How to Invoice as a Trucking Business
Load-by-load invoicing for owner-operators and small carriers: start from the rate confirmation, bill linehaul and accessorials, pass on lumper fees, attach the delivery paperwork, and chase payment.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics, in its heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers profile (last modified August 27, 2026), says "These drivers deliver goods over intercity routes that sometimes span several states." It also says: "Drivers must record their hours in a logbook." For an owner-operator, each load's invoice has to line up with that paper trail: the rate confirmation, the delivery paperwork and the times at each stop.
Billed's trucking industry page explains the wider setup and quotes the federal freight-bill timing rules (US). This guide is the step-by-step version for a single load; the trucking and freight invoice templates give you a layout.
Worked example, with sample figures: a load with a flat linehaul rate of 1,850.00 on the rate confirmation. The truck waits 3 hours beyond the loading time the rate confirmation allows at the receiver, billed as detention at 50.00 an hour, 150.00. The driver pays a 95.00 lumper fee that the broker's confirmation says it reimburses; it's recorded as an expense for that broker and added when the load invoice is created. The invoice comes to 2,095.00, with the proof of delivery attached.
Step-by-step invoicing guide
- 1
Start from the rate confirmation
Bill what the shipper or broker confirmed: the linehaul rate and any accessorials it lists. Saving the charges you use on every load helps here: Billed's features page says you can "Save products and services in Billed App and pull these products quickly in your invoices."
- 2
Give each accessorial its own line
Detention, an extra stop or a layover: give each one a line. Billed's help center says: "Click 'Add a Line Item' and fill this section to charge against new items and services."
- 3
Pass on reimbursable fees you paid
Record lumper or scale fees as that broker's expenses. Billed's help center says "If there are any unbilled expenses of a particular client, you can add these expenses to the client's next invoice." It adds: "The expense will appear as a line item in the invoice."
- 4
Put the load number on the invoice
Add the load or PO number and the pickup and delivery dates as a note; the help center describes that field as the place for "additional details related to the transaction."
- 5
Attach the delivery paperwork
Send the bill of lading and proof of delivery with the bill. Billed's help center says "You can add attachments in the form of photos, PDFs, spreadsheets, or files in an invoice."
- 6
Set the due date from your terms
Use the payment terms on the rate confirmation. Billed's invoice software page says: "Set a due date on each invoice so your client knows when to pay."
- 7
Follow up until it's paid
Billed's help center says: "Turn on the 'Payment Reminders' option while creating or editing an invoice." It also says "You can set a schedule of payment reminders before and after the invoice's due date."
Tips for trucking invoicing
- Bill the load once the paperwork is in hand; the trucking industry page quotes the federal freight-bill timing rules (US).
- Keep your arrival and departure times for every stop, so a detention line can be backed up.
- After a broker pays, Billed's invoice software page says "After a client pays, you can send them a payment receipt."
- Ask an accountant how to treat fuel costs and reimbursed fees for tax.
Common invoicing mistakes to avoid
- Detention left off because no one wrote down the times
- Lumper receipts lost before they're billed
- A rate on the invoice that doesn't match the rate confirmation
- Invoices sent without the proof of delivery the broker asks for
How this works in Billed
Saved load charges
Save linehaul, detention and stop-off charges and pull them into each load's invoice.
Accessorials on separate lines
Each extra charge gets a line of its own, with its rate and quantity.
Reimbursed fees from expenses
Lumper or scale fees you recorded for a broker go on their next invoice.
Paperwork attached
Attach the bill of lading and proof of delivery as PDFs or photos.
Due dates and reminders
Set the due date from your terms and schedule reminders around it.
Frequently asked questions
Start Invoicing With Billed
Set up your account and send your first invoice with Billed.
At a glance
| Item | How to bill it |
|---|---|
| Linehaul | Rate from the rate confirmation |
| Detention or extra stop | A separate line |
| Lumper fee you paid | Expense added to the next invoice |
| Bill of lading, proof of delivery | Attached to the invoice |
When this isn't for you
If the way you bill your loads today already works for you, there's no need to switch.