Step-by-Step LTL Freight Carrier Audit: Save on Hidden Fees
Small shipping errors add up. Our step-by-step LTL freight carrier audit pinpoints hidden fees, stops future overcharges, and recovers past overpayments. You get a clean, verified bill sent to Accounts Payable with no extra manual work.
Unlock Cost Control with a Purpose-Built Freight Audit Service
We compare invoices to your negotiated rates, discounts, and expected costs. Automated tools reconcile line items, validate accessorials, and flag exceptions for quick review. That reduces billing surprises and lowers overall costs.
Our service installs fast with no disruption to your operations. We document discrepancies, dispute or short-pay when needed, and move approved charges straight to payment. The result is clear financial control and measurable savings.
Request a quick review today to quantify potential savings and set a clear plan. Regain control, cut unnecessary charges, and keep more money in your company.
Hidden billing gaps can quietly erode your margins each month. Varsity Logistics’ FreightAudit automates invoice comparison against pre-negotiated rates, tariffs, accessorials, and incentives. This disciplined process validates every charge so your business pays only what was agreed.
The platform accepts electronic bills via EDI 210, removes manual entry, and integrates directly with Accounts Payable. Approvals use user-defined tolerances and an exception-only workflow to speed payments and reduce touchpoints for your finance team.
Our logistics expertise means we inspect line items, accessorial charges, and incentives in detail. Reporting tracks claims, performance, and recoveries so management sees measurable cost savings and can fine-tune rules over time.
- End-to-end solution: invoice intake, rating logic, discrepancy handling, and claims tracking.
- Automation-first: fewer manual steps and lower third-party fees while keeping recoveries in-house.
- Configurable: our team calibrates tolerances to protect cash flow and carrier relationships.
| Feature | Benefit | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Automated rating vs. contracted rates | Validates every line-item | Reduced billing errors and cost control |
| EDI 210 invoice capture | Eliminates manual entry | Faster approvals and fewer data errors |
| AP integration & reporting | Streamlines payment workflows | Shorter cycle time and clearer recoveries |
| Exception-only workflow | Focuses team on high-value tasks | Lower admin cost and scalable audits |
LTL Shipping Basics and Why Auditing Matters Today
Using consolidated truck space reduces your per-shipment cost but increases handling events and billing points to monitor.
What shared-capacity shipping looks like
ltl freight shipments typically weigh 150–15,000 pounds and do not fill a full trailer. They move through multiple stops where teams load and unload for different customers. This shared model lowers costs but can add transit time.
When to choose this mode
Choose it for partial truckload volumes, reasonable delivery windows, and routes with dense networks. If your shipment fits 150–15,000 lbs and price per pallet matters, this is often the right rate option.
Why verify bills now
Invoices list classification, weight, zip pairing, base rates, fuel, and accessorials. Each line creates potential errors. Typical accessorials include inside delivery, reattempts, and residential or remote surcharges.
Auditing and auditing rigor validate NMFC class, weight, origin/destination zips, and add-on charges so you get the lowest net rate that matches contracted terms. That improves on-time cash application and cuts disputes between logistics and finance.
| Invoice Element | Why Validate | Common Error |
|---|---|---|
| Classification | Determines base rate | Misclassed items |
| Weight | Affects total charge | Incorrect scale entries |
| Accessorials | Extra handling fees | Duplicate or invalid surcharges |
Our Step-by-Step LTL freight carrier audit
Capturing electronic billing data early lets teams resolve issues before payment. Our step-by-step process moves EDI 210 feeds through automated checks, flagging only what needs human review.
Data Intake and Electronic Bill Capture via EDI 210
FreightAudit receives EDI 210 freight bill data to remove manual entry and speed review. The system maps every field so invoices are ready for validation on arrival.
Rate and Tariff Reconciliation Against Contracted Discounts
The platform reconciles invoices to contracted tariffs, stored discounts, and shipment-level expected costs. Bills inside tolerance auto-approve; outliers create exception records.
Line-Item Validation
We validate classification, billed weight, zip pairing, and each accessorial. This catches mismatches that raise your net cost and creates clear evidence for disputes.
- Capture bills electronically via EDI 210 to cut cycle time.
- Reconcile each invoice against contracts and expected costs.
- Generate exception reports with recommended actions.
- Track claims and disputes within deadline windows.
- Push approved charges into AP for clean payment.
| Step | Action | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Intake | EDI 210 capture and parsing | Zero manual entry, faster start |
| Reconcile | Compare to contracted rates and discounts | Accurate payable amounts |
| Validate | Line-item checks: class, weight, zips | Fewer billing surprises |
| Resolve | Claims tracking and AP integration | Clean payments and recoveries |
FAQ
What is a step-by-step LTL freight carrier audit and how does it reduce costs?
A step-by-step audit captures electronic bills, verifies rates against contracts, validates each line item for class, weight, zip pairs and accessorials, and flags exceptions for dispute. That process prevents overcharges, catches duplicate invoices, and enforces contracted discounts so your accounts payable pays only what’s correct, reducing overall shipping spend.
How do you capture and process shipment billing data?
We ingest EDI 210, PDF bills, and carrier portals into a centralized system, then normalize the data for automated reconciliation. This lets us compare billed amounts to stored rates quickly and route discrepancies into an exception workflow for review or rejection before payment.
What kinds of billing errors or hidden fees do you commonly find?
Frequent issues include dimensional weight and oversized charges, duplicate bills, incorrect fuel or delivery area surcharges, misapplied discounts, improper accessorials like inside delivery or reattempt fees, and invalid third-party or COD charges. Each gets documented and recovered where possible.
How does rate and tariff reconciliation work?
We map your contracted rates and tariff rules to each shipment, then apply discounts and rate logic to the billed line. Any mismatch triggers a reconciliation exception and a dispute with the carrier until resolved or credited.
What is line-item validation and why does it matter?
Line-item validation checks classification, weight, dimensions, zip pairing, and each accessorial on every bill. It ensures charges reflect the actual shipment. Catching errors at this level prevents paying for services never rendered and avoids downstream claims problems.
How are exceptions handled and what are the typical outcomes?
Exceptions enter a tracked workflow with documentation, carrier outreach, and deadline management. Outcomes include carrier credit, bill correction, short-pay with note for AP, or escalation to a formal claim if needed. This preserves cash flow and enforces accountability.
Do you manage claims and disputes on my behalf?
Yes. We manage claims from first notice through settlement, track deadlines, submit required evidence, and follow up until resolution. That reduces administrative burden and improves recovery rates for lost or damaged shipments and overcharges.
How does this service integrate with accounts payable systems?
Clean, approved bills export to AP through file transfer, API, or direct ERP integration. We ensure paid invoices match approved amounts so AP posts accurate payments and avoids reconciling later.
Can automation reduce the time my team spends on billing issues?
Absolutely. Automation reconciles routine charges and surfaces only exceptions to users. That reduces manual review, speeds approvals, and lets your staff focus on high-value tasks like carrier performance and contract negotiations.
What reporting and visibility do you provide?
We deliver trend reports on cost drivers, dispute outcomes, accessorial spend, and carrier performance. Dashboards highlight savings opportunities, claims status, and historical spend to support strategic decisions.
Who benefits most from this service?
Shippers using shared-capacity services, partial truckloads, or multi-mode networks — including truckload and rail — benefit most. Finance, transportation, and operations teams see rapid ROI through recovered charges and lower administrative costs.
How quickly can I start seeing savings?
Many clients see measurable recoveries and processing efficiencies within the first billing cycle after onboarding. Speed depends on data access, volume, and contract complexity, but automation and exception management produce fast results.
What support do you provide during onboarding?
Onboarding includes data integration, mapping contracted rates, configuring tolerances for exception handling, and training your team on workflows. We prioritize live or phased implementations to minimize disruption.
Are third-party fees and address corrections covered?
Yes. We review third-party billing for validity, verify address adjustments and reroutes, and dispute improper third-party or correction fees to prevent unauthorized charges.
How do you ensure compliance with contracts and tariffs?
We maintain a centralized rate repository with contract terms and tariff rules, then enforce those during reconciliation. Any deviation triggers documentation and carrier engagement to correct the billing.