Who owes carriers money
Freight brokers are the most common debtor. The shipper paid the broker, the broker pays the carrier, and somewhere in between the money stops. Shippers that book direct, third-party logistics companies, and freight forwarders are next. Then there are recourse invoices: freight bills your factoring company could not collect and charged back to you, which puts the account right back on your books.
How carriers get stiffed
- The broker that goes quiet. Loads delivered, invoices sent, calls unanswered. New authority, no credit history, and a phone that rings out. Some of these brokers were never going to pay anyone.
- Double brokering. The broker you booked with handed the load to another broker or carrier without telling anyone. Money changes hands between parties you never agreed to, and the carrier that actually hauled the freight is last in line.
- The paperwork stall. The invoice is rejected because the proof of delivery is missing a signature, the rate confirmation was not attached, or the lumper receipt was not included. Every resubmission restarts their payment clock.
- Denied accessorials. Detention, layover, truck-ordered-not-used, and lumper fees billed and never paid, or short-paid off the top of the freight bill with no agreement.
- The unilateral claim deduction. A cargo claim or a late-delivery penalty is deducted from your freight bill without any finding that you owed it.
- The broker that folds. A broker's surety bond is limited and shared among every carrier it owes. Claimants who move fast get something; the rest get a letter.
Warning signs an account is going bad
- Payment terms quietly stretch from 30 days to 45 to 60.
- The accounts payable contact changes, or stops answering, and nobody else can help.
- Remit-to or bank details change without notice.
- Partial payments with no explanation of the shortfall.
- The broker is still posting loads while owing you for the last three.
What to do before you place the account
Pull everything for each load: the rate confirmation, the bill of lading, the signed proof of delivery, the invoice, any accessorial backup (gate times, detention logs, lumper receipts), and every email or message about payment. Confirm the balance, including any recourse chargeback from your factor. Send one final written demand with a date. Then stop chasing and place it.
How we collect for trucking companies
A broker that owes you for a delivered load is a commercial debt, and business-to-business debt is our core work. We investigate the broker or shipper, understand how their business runs, and apply pressure on every front: daily contact, demand letters, and settlement negotiation. Disputed detention and accessorial balances are part of that work; our negotiators resolve disputed and contested claims without the cost of private mediation.
If the debtor has moved or gone quiet, our skip tracers locate them and identify assets so recovery targets the money that is actually there. If direct collection stalls, the file goes to an attorney in or near the debtor's area from a network of more than 500 collection and litigation attorneys, and you decide whether to sue. A judgment you already hold is only paper until it is collected; we pursue enforcement through the same network.
The terms are the same for one freight bill or a hundred: no recovery, no fee, with your rate agreed before you sign anything and 24/7 online access to every account.
Common follow-up questions
Can a collection agency collect from a freight broker?
Yes. A broker that owes you for a delivered load is a commercial debt. We investigate the broker, contact them daily, send demand letters, and escalate to an attorney in or near their area when needed.
Can you collect a recourse invoice my factoring company sent back?
Yes. Once it is back on your books it is a past-due invoice like any other. Place it with us and we go after the customer who never paid.
What if they dispute the detention or accessorial charges?
Disputed balances are part of our core work. Send the backup (gate times, logs, receipts, the rate confirmation) and our negotiators work the contested amount along with the rest of the freight bill.
Talk to us
Tell us about the accounts and we put together a free assessment, usually within one business day. Request a free consultation, contact us, or call 321-710-3530. Ready now? Place a claim and we go to work today. No recovery, no fee.