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On occasion, intermodal trucking carriers will have to do something on a load that was not included in the original trip instructions.

Whether they are extra steps, service events or waiting at a warehouse, live issues can crop up whenever. To account for these extra steps, carriers will receive additional compensation on top of the rate for the drayage load. These come in the form of intermodal accessorials, which essentially refer to the additional charges that need to be paid to a carrier.

Because there are so many different situations that can come up on a trip, there are also multiple types of accessorials with different rates that will compensate for this. We’re going to go over some of the most common accessorials that carriers will experience when hauling intermodal loads.

Detention

Carrier detention occurs when a driver is stuck at a warehouse waiting to get loaded/unloaded. This does not apply for any time spent at the rail yard trying to pick up the container. For a live load/unload, detention kicks in two-hours into a driver’s time at the warehouse, and after one-hour for a drop & hook. What’s most important to understand is that the driver must arrive on time for detention to be valid. If a driver isn’t on time, the customer may reject detention if it’s requested. It will also be important for the driver to record their in and out times on the proof of delivery (POD) and bill of lading (BOL) to verify detention time.

Lumper Fee

This type of accessorial occurs when the services of third-party workers not affiliated with the warehouse are utilized to help load/unload the intermodal container. In this scenario, the driver will receive a lumper receipt that will be used as documentation for payment.

Stop Off

When a stop off is added as an accessorial, it usually means that the driver had to complete additional stops that were not included on the order but are essential to completing the trip. Examples include a driver having to go to another location to get the container or if the driver needs to head to another location to get reworked.

Chassis Split

Specific to intermodal, a chassis split happens when the chassis and drayage container are in two different places. The usual scenario is the for the container to already be mounted to the correct chassis and ready to be outgated. The chassis and container in separate locations creates more work for the driver and adds to the time spent at the rail yard so they are compensated for this.

Accessorials on the DrayNow App

On the DrayNow load board app, carriers add accessorials at the end of each trip so that they can be paid for their additional time and effort on top of the trip’s rate. Having the ability to upload all the documentation for accessorials all in one place is key to making sure that carriers can get paid for every kind of scenario that came up on the trip and required an accessorial.

Accessorials are always going to be a part of intermodal trucking. With DrayNow, we aim to make the entire process as smooth as possible for the carrier.