GuidesFreight overcharges
Carrier billing audit — finding overcharges before they stick
The short version
- Carrier bills stack rates, fuel, accessorials—spreadsheet audits break at mid-market volume.
- Flag fuel above contract, wrong zones, duplicate accessorials, detention/reweigh/dim, bad minimums.
- Cite contract, file claims, track to credit—posted credit or refund is the only recovery signal.
Logistics and finance leaders search for carrier billing audit when they know transporters overbill — often 2–5% of spend — but lack bandwidth to verify every invoice. Here is what to check, in plain language.
Why carrier invoices are hard to trust by eye
A single freight invoice can stack base rate, fuel, residential, detention, reweigh, and minimum charges. Your contract may allow some of those — and forbid others. Spreadsheet audits break when you have multiple carriers and hundreds of shipments per month.
Typical mid-market profiles: 50–500 shipments/month, 3–15 carriers, $5M–$100M annual freight spend. That volume is exactly where systematic carrier billing audit pays for itself.
Checklist: what a carrier billing audit should flag
Each flag should show billed vs correct vs recoverable. Without that, you cannot file a credible claim.
- Fuel surcharge billed above the contracted index or percentage
- Base rate or zone that does not match the lane agreement
- Duplicate accessorial lines (e.g. residential charged twice)
- Detention, reweigh, or dimensional weight charges not in your agreement
- Minimum charge applied when a lower contracted rate applies
What to do after you find an error
Document the line, cite the contract clause or rate sheet cell, and open a claim on the carrier portal or with your account rep. Track status until credit or refund posts — that is the only signal that matters.
RecoverAudit automates the audit step and can file claims on your behalf under a contingency model. Start with a free pilot on 10 invoices to see your actual recoverable dollars.
Example line-level output (synthetic)
| Issue | Billed | Correct | Recoverable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel surcharge vs contract | $412.00 | $367.50 | $44.50 |
| Residential delivery — duplicate | $85.00 | $0.00 | $85.00 |
| Base rate — wrong zone | $1,240.00 | $1,180.00 | $60.00 |
Recoverable on this invoice: $189.50
FAQ
How often should we run a carrier billing audit?
Do all carriers overcharge the same way?
What if we only have PDFs?
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These guides answer searches around freight and AP invoice audit — not workflow automation or generic AI chat. RecoverAudit is an independent contingency audit service.