 · ApptCheck: Is the window realistic with legal hours of service?
6Equipment53 ft dry van · 42,000 lb · 24 palletsCheck: Weight within your legal payload; equipment matches.
7Rate$1,850 all-in (incl. fuel)Check: The number you agreed, all-in or linehaul + FSC spelled out.
8AccessorialsDetention $50/hr after 2 hrs · Stop pay $75 · TONU $150Check: Detention, layover, TONU, lumper reimbursement in writing.
9Payment termsNet 30 from clean POD · Quick pay 2%Check: Days to pay, quick pay fee, where to send the invoice.
10Special instructionsNo double brokering · Tracking app requiredCheck: Read every line: tracking, temps, seal numbers, penalties.

Signature lines for carrier and broker follow on a real rate con. Print this page to use the checklist column as a review sheet.

Before you sign: the 60-second check

Your company is the carrier. Legal name and MC exactly as FMCSA shows them.
The rate matches the call, and it's clear whether it's all-in or linehaul plus fuel surcharge.
Weight and equipment fit your truck. Weight within your legal payload, trailer type and length right.
Pickup and delivery windows are legal with your hours of service remaining.
Accessorials are written down: detention, layover, TONU, stop pay, lumper reimbursement. If it isn't on the rate con, you'll argue for it later.
Payment terms and invoicing details are clear: days to pay, quick pay fee, where invoices go, what paperwork they need.
Special instructions don't hide penalties: tracking requirements, late fees, temperature or seal rules.

If any line is wrong, ask for a corrected rate con before you load. Detention terms in particular: run the numbers on a long wait with the detention pay calculator.

Rate con vs bill of lading vs proof of delivery

Document	Between	What it does	When
Rate confirmation	Broker and carrier	Sets the load's terms and your pay	Before pickup
Bill of lading (BOL)	Shipper and carrier	Describes the freight, travels with it	At pickup
Proof of delivery (POD)	Receiver and carrier	Signed BOL or receipt showing delivery	At delivery
Invoice	Carrier and broker	Bills the rate con amount plus approved extras	After delivery

To get paid, you or your factoring company usually send the rate con, the signed BOL/POD and an invoice that matches the rate con exactly.

Spotting a fake or altered rate con

Freight fraud often starts with a rate con that looks right. Before you roll on a load from a broker you don't know:

Look up the broker on FMCSA's SAFER system and confirm the MC, name and address match the rate con.
Check the email domain. A rate con from a free email account or a domain that's one letter off the broker's website is a warning sign.
Call the broker on a number you looked up yourself, not the one on the rate con, and confirm the load.
Be suspicious of changes after booking, especially a new pickup location, a different consignee or new payment instructions.
Never send your carrier packet to someone who contacted you out of nowhere.

These checks take minutes. A stolen load can cost you the freight, your insurance and your authority's reputation. Broker identity rules are covered in freight broker vs dispatcher.

When something changes after you sign

Plans change: an appointment moves, a stop is added, you wait six hours. Get every change in writing, ideally a revised rate con, at least an email from the broker. Note times on the BOL. When you invoice, attach the written approval for every extra. Brokers pay what's documented; they rarely pay what's remembered.