Accessorial
Accessorial (also "accessorial charge") is any extra service fee added to a freight shipment beyond the base line haul rate. Common accessorials: liftgate, residential delivery, inside delivery, limited-access location, appointment scheduling, sort-and-segregate, hazmat handling, detention. Each accessorial has its own fee — and most carriers bill them retroactively, after the truck arrives and discovers the need.
Why it matters
Accessorials are the #1 source of invoice surprises in LTL shipping. A shipment quoted at $400 can rebill to $700 once a $150 liftgate fee, a $75 residential fee, and a $50 appointment fee are added at delivery. For high-volume shippers, accessorials add 20-40% to annual freight spend — usually un-budgeted.
When to use it
Pre-declare every applicable accessorial at booking time so the rate quote includes them upfront. For delivery locations without docks, always specify liftgate + residential. For non-business-park delivery, specify limited-access.
How Warp thinks about it
Warp builds all common accessorials into the per-pallet rate at booking. There is no post-shipment accessorial bill, no after-the-fact $150 charge. Specify the destination type at booking and the rate already covers liftgate, residential, inside, or appointment requirements.
Frequently asked questions about accessorial
What is accessorial?
Accessorial (also "accessorial charge") is any extra service fee added to a freight shipment beyond the base line haul rate. Common accessorials: liftgate, residential delivery, inside delivery, limited-access location, appointment scheduling, sort-and-segregate, hazmat handling, detention. Each accessorial has its own fee — and most carriers bill them retroactively, after the truck arrives and discovers the need.
Why does accessorial matter in freight?
Accessorials are the #1 source of invoice surprises in LTL shipping. A shipment quoted at $400 can rebill to $700 once a $150 liftgate fee, a $75 residential fee, and a $50 appointment fee are added at delivery. For high-volume shippers, accessorials add 20-40% to annual freight spend — usually un-budgeted.
When should you use accessorial?
Pre-declare every applicable accessorial at booking time so the rate quote includes them upfront. For delivery locations without docks, always specify liftgate + residential. For non-business-park delivery, specify limited-access.
How does Warp handle accessorial?
Warp builds all common accessorials into the per-pallet rate at booking. There is no post-shipment accessorial bill, no after-the-fact $150 charge. Specify the destination type at booking and the rate already covers liftgate, residential, inside, or appointment requirements.