1. Check your paperwork
Make sure you sent a clean invoice with the signed rate con, BOL and POD, to the right billing email. Missing or blurry paperwork is the most common reason pay is late.
2. Follow up in writing
Call accounting, then email: load number, amount, date delivered, and copies of everything. Ask for a payment date. Keep every reply.
3. Send a final notice
If the payment terms on the rate con have passed, send a firm written notice with a deadline, for example 10 days, and say what you'll do next.
4. File on the broker's bond
Every licensed broker must carry a $75,000 bond or trust fund. You can file a claim with the bond company listed on the broker's FMCSA record. Freight charges are usually covered. Extras like detention are often harder to collect.
5. Small claims court
For smaller amounts, small claims court is cheap and you usually don't need a lawyer. Your signed rate con is your contract.
Prevent it next time
Check a broker's credit and days-to-pay before you book, avoid brokers with many complaints, and use factoring with credit checks. A dispatcher who does this on every load saves you from most bad payers.
Dispatch from 4%, or run under our authority from 15%.
Quick answers
How long do brokers have to pay?
Whatever the rate con says. Often 30 days. Quick pay is faster but costs a fee.
What is a broker bond claim?
A claim you file with the company that issued the broker's $75,000 bond, to get paid for freight the broker didn't pay for.
More guides: Forced vs non-forced dispatch · Loads with a new MC · Dispatch fees explained · Lease on vs own MC · How to choose a dispatcher · Box truck loads (no CDL) · Hotshot loads guide · Best load boards · Get your MC & DOT number · Factoring explained · IFTA filing guide · Cargo van loads guide · Brokers won't load new MC · Detention, layover & TONU · Spot double brokering · Your cost per mile · Rate con checklist
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