More Carriers Are Using Third-Party Accessorial Verification

What are third-party accessorial verifiers, and what they mean for your final invoice

We’ve been getting a steady stream of questions about accessorial charges that appear regarding your pickup or delivery. Residential delivery, limited access, liftgates, and similar additional services have been popping up more and more.

The reason you’re seeing these fees is that many LTL carriers are plugging location-intelligence services into their pricing and billing workflows.

When the system classifies your pickup or delivery address as residential or limited access, the carrier’s transportation management system (TMS) automatically adds the charges. In most cases, there is little room to dispute those fees later because the location classification is part of the carrier’s own internal and uniform process.

Our role at Freightera is to help you understand how this works, how to avoid surprises up front, and when our Rate Defense™ applies to protect you from unfair carrier charges.

The verifiers’ role in the carrier workflow

A third-party accessorial verifier provides an API that takes an address and returns location attributes used by carriers or brokers (and in some cases even shippers), such as location type (residential, limited access, commercial), and even operational hints such as dock or forklift availability. Carriers integrate this data into their quoting or dispatch systems so potential accessorials are detected as soon as they receive a request, so they can adjust billing instantly. This has led to more and more carriers adopting the system.

Why carriers automate this step

Determining the location type manually for every shipment is hard work, which requires more and more manpower, the higher a carrier’s volume. A consignee might be a home-based business, a school gym with no dock, or a construction site behind a locked gate. Carriers need the right equipment and time slot allowances in advance, so shortening the verification process is doubly important.

Location-intelligence systems also reduce calls and surprises. They standardize how an address is classified against the carrier’s tariff, and they allow drivers to arrive prepared. Unfortunately for shippers, this means that the carrier is much less likely to take your fee removal request into consideration.

The location types that commonly trigger fees

LTL tariffs distinguish between commercial and residential addresses and define limited access as places that are harder to reach, gated communities or locations, or simply take more time to serve. Some examples of limited access locations are schools, churches, storage facilities, farms, military bases, prisons, and construction sites.

The reason fees exist is pretty straightforward: these stops may involve security checks, appointment windows, tighter maneuvering, line-haul detours, or added handling time, all of which increase carrier cost. We can describe limited access and residential surcharges as compensating carriers for extra service time and constraints at the stop.

Residential areas often require additional permits, they suffer from urban sprawl, which means they tend to be less dense, and naturally, they don’t have loading docks as opposed to commercial zones. This means that they require liftgates and add additional transit time. That difference is why it usually costs more to deliver to a home than to a business.

Why accessorial disputes are harder now

When a carrier’s system has an address classified by a verification service, the related accessorials move from a judgment call at the terminal to a pre-coded decision tied to that location. The carrier can simply point to a consistent rule set when an address hits their residential/limited-access/liftgate required ping on their 3rd party service.

Unexpected accessorials are often added only after delivery if the shipment required services not selected during quoting, which is exactly what these tools aim to standardize. The good news is that you’ll be notified of the additional charges ahead of time. The bad news is that there will usually be very little you can do.

This means that disputing the limited access/residential fee is difficult once the carrier has a classification on file. The more effective strategy is to catch and confirm the location type before booking, which is what Freightera’s Rate Defense™ aims to do.

How to reduce surprise fees without adding friction

The best defense is accurate information up front. Confirm the final packed dimensions and weight, and double-check location details with your shipper or consignee: Is there a dock? Is a forklift available? Are there gates, appointment requirements, or security procedures? If you know you’ll need a liftgate or an appointment, request those accessorials when getting your quote. Checking for and requesting these services on time will prevent unnecessary redeliveries, delays, and rebills.

Assume the carrier may classify any business in a residential area as residential or limited access and make sure to get your all-inclusive freight quote right away, not just a partial one.

Where Freightera’s Rate Defense™ begins and ends

There is an important distinction between legitimate accessorials and unfair ones. Our Rate Defense™ exists to protect you from unfair carrier charges when your shipment details during booking match facts. If a fee appears regarding the location type when what you entered was correct, or the services you actually received, we will challenge it.

At the same time, if a carrier’s integrated data source classifies the address as residential or limited access and this wasn’t caught on time, the carriers will uphold the fee, and we typically cannot overturn it. Rate Defense is about fairness and accuracy, not eliminating valid charges.

If you believe your location doesn’t fit the description applied by the carrier, please feel free to let us know. A Google maps screenshot or photos are very helpful in disputing such charges.

A short note on how AVs classify locations

Third-party accessorial verification software services correlate their location types with categories used in LTL shipping and generate a database from a geospatial framework. The API returns location attributes (and sometimes required accessorials) from its database and suggests accessorials based on the carrier’s tariff and rules.

What it all means for you, the shipper

Location-intelligence tools are becoming standard in LTL shipping because they save time, and reduce guesswork. As that adoption grows, accessorials tied to residential, limited access, and special handling will be applied more consistently by carriers. You can avoid most surprises by confirming details up front and selecting the right services at booking. If you’re ever unsure whether your location should be classified one way or another, please don’t hesitate to contact us via online chat, by email, or call us at (800) 886 4870.

When a charge is inaccurate or unfair, Rate Defense™ is there to back you up. Don’t believe us? Register now for free and see it all in action for yourself!