What is a rate confirmation?

The rate confirmation states the agreed rate, the pickup and delivery details, the reference numbers and any accessorial terms such as detention.

It is the document an invoice is checked against, which is why the numbers on it should be captured accurately rather than retyped from memory.

Detention, lumper and layover terms vary by broker and by load. Terms that are not written on the rate confirmation are difficult to bill for later.

It is the document a factoring company or a broker's accounts payable team asks for when an invoice is queried, so the copy that gets filed matters as much as the one that gets signed.

Accessorials agreed by phone after the rate confirmation is signed are the ones most often argued over later, which is why they are normally confirmed in writing on the same thread.