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TONU: how to bill truck ordered, not used

TONU (truck ordered, not used) is a fee a carrier bills when a booked load is cancelled after the agreed cutoff. TONU charges generally range from $150 to $300, according to Truckstop.

By Clovrr ·

When TONU applies

Truckstop describes TONU as a cancellation fee after the agreed cutoff, which is typically same-day. Common reasons it lists are product not ready, a border delay, or a customer cancelling.

Whether you get paid depends on your terms. Check your rate confirmation and broker-carrier agreement for:

  • The TONU amount. A flat fee, or a fee plus deadhead miles.
  • The cutoff. How late the broker can cancel without owing TONU.
  • The trigger. Whether the truck must be dispatched, en route or already at the shipper.
  • The billing window. How many days you have to submit the charge.

If the rate con says nothing about TONU, you can still ask. Payment is then up to the broker.

Proof to keep

A TONU claim is about timing. You need to show when the load was cancelled and what the truck had already done.

  • The rate con with the pickup time and any TONU clause.
  • The cancellation message. Save the email or text with its timestamp. If it came by phone, send a short email confirming the call.
  • Dispatch record. Your dispatch log or message to the driver with the time you sent the truck.
  • ELD location. An ELD records date, time and location at each duty status change, under 49 CFR 395.26. It can show where the truck was when the cancellation came.

How to send the claim

  1. 01Reply to the cancellation the same day. Say you'll bill TONU under the rate con.
  2. 02Invoice the TONU on its own, under the original load number.
  3. 03Attach the rate con, the cancellation message and the ELD or dispatch record.
  4. 04Send it inside the billing window and follow up until it's paid or denied in writing.

If you factor, send the TONU invoice the way your factoring agreement requires.

Some brokers offer a replacement load instead of TONU. Decide before you accept. Get the agreement in writing either way.

Example · fictional numbersExample: one TONU claim (fictional numbers)
Rate con terms
TONU $200 if cancelled after the truck is dispatched
Pickup appointment
9:00 a.m.
Truck dispatched
6:10 a.m. (dispatch text)
Load cancelled
6:40 a.m. (broker email)
Truck location at cancellation
48 miles out (ELD)
Claim
$200 TONU, with rate con, email and ELD record attached

These numbers are made up to show the paperwork. Your rate con sets the real amount and cutoff.

Common questions

Is TONU the same as a cancellation fee?
Yes. TONU is the trucking name for a fee charged when a booked truck is cancelled after the cutoff.
What if the cancellation came by phone?
Send the broker a short email right away confirming the time of the call. That email becomes your record.
Can I bill TONU and deadhead miles?
Only if your rate confirmation or a written agreement says so. Check your rate confirmation and broker-carrier agreement.

Sources

  1. Truckstop, “Accessorial charges every freight broker needs to know (and what they cost),” June 11, 2026. Accessed October 1, 2026.
  2. 49 CFR § 395.26, ELD data automatically recorded (Cornell Legal Information Institute). Accessed October 1, 2026.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Your rate confirmation and broker-carrier agreement set the terms for each load.