--- title: Why your LTL invoice doesn't match your quote description: LTL invoices often come in higher than the quote. Here is how class, density, reweighs and accessorials cause it, and what to check on your last 30 days. --- [![Vado Freight](https://www.vadofreight.com/hubfs/logo-for-dark-backgrounds.png)](https://www.vadofreight.com/) [Home](https://www.vadofreight.com/) [Load Calculator](https://www.vadofreight.com/pallet-load-calculator) [Technology](https://www.vadofreight.com/technology) [About](https://www.vadofreight.com/about) [Learn](https://www.vadofreight.com/learn) [Client Login](https://www.vadofreight.com/contact) [Contact](https://www.vadofreight.com/contact) [Home](https://www.vadofreight.com/) [Load Calculator](https://www.vadofreight.com/pallet-load-calculator) [Technology](https://www.vadofreight.com/technology) [About](https://www.vadofreight.com/about) [Learn](https://www.vadofreight.com/learn) [Client Login](https://www.vadofreight.com/contact) [Get a Quote](https://www.vadofreight.com/contact) [Learn](https://www.vadofreight.com/learn) # Why your LTL invoice doesn't match your quote David Derringer· October 26, 2026 You got a quote, booked the shipment, and the invoice came in higher. It happens on a lot of LTL freight, and it is rarely random. Almost every gap between quote and invoice comes from one of four things: class, weight, dimensions, or accessorials. Once you know which one hit you, most of them are preventable. ## How an LTL rate is built An LTL price is not a flat number for a pallet. The carrier starts from a base rate for the lane, adjusts it for the freight class and the billed weight, adds a fuel surcharge, and then adds any accessorial services. The quote is only as accurate as the details that went into it. If the carrier finds something different at pickup or at the terminal, the invoice changes to match what they found. ## Class now comes mostly from density Freight class runs from 50 to 500. The higher the class, the higher the rate per pound. For years, class was assigned mostly by what the product was. Today, for most commodities, class follows density: how many pounds your shipment weighs per cubic foot of space it takes up on the trailer. Here is how to work it out for one pallet: 1. Measure length, width and height in inches, including the pallet itself and anything hanging over the edge. 2. Multiply them together and divide by 1,728. That gives you cubic feet. 3. Divide the total weight, pallet included, by the cubic feet. That is your density in pounds per cubic foot. Example: a 48 x 40 pallet stacked 60 inches high, weighing 800 pounds. 48 x 40 x 60 = 115,200. Divided by 1,728, that is about 66.7 cubic feet. 800 pounds divided by 66.7 is about 12 pounds per cubic foot, which lands around class 85. The same pallet at 1,200 pounds is 18 pounds per cubic foot and drops to around class 70, a lower rate per pound. Some products are still classed by what they are rather than by density, so treat the math as a strong estimate and confirm the class for your commodity before you rely on it. If you ship under an FAK, a blanket class negotiated years ago, check it against your real density. Freight that has become denser since then may rate better on its own. ## Reweighs and reclasses Carriers check freight at their terminals with scales and dimensioning equipment. If the weight or dimensions on the bill of lading are off, they bill what they measured, and many add an inspection fee on top. The most common causes: - Weight estimated instead of weighed, or the pallet itself left out of the total. - Height measured to the top of the boxes but not including the pallet underneath. - Freight that overhangs the pallet, which adds to the billed dimensions. - A class chosen from an old habit instead of the shipment's actual density. A reclass can change the whole rate, not just add a fee. Accurate numbers on the bill of lading are the cheapest fix there is. ## Accessorials that were never in the quote Accessorials are services beyond moving freight from dock to dock. They are real costs, and they only surprise you when nobody asked about them up front. The usual ones: - **Liftgate** at pickup or delivery when there is no loading dock. - **Residential** pickup or delivery, including home based businesses. - **Limited access** locations such as schools, construction sites, storage units, churches and military bases. - **Appointment or notify before delivery**, when the receiver requires a call or a set time. - **Inside delivery**, past the dock door or into the building. If any of these apply, they belong in the quote. Adding them before pickup costs less than having the carrier add them afterward. ## What to check on your last 30 days of invoices Pull your LTL invoices from the past month and look at each one for: - Any line marked reweigh, reclass, inspection or correction. - The billed class compared with the class on your bill of lading. - Accessorial charges you did not expect, and whether they repeat on the same lanes. - The same lane billed at noticeably different prices from week to week. Patterns show up fast. A receiver that always needs a liftgate, a product that always gets reclassed, a class you set years ago and never revisited. Each one is a fixable cost. ## Want a second look? Send us your freight invoices from the last 30 days. LTL invoices carry the class, weight and accessorials, so we can re-rate the same lanes and show you where the gaps are, side by side. No commitment. [Get a quote](https://www.vadofreight.com/contact). Want a second look? Send your lanes and freight details and David will review them, or size the shipment first with the load calculator. [Get a quote](https://www.vadofreight.com/contact) [Open the load calculator](https://www.vadofreight.com/pallet-load-calculator) [Play Beat the cutoff](https://www.vadofreight.com/beat-the-cutoff) Vado Freight LLC  ·  Digital freight, automated Freight brokered by Priority-1, Inc. (MC-312916). 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