LTL accessorial charges: the complete list
Accessorials are the fees for anything beyond a standard dock-to-dock move. They are the most common reason a clean LTL quote turns into a bigger invoice. Here is every common charge, what triggers it, what it typically runs, and how to keep it off your bill or at least priced in before you book.
What an accessorial charge is
A standard LTL rate assumes a pickup and delivery at commercial locations with loading docks, during business hours, with freight ready to go. Anything outside that, a home delivery, a site without a dock, a driver who waits, a second attempt, is an accessorial. Each carrier lists its accessorials and their prices in its rules tariff, separate from the freight rates.
Accessorials come in two kinds. Booked accessorials are services you know you need and declare when you quote: liftgate, residential, appointment. After-the-fact charges show up because something went differently than planned: the carrier reweighed the freight, the driver waited, or the delivery failed. The first kind you control by being accurate. The second you control by being prepared.
Every carrier sets its own amounts, and some bill per shipment while others bill per CWT (100 lb) with a minimum. The ranges below are rough ballparks to help you spot an outlier. They are not quotes, and your carrier’s tariff decides the real number.
Accessorials you declare when you book
| Charge | What triggers it | How to avoid or prepare | Typical range (varies by carrier tariff) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liftgate delivery or pickup | The location has no loading dock or forklift, so the driver needs a truck with a hydraulic gate to lower or raise the freight. | Ship dock to dock when you can. If not, declare it at booking so a liftgate truck is dispatched the first time. | $75–$274 minimum per stop at 12 major carriers (September 2026); heavier shipments pay more, up to $820 |
| Residential delivery or pickup | Any home, apartment, or business run out of a home. Carriers often apply it to farms, small offices in residential areas and self-storage too. | Tell the carrier the truth about the address. Consider delivery to a nearby commercial location or terminal pickup. | $75–$243 minimum per stop at 12 major carriers (September 2026) |
| Limited access | Sites that are hard or slow to service: schools, churches, military bases, prisons, construction sites, farms, mines, storage units, strip-mall back doors. | Ask the receiver what kind of site it is before you book. Terminal pickup avoids it entirely. | $80–$229 minimum per stop at 12 major carriers (September 2026) |
| Inside delivery or pickup | The driver moves freight past the threshold, into the building or to a specific room, instead of leaving it at the dock or curb. | Have staff and equipment ready to bring it in yourself. Stairs and elevators can add more. | Roughly $75–$250; often per CWT with a minimum |
| Delivery appointment or notification | The carrier must call ahead or book a window with the receiver. Usually required for residential and limited-access stops. | Only request it when the receiver truly requires it. Put the receiver contact and hours on the BOL. | Roughly $15–$50 per shipment |
| Hazardous materials | Regulated dangerous goods that need placards, extra paperwork and restricted loading. | Can’t be avoided, but must be declared. Undeclared hazmat risks fines and rejection, not just a fee. | Roughly $30–$100 per shipment |
| Overlength / extreme length | Any piece longer than the carrier’s threshold, commonly starting around 8 feet, with steeper tiers for longer pieces. | Break long items down or ship them on standard-size pallets where possible. Always list the longest dimension. | Tiered by length; the first tier (around 8 ft) runs $180–$495 at 12 major carriers |
| Protect from freeze | Freight that can’t be exposed to freezing temperatures, so the carrier keeps it in heated trailers and terminals. | Only request it in cold months and for product that truly needs it. Not every carrier offers it on every lane. | Flat fee per shipment; varies widely |
| Guaranteed or time-definite service | You need delivery by a specific date or time, with a refund or credit if it misses. | Plan standard transit into your schedule and save guaranteed service for true deadlines. | Often a percentage of the linehaul or a flat fee |
| Sort and segregate | The driver separates pieces by PO, SKU or department at delivery, or the receiver requires it. | Label and build pallets by PO or destination before pickup. | Usually per piece or per CWT with a minimum |
| Trade show, fair or convention | Deliveries to or from exhibition venues, which have strict windows, marshaling yards and long waits. | Consider shipping to the show’s advance warehouse. Get it priced before booking. | Typically well above standard limited access |
| Blind shipment | The shipper or receiver identity is hidden on paperwork, common in drop-ship arrangements. | Only needed when you must keep the supplier hidden from the end customer. | Flat fee per shipment |
| Single shipment | Some carriers add a small charge when a pickup contains only one shipment. | Combine pickups where your schedule allows. | Small flat fee, where charged |
Liftgate: the one almost everyone runs into
Standard LTL trailers sit at dock height, about four feet off the ground. Without a dock or a forklift at the site, the freight has no way down except a liftgate. The catch: not every truck has one, and carriers dispatch a liftgate truck only when the shipment calls for it. If you don’t declare it and the driver arrives without one, you can end up paying for a redelivery on top of the liftgate. Liftgates also have weight and size limits, so very heavy or long pieces may need a different plan entirely.
Residential: broader than you think
The residential fee reflects the extra time and smaller streets involved in home deliveries. Carriers decide what counts as residential based on the location, and the definition often reaches home-based businesses and rural addresses. If a shipment is going to a house, assume residential and liftgate, and usually an appointment too. That trio is the classic home-delivery bundle.
Limited access: the fee people don’t see coming
Limited access covers places where a driver can’t just back up to a door: schools, churches, military bases, prisons, construction sites, farms, mini-storage, and some rural or restricted sites. The fee pays for security checks, finding the right entrance and waiting on site. Ask the receiver one question before you book: “Can a 53-foot trailer pull up to your door during business hours without anyone checking it in?” If the answer is no, you likely have a limited-access delivery.
Charges that show up after the fact
These are the lines that make an invoice different from the quote. None of them is random, and most are preventable.
| Charge | What triggers it | How to avoid or prepare | Typical range (varies by carrier tariff) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reweigh and reclass (W&I) | The carrier’s scale or dimensioner finds more weight, or lower density, than the bill of lading shows. | Weigh and measure the built pallet, use the correct NMFC item, and keep photos with a tape measure in frame. | The freight-charge difference, plus any inspection fee |
| Detention (with or without power) | The driver waits beyond the free time at pickup or delivery, or leaves a trailer for you to load or unload. | Have freight built, wrapped and labeled before the truck arrives, and receivers staffed to unload. | Usually billed per hour or per 15 minutes after free time |
| Redelivery | The first attempt failed: nobody there, wrong equipment, refused, or no appointment. | Confirm receiver hours, contact and equipment needs before pickup. Declare liftgate and appointment up front. | Often close to a full delivery charge, sometimes per CWT |
| Reconsignment or address correction | The delivery address or receiver changes after pickup, or the BOL address was wrong. | Verify the full address, suite and ZIP before the BOL is printed. | Flat fee or per CWT, plus any added miles |
| Storage | Freight sits at the terminal because it was refused, the receiver can’t take it, or it is awaiting instructions. | Respond fast when a carrier calls about a held shipment. Charges usually start after a short free period. | Usually per day or per CWT per day |
Reweigh and reclass
LTL carriers scan freight with scales and dimensioners at their terminals. If the weight or density doesn’t match the bill of lading, you get a weight and inspection correction: the shipment is rebilled at the corrected weight or freight class, and fuel is recalculated on the new charge. Measure the finished, wrapped pallet, not the product, and check your numbers with the freight density calculator before you book.
Detention and redelivery
LTL drivers run tight routes with many stops, so carriers allow only a short free window at each stop. Beyond that the clock runs. Redelivery is the most expensive surprise on this list, because you often pay for the second attempt in addition to whatever caused the first to fail. The fix is the same for both: confirm the receiver’s hours, contact name, phone number and equipment before the freight moves, and put all of it on the bill of lading.
Worked example: declared vs. discovered
Same shipment, two ways. The fees below are illustrative, chosen to be realistic, not taken from one carrier’s tariff. One pallet going to a home, quoted dock to dock at $310.00.
| Line | Declared at booking | Discovered by the driver |
|---|---|---|
| Freight charge (with fuel) | $310.00 | $310.00 |
| Residential delivery | $110.00 | $110.00 |
| Liftgate delivery | $85.00 | $85.00 |
| Delivery appointment | $25.00 | $25.00 |
| Redelivery (first truck had no liftgate) | — | $150.00 |
| Total | $530.00 | $680.00 |
Declaring the accessorials didn’t make them free: $110 + $85 + $25 = $220 in fees either way. What it did was keep the shipment from failing. The undeclared version paid the same $220, plus a $150 redelivery, plus two or three extra days in transit. That is $680.00 − $530.00 = $150.00 more, about 28% on top of the declared total, for skipping one step.
For context, the middle 50% of single-pallet shipments Armstrong customers moved from September 2025 – August 2026 paid $255–$525 all-in, including fuel and any accessorials. More on that in how much it costs to ship a pallet.
Pre-shipment checklist
Run through this before every LTL booking. It takes two minutes and heads off most accessorial surprises.
About the pickup
- Does the pickup location have a dock or forklift? If not, you need a liftgate at pickup.
- Is it a home, home business or limited-access site?
- Will the freight be built, wrapped, labeled and ready when the truck arrives?
- Are pickup hours and a contact name and phone on the bill of lading?
About the freight
- Weighed after it was built on the pallet, including the pallet?
- Measured at the longest, widest and tallest points, including overhang?
- Correct NMFC item and class? Any piece over about 8 feet long?
- Hazmat declared, with the right paperwork? Needs protection from freezing?
- Photos taken with a tape measure in frame?
About the delivery
- Does the receiver have a dock or forklift? If not, add liftgate delivery.
- Home, home business, school, church, base, farm, jobsite or storage unit? Add residential or limited access.
- Does the receiver require an appointment or a call ahead?
- Does the freight need to go inside, upstairs, or be sorted by PO?
- Full address, suite and ZIP verified? Receiver hours and phone on the BOL?
After delivery
- Check every accessorial line on the invoice against the BOL and delivery receipt.
- Question anything you didn’t order and the paperwork doesn’t support.
- Run the invoice through the free invoice audit tool to flag billing errors.
How accessorials fit into your total rate
Accessorials sit on top of the freight charge, which is itself built from a base rate, discount, minimum and fuel. For the full picture of how those layers stack, read how LTL rates are calculated. Because each carrier sets its own accessorial prices, the carrier with the lowest freight charge isn’t always the lowest all-in once a liftgate and residential fee are added. Compare total dollars with the accessorials included. That is how GetLTLRates quotes: add your accessorials once and every carrier’s price includes them. To see what shipments cost on common corridors, browse the lane pages.
Frequently asked questions
What are accessorial charges in LTL shipping?
Accessorial charges are fees for any service beyond a standard pickup and delivery between two commercial docks during business hours. Common ones are liftgate, residential, limited access, inside delivery and appointments. Each carrier sets its own amounts in its rules tariff.
How much is a liftgate fee?
It varies by carrier tariff. At 12 major LTL carriers the published liftgate minimum runs $75–$274 per stop (September 2026), and heavier shipments pay more. It is charged separately for pickup and delivery, so a shipment needing a liftgate at both ends pays it twice. Your quote should show the exact amount when you declare it.
What counts as a residential delivery?
Any home or apartment, and often any business run out of a home. Many carriers also treat farms, small offices in residential neighborhoods and similar addresses as residential. The carrier decides based on the location, not on what you entered, so describe the site honestly when you quote.
What is limited access delivery?
Limited access covers locations that are slow or restricted to service, such as schools, churches, military bases, prisons, construction sites, farms and storage facilities. The driver may need security clearance, a specific entrance or extra time. Carriers bill a separate fee for it that varies by tariff.
Can I dispute an accessorial charge?
Yes. Compare the invoice with your bill of lading and the delivery receipt. If the charge wasn't ordered and the delivery documents don't support it, such as a liftgate billed at a site with a dock, ask the carrier or your broker for proof and request a correction.
Is liftgate included in residential delivery?
Usually not. Residential and liftgate are separate charges, and most residential deliveries need both because homes have no loading dock. Declare both when you quote.
Why was I charged more than my LTL quote?
The usual causes are an accessorial the driver found at pickup or delivery that wasn't on the quote, or a reweigh or reclass after the carrier measured the freight. Declaring every accessorial up front and measuring the built pallet accurately prevents most of these.
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