TONU, please read about the trick

Generally accepted rule for TONU is that it isn't owed unless the truck is dispatched to the shipper. You made a mistake by not telling him the truth when he called.

 

6wheeler - Sorry to hear about your luck and hopefully you were able to get the truck back under a load quickly. The most I ever saw on a TONU was $175.00 and there was 6 trucks sitting at a shipper when the owner came out and said none of the product was going to pass QC. A few minutes later the broker called and said she was sending out TONU to all the trucks that were there. At least it was the truth about what happened when you see 6 trucks take off all pissed off.

 

And why would you tell the broker your getting unloaded if your actually in route? Why not tell him your in route. Normally do not get TONU fee is truck is not in route or at the shipper. It is what you told the broker. This falls real close to getting detention and we all should know about collecting detention pay.

The normal fee for TONO is $150 and this is not based on deadhead mileage. I haven't gotten more when the deadhead is really high but the miles do not normally change the fee. I've also gotten cheated out of it at the big shippers like the steel mills.

 

The fee is whatever you agreed to when you accepted the load, and should be stated either in your carrier/broker agreement or on the rate confirmation for the load. The fee is negotiable and varies. If the truck has been dispatched by the broker and the load subsequently cancels, the TONU is due, regardless of your location or whether or not you've turned a wheel towards the shipper.

 

If the broker doesn't pay, bill the shipper you were supposed to pick up from or deliver to if you have that info. Throw the broker under the bus! Shipper always has to pay! Regardless.

 

Key to brokering is documentation. Broker should not dispatch a load without documents to support load so shipper can be help responsible. If broker dispatched without po or something from shipper, the broker is just not a good broker! (and you can bet won't pay tonu) Someone should and would have to pay if load was handled properly from the get go!

If shipper has a habit of canceling loads, then all I can say is they are getting away with it by using brokers to take the fall for their mistakes and using brokers that scam drivers! Beware! I used to charge my customers 50.00 just to start a truck engine, whether truck left yard or had dead head miles or not. Theres a lot to consider in a tonu charge.
Lay over with dead head could be a hefty, but fair, tonu.

just saying...