TONU: What It Is and How to Get Paid

You accepted the load. You blocked your schedule, turned down other freight, and dispatched your truck toward the pickup. Then the broker calls: the load cancelled. The shipper doesn't need you anymore. That cancellation has a cost — dead miles, lost opportunity, empty schedule — and TONU (truck ordered not used) is the accessorial that compensates for it. Most carriers know what TONU is. Far fewer know how to reliably collect it.

What TONU Is

TONU stands for truck ordered not used. It is a cancellation fee charged by a carrier to a broker or shipper when a load is cancelled after the carrier has committed to it — dispatched the truck, declined other loads, or already moved toward the pickup location. TONU acknowledges that the carrier incurred a real cost and opportunity loss when the freight didn't materialize through no fault of their own.

TONU is different from a simple load rejection (where the carrier refuses a load they were offered but never committed to) and different from detention (where the truck arrives and waits). TONU applies when the load is cancelled by the shipper or broker after the carrier has made concrete commitments: accepting the dispatch, declining other loads, repositioning equipment, or reaching the pickup area.

When TONU Applies

Not every cancellation qualifies for TONU, and the trigger point matters. The clearest cases are:

• Cancel after dispatch confirmation: The carrier receives and signs the rate confirmation, the load is officially booked, and then the shipper or broker cancels. This is a clear TONU situation regardless of how far the truck has moved.
• Cancel after the truck is en route: The driver is already heading to pickup — especially if they have repositioned from a different location — and the load cancels. Dead miles are real costs and strengthen the TONU case.
• Cancel at or after arrival: The truck arrives at the shipper and is told the load isn't available. This is the strongest TONU case and also borders on detention depending on how long the driver waits before being told the load is gone.
• Late cancellation with no viable alternative load: Even if the truck hasn't moved far, a same-day or next-morning cancellation after the carrier turned down other freight represents real lost revenue.

Ambiguous cases arise when cancellations happen well in advance (24–48 hours before pickup) with minimal truck commitment. In those cases, TONU may not be collectible, but it is always worth raising.

Typical TONU Amounts

TONU rates vary by negotiation and market conditions, but common figures in 2026 run from $150 to $400 USD for a standard truckload that cancels before the truck arrives at pickup, and $250 to $600 for cancellations at or after arrival. Flat-fee TONU is most common for spot loads. Some long-term contracts specify TONU as a percentage of the agreed line-haul rate (typically 10–25%).

The key is agreeing on TONU terms before you accept the load — not after the cancellation. Trying to negotiate TONU after the fact, when a broker is already trying to manage a shipper who just cancelled on them, is a much harder conversation.

Getting TONU Agreed Up Front

The rate confirmation is where TONU lives. When your dispatcher accepts a load, they should confirm that the rate con includes a TONU clause, or add one before signing. Standard language: "TONU: $XXX if load is cancelled after dispatch confirmation." Many rate cons from reputable brokers already include this. If the rate con is silent on TONU, your dispatcher can add it as a condition of acceptance.

Some brokers resist TONU clauses, especially on loads they consider low-commitment or when they're not confident the freight will actually ship. That resistance is a signal worth noting. Brokers who haul freight on lanes with stable shippers rarely fight TONU terms because they don't expect to cancel. Brokers who resist TONU on every load sometimes do so because they know cancellations are likely.

Documentation When It Happens

When a cancellation comes in, capture everything immediately:

• The time and method of the cancellation (phone call, text, email). If it was a phone call, follow up immediately in writing: "Confirming per our call at [time], load [reference number] has been cancelled. Per rate con, TONU of $XXX applies."
• The driver's current position and the distance they had already travelled toward pickup. ELD records this automatically — pull a location snapshot at the time of the cancellation.
• Any other loads that were declined or unavailable as a result of committing to this load. While these are harder to quantify, documenting that the truck was held off the market strengthens a TONU dispute.
• The signed rate confirmation with TONU terms, as your legal basis for the invoice.

Broker Pushback and How to Handle It

Broker pushback on TONU falls into a few categories. The most common: "The rate con doesn't specifically include TONU." If this is true, you are in a weaker position but not without options. Industry custom supports TONU even without explicit rate con language in many cases, especially if the truck was en route. Document your actual costs (miles driven, fuel, lost opportunity) and present them factually.

The second common pushback: "It wasn't our fault — the shipper cancelled on us." This is irrelevant to the carrier. The carrier's contract is with the broker, not the shipper. The broker accepted the responsibility when they tendered the load and is liable for TONU regardless of why the shipper cancelled.

Escalate through the broker's billing or operations management if the front-line rep refuses. A documented, legitimate TONU claim is almost always resolvable. If it isn't, add that broker to your do-not-haul list and log the experience on Carrier411 or similar platforms.

Dead Miles and the Bigger Picture

TONU rarely covers the full cost of a cancelled load. Dead miles — the miles driven toward a pickup that never happened — burn fuel and incur wear without generating revenue. A driver repositioned 200 miles for a load that cancels incurs perhaps $200–$250 in fuel and operating costs just in movement. TONU of $250 barely breaks even. This is why experienced dispatchers price the risk of cancellation into the loads they accept and are cautious with first-time brokers or notoriously unreliable freight lanes.

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