Who normally pays the trucking company, the shipper or the receiver?

I would imagine the shipper pays the shipping company but consignee ends up paying through the price of goods.

Sort of a shipping and handling charge.

 

It all depends a lot of times the shipper pays, but just as much maybe even more whoever is buying the goods pay.

 

Sometimes neither. Some transactions like blind shipments there is a middle man. Even when it's not blind there is a middle man sometimes.

 

one way to tell who's paying the carrier if your bills say prepaid the shipper is paying,if collect the receiver is paying.

 

The receiver can actually be the "shipping customer" (not to be confused with shipper) It depends on the terms of agreement between buyer and seller of product. Sometimes the selling customer actually arranges payment and transport and sometimes the receiver arranges to have their order picked up because they are responsible for arranging transport of their purchased goods. No way to tell really.. (in advance without looking at BOL) and like OP said, sometimes it's a middleman with a blind shipment.

 

It can be shipper pay or receiver pay. The BOL will usually make it somewhat clear. My big customer pays for the shippers to make & ship parts. However, if the supplier or trucking company cause a need for an expedite or extra load, the guilty party pays. IIRC.

 

Here's a short article I found, this is the way I have understood it for many years now:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/thecle...e-difference-between-prepaid-and-collect/amp/

 

It varies. We do a lot of "customer pickups" for a large national food service company. But then again we do a lot of work with shippers who pay us direct, and there are a number of other possibilities that are just as likely.

 

you guys overthink this, it is simple ... it doesn't matter. There are maybe 100 different combinations including non-connected 3p entities that pay for it. BUT it doesn't matter.

"I think that shippers might just be called shippers to distinguish them from the receivers."

Let's talk about using the right terms.

Shipper is where it originates from, the consignee is the one who assumes the responsibility of payment for it, the receiver is where the transfer happens and can be a consignee but not always.