LTL accessorial charges: the complete list
Accessorials are add-on fees for anything beyond a standard dock-to-dock move. They’re the most common reason a clean quote becomes a higher invoice — so it pays to know them before you book.
The common LTL accessorials
| Charge | What it is |
|---|---|
| Liftgate (pickup or delivery) | A truck with a hydraulic gate to raise/lower freight when there’s no dock. Charged per stop that needs it. |
| Residential (pickup or delivery) | Any address the carrier treats as residential, including home businesses. Billed separately from liftgate. |
| Limited access | Sites that are hard to service — schools, churches, farms, construction sites, storage units, military bases. |
| Inside delivery | Moving freight beyond the threshold (through a door, to a specific room) rather than to the dock or curb. |
| Notification / appointment | Calling ahead to schedule a delivery window. Common for residential and limited-access sites. |
| Detention (with or without power) | Waiting time when a driver is held at pickup or delivery beyond the free window. |
| Reconsignment / redirection | Changing the delivery address or consignee after the shipment is in transit. |
| Redelivery | A second delivery attempt after a failed or refused first attempt. |
| Sort and segregate | The carrier separating or organizing pieces at delivery by SKU, PO, or department. |
| Hazardous materials (hazmat) | Additional handling and documentation for regulated dangerous goods. |
| Overlength / cubic capacity | Fees for long articles (often 8 ft+) or shipments that take up disproportionate trailer space for their weight. |
| Single shipment | A small surcharge when a pickup contains only one shipment. |
| Blind shipment | Hiding the shipper or consignee identity on paperwork, common in drop-ship arrangements. |
How to avoid surprise accessorials
- Declare liftgate, residential, and limited-access needs up front — carriers add them (with a fee) when the driver hits them anyway.
- Confirm whether the delivery site is truly commercial with a dock; “residential” is applied more broadly than people expect.
- Have freight ready so you don’t trigger detention.
- Double-check the address before pickup to avoid reconsignment and redelivery.
- Audit the invoice against the BOL — an accessorial billed that the BOL didn’t call for is worth disputing.
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