Glossary · Trucking Operations
Truck Order Not Used (TONU).
Compensation paid to a carrier when a load is cancelled after the truck is dispatched but before pickup; partial payment for the trip.
What it is
TONU — Truck Order Not Used — is a partial payment owed to the carrier when a confirmed load is cancelled after the truck has dispatched (committed to the lane) but before pickup. The carrier has already burned time, fuel, and deadhead miles repositioning to origin; TONU is the compensation for that committed effort.
Typical range is $150–$500 depending on the broker, the lane length, and how much the carrier sank before the cancel. TONU is not required by FMCSA — it's contractual, not regulatory — but it's standard industry practice on legitimate carrier-broker relationships. The terms are documented in the rate confirmation or in a follow-up email when the cancel happens. TONU is not the same as detention (excessive loading time) or layover (forced overnight wait); it's specifically a pre-pickup cancellation payment.
Some brokers refuse TONU on certain spot-market lanes — read the rate confirmation before accepting the load. A rate con with no TONU clause and a sketchy broker is a flag.
Why it matters for trucking finance
TONU is the difference between a cancelled load being a wash and a real loss. Brokers who refuse to pay TONU are signaling something — usually that they don't value the carrier relationship, and the carrier should weight that broker accordingly in the lane mix.
For owner-operators, knowing which brokers honor TONU (and which don't) is part of the broker-mix evaluation that drives long-run profitability. Factoring companies treat TONU charges like any other invoiced amount — billable as long as the broker confirms in writing. Make the broker put the TONU agreement in email or on a revised rate confirmation before walking away; verbal agreements don't factor.
Related terms
- Accessorial Charges — Additional fees on a freight bill beyond the base line-haul rate — detention, lumper, layover, fuel surcharge, tolls, etc.
- Detention Pay — Compensation paid to a carrier when loading or unloading takes longer than the contractually free time (typically 2 hours).
- Layover — Compensation paid when a driver is required to wait overnight or longer at a pickup/delivery beyond normal turnaround time; typically $100–$250/day.
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