TONU Fees Explained: Standard Rates, When to Pay, and How to Avoid Them

A TONU (Truck Ordered Not Used) fee is a $150-200 charge paid to carriers when you've confirmed a load that gets canceled or falls through, compensating them for lost revenue opportunity and preparation costs. This fee applies when cancellation occurs after carrier confirmation, especially if the driver has already positioned for pickup. While $150 is the standard market rate in 2025, the amount can vary based on market conditions, distance traveled to the pickup location, and your relationship with the carrier. Modern automation tools can significantly reduce TONU instances through better communication and load management systems.

What Exactly Is a TONU?

A TONU charge occurs when a freight broker confirms a carrier for a load, but that load doesn't materialize or gets canceled. The carrier has essentially reserved capacity, potentially declined other opportunities, and may have positioned their truck – all of which represent real costs they've incurred.

From a carrier's perspective, a TONU represents:

• Lost revenue opportunity (they could have booked another load)
• Wasted fuel and time positioning for pickup
• Driver hours that could have been used productively
• Administrative time spent processing your load

During my years owning trucks (2018-2021), I experienced the carrier side of this equation. We'd occasionally accept loads, send drivers to the pickup location, only to receive a last-minute cancellation call. Without TONU compensation, we'd be left with an idle truck, an irritated driver, and a hole in our revenue for the day.

Current TONU Rates (2025)

The standard TONU rate in 2025 is $150, but this isn't universal. Several factors influence the appropriate amount:

Factor	Impact on TONU Fee
Market conditions	Tight capacity markets may see TONUs of $200-300
Distance traveled	Carriers who have deadheaded significant distance may justify $200-250
Time of notification	Last-minute cancellations typically warrant full TONU
Relationship strength	Regular carriers might accept $100-150 for goodwill
Region	Northeast and California often see higher TONUs ($175-250)

When working in the Northeast as a broker in the early 2000s, I regularly saw TONU fees 15-20% higher than the national average due to the congestion and higher operating costs in that region.

When Should Brokers Pay TONU Fees?

You should expect to pay a TONU when:

1. You have confirmed a load with a carrier (verbal or written)
2. The load is canceled or falls through (regardless of whether it's your fault or the shipper's)
3. The carrier can't reasonably be assigned to another load in your network
4. The carrier has already committed resources (especially if they've dispatched a truck)

Gray areas exist, particularly around timing. If you cancel more than 12 hours before pickup and the carrier hasn't moved their truck, you might negotiate a reduced fee or no fee at all. However, if the cancellation happens after the driver has started positioning or is near the pickup location, a full TONU is appropriate.

One lesson I've learned: documenting everything is critical. In your TMS integration, create timestamps for all carrier communications so there's no dispute about when notifications occurred.

How to Negotiate TONU Charges

When faced with a TONU situation, follow these strategies:

1. Acknowledge responsibility: If a TONU is legitimate, accept it without argument. This builds goodwill for future negotiations.

2. Offer alternatives: Before agreeing to a TONU, try offering another load in the same area to mitigate the carrier's loss.

3. Consider partial payments: If cancellation occurs with significant notice (8+ hours) but after confirmation, suggest a partial TONU of $75-100.

4. Document market conditions: In loose markets where carriers can easily find replacement loads, you might justifiably negotiate lower fees.

5. Maintain perspective: Remember that a $150 TONU is much less costly than the damage to your carrier relationships from refusing to pay a legitimate one.

I've found that carriers remembered which brokers honored TONU payments during challenging situations. This goodwill translated to better rates and capacity access during tight markets – well worth the occasional TONU expense.

Preventing TONU Situations

The best TONU is one you never have to pay. Here are effective prevention strategies:

1. Implement shipper commitments: Get written load confirmations from shippers before confirming carriers.

2. Stagger confirmations: Confirm carriers no more than 24 hours before pickup for volatile shippers.

3. Improve shipper communication: Use automated communication tools to maintain consistent updates with shippers.

4. Establish clear policies: Define TONU terms in your carrier packets so expectations are set upfront.

5. Leverage technology: Modern freight brokerage software can dramatically reduce TONUs through better coordination.

With AI-powered email assistants, you can automate regular check-ins with shippers about load status, identifying potential issues before you've dispatched a carrier. These systems also maintain a comprehensive communication record, which proves invaluable when TONU disputes arise.

How to Account for TONUs in Your Brokerage

Smart brokers don't just pay TONUs – they strategically manage them:

1. Track TONU expenses by shipper: Identify which customers generate the most cancellations.

2. Include TONU clauses in shipper agreements: For chronically problematic shippers, build TONU reimbursement into your contracts.

3. Analyze patterns: If certain lanes or times consistently produce TONUs, adjust your confirmation timing accordingly.

4. Build reserves: For volatile shippers, include a small margin buffer (0.5-1%) in your pricing to account for occasional TONUs.

One approach I've used successfully is to create a "reliability score" for each shipper. Those with lower scores receive more cautious carrier assignment protocols, while high-reliability shippers get priority service.

How Technology Reduces TONU Situations

Modern technology has significantly reduced TONU frequency for forward-thinking brokers. Advanced freight platforms help prevent TONUs through:

1. Automated verification: Carrier verification systems ensure you're working with reliable carriers less likely to create false TONU claims.

2. Intelligent scheduling: Systems that analyze shipper reliability patterns and suggest appropriate carrier confirmation timing.

3. Real-time updates: Automated communication tools maintain constant contact with both shippers and carriers, allowing quick pivots before TONU situations develop.

4. Carrier relationship management: Platforms that track which carriers have accepted or waived TONUs in the past, helping you build stronger relationships with flexible partners.

One broker using modern freight technology reduced their TONU expenses by 64% in the first quarter after implementation, simply through better coordination and communication automation.

Conclusion

TONUs represent a necessary cost of doing business in freight brokerage, but they don't have to be a significant drag on your profitability. By understanding when TONUs are appropriate, negotiating them fairly, implementing prevention strategies, and leveraging modern technology, you can minimize their impact while maintaining strong carrier relationships. Remember that properly managing TONUs isn't just about reducing expenses – it's about building a reputation as a broker that treats carriers fairly, which pays dividends in capacity access and competitive rates over the long term.