A practical first-pass checklist for freight billing leakage.
Use this before a deeper audit to separate document-backed discrepancies from items that are only suspicious. The goal is to preserve evidence, prioritize invoices with real recovery potential, and avoid counting unsupported assumptions as savings.
1. Collect the minimum evidence set
- Original invoice, invoice date and invoice number
- Contract, rate sheet, tariff or written quote that applies to the shipment
- Shipment / load / container identifier
- Pickup, delivery, availability and return timestamps when relevant
- Proof of accessorial event when a special charge was billed
- Any credit memo, dispute note or carrier correspondence already issued
2. Screen the invoice line by line
Does the billed rate differ from an explicit contractual or documented rate?
Is the same charge, shipment or accessorial represented more than once?
Is there documentary support for detention, liftgate, redelivery, inside delivery or another special service?
Do units, weight, class or billed quantity match the underlying shipment evidence?
Was the surcharge calculated from the contractually applicable base and period?
For Ocean D&D, preserve the invoice issue date and event dates so rule-based timing checks can be performed.
3. Assign an evidence grade
Invoice variance plus explicit support. Candidate for recovery review.
Potential issue, but one key document or event record is missing.
Looks unusual but lacks enough support to assign a recovery value.
4. Protect deadlines and dispute windows
Record the invoice date, date received, oldest charge age and any contractual or carrier dispute deadline. For Ocean demurrage and detention, the Federal Maritime Commission says the remaining billing rule includes invoice information requirements and a 30-day issuance deadline; applicability still depends on the actual invoice, dates and parties involved.
Primary source: Federal Maritime Commission advisory.
5. Keep four numbers separate
- Flagged exposure: charges worth reviewing.
- Evidence-backed candidate recovery: supported amount that can enter a recovery workflow.
- Open claim / dispute: not revenue and not recovered cash.
- Verified recovery: credit applied or refund received with supporting evidence.
Want the first batch screened?
Start with company, work email, recovery scope and approximate monthly volume. Sensitive invoices and shipment documents are not requested through the public form.
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