LTL
Outsourced LTL audit and back-office operations for brokers and carriers
LTL billing has far more fields that can go wrong per invoice than truckload. Freight class, dimensions, reweigh charges and a long list of delivery accessorials all need to be right. The 2025-2026 NMFC density-based reclassification made class verification harder still. Items classified one way for years now fall into different classes. We run LTL audit and the billing behind it. Class and weight get verified before your invoice goes out, and before a carrier invoice gets paid.
THE LTL BACK OFFICE
Built for class-based billing complexity
LTL billing is not FTL billing at a smaller scale. Every shipment is priced by weight, freight class, and dimensions. Reclassification and reweigh charges show up after the initial invoice. Accessorials like liftgate, inside delivery, residential surcharge, limited access, and notify before delivery each have their own rules and rates. Consolidation adds multi-stop complexity.
The error rate on LTL invoicing is proportionally higher because there are more variables per shipment. LTL auditing and billing run on one desk: carrier invoice audit with class and weight verification, shipper billing with accurate accessorials, reweigh dispute management, and accounts receivable (AR) follow-up.
Volume is the multiplier on every LTL billing problem. Hundreds of small invoices a week mean a modest error rate still produces dozens of disputes, and reweighs or reclassifications change invoices after the fact, so the bill you sent is not always the bill that stands. Freight class rules keep evolving, which makes class verification on both the carrier and customer side a standing task rather than a setup step. Operations that treat LTL billing as high-volume production work, with class checks and accessorial capture built into the line, keep margins that per-shipment firefighting gives away.
- Carrier invoice audit with freight class and weight verification
- Shipper billing with dimensional pricing and accessorials
- Reweigh and reclassification dispute management
- Liftgate, inside delivery, and limited access fee billing
- Accounts receivable (AR) follow-up and collections
- Multi-stop and consolidation billing
99%
Invoice Accuracy
↓30%+
DSO Reduction
<24h
POD Chase
Where does LTL margin leak?
Freight class errors compound
An incorrect freight class changes the rate. When the class on the carrier invoice does not match the class on the customer invoice, margin disappears. Reclassifications that come in after initial billing often go unadjusted on the customer side.
Reweigh charges accepted without verification
Carriers reweigh LTL shipments and adjust charges when the actual weight exceeds the billed weight. Those reweigh charges are often accepted without comparing them to the original BOL weight, and the adjustment is not always passed through to the customer.
Delivery accessorials not captured
Liftgate, inside delivery, residential surcharge, limited access, and notify before delivery charges are easy to miss when the shipment details change between booking and delivery. If dispatch adds a liftgate at delivery and billing does not know, it never makes the invoice.
Density and class miscalculated
Dimensions drive density, density drives freight class, and class plus actual weight drives the rate. A dimension captured wrong at pickup reclasses the shipment and moves the invoice. Errors in dimension capture or density calculation create billing discrepancies.
LTL invoices reclass and reweigh more than any other mode. The freight invoice audit checklist includes an LTL-specific version, and LTL invoice audit runs it on every bill.
How we run your LTL back office
- 1
Discovery
We review your carrier tariff structures, customer class requirements, dimensional billing rules, and the accessorial codes your operation uses most.
- 2
Onboarding
The billing team learns your class verification procedures, carrier tariff structures, and customer-specific accessorial rules. Go-live is about 2 to 3 weeks.
- 3
Ongoing operations
Carrier invoice audit with class and weight verification, shipper billing with accessorials, reweigh dispute management, and AR follow-up run on every shipment.
- 4
You scale
Higher shipment counts do not mean more billing headcount. The class-level detail is already covered.
Back-office services for LTL operations
Class-based billing is where LTL money leaks. A dedicated team runs the functions you hand off, to your SOP, inside your TMS. Most LTL operations start with one function and add more once the first runs clean.
Carrier invoice audit and accounts payable (AP)
Learn more →Every LTL carrier invoice gets audited before payment: freight class and NMFC verified, reweighs and reclasses challenged with documentation, FAK agreements applied, duplicates caught. We code approved invoices and prep the payment run.
Billing support and invoice preparation
Learn more →Customer invoices go out with class, weight, and accessorials matched to the rate agreement, backup attached, and EDI and portal submissions handled to spec. Fewer rejections and short pays downstream.
Document processing and POD retrieval
Learn more →Delivery receipts, weight and inspection certificates, and reweigh documentation, collected from carrier portals and inboxes, indexed to the shipment, and handed to billing ready to invoice.
Accounts receivable (AR) management and collections
Learn more →Aging worked on a set cadence, short pays disputed with the class and weight documentation that wins them, escalations flagged to you early. Collections that run on schedule, not on spare time.
Pre-billing revenue recovery
Learn more →When ClearLane runs your billing, every shipment gets checked before invoicing: accessorials against the rate agreement, reweighs and reclasses against what was quoted. Missed charges get billed instead of written off. Priced on performance.
Carrier compliance and onboarding
Learn more →LTL carrier setups done to your requirements: authority, certificate of insurance (COI), FMCSA safety data, W-9. We watch the base after onboarding and flag lapses early.
What LTL operations get back
The result is a back office that handles the complexity your freight demands:
- Freight class verified on every carrier and customer invoice
- Reweigh charges disputed when they do not match the BOL
- Delivery accessorials captured and billed accurately
- Dimensional pricing verified against actual dimensions
- Carrier invoices audited before payment
- Consistent AR follow-up that keeps days sales outstanding (DSO) down
Works inside the systems you already run
We work inside the TMS platforms you already use for LTL quoting, dispatch, and billing, with no migration and no new software to learn.
Frequently asked questions
Can ClearLane handle freight class verification for LTL?
Yes. We verify the freight class on every carrier invoice against the BOL and the NMFC classification. When a reclassification or reweigh comes in, we compare it to the original shipment data and dispute it if the adjustment is not supported.
How do you handle LTL accessorial billing?
Every LTL accessorial, including liftgate, inside delivery, residential surcharge, limited access, and notify before delivery, is verified against the shipment details and billed to the customer per the agreed rates. When an accessorial is added at delivery, we capture it and include it on the customer invoice.
What does LTL back-office support include?
LTL back-office support covers carrier invoice audit with freight class and weight verification, shipper billing with accessorials and dimensional pricing, reweigh and reclassification dispute management, and AR follow-up. The goal is billing accuracy across every variable that LTL carries.
How much does outsourced LTL back-office support cost?
Pricing is scoped to the functions you hand off and the team that work needs, and resized as shipment volume changes rather than metered per shipment. Book a 20-minute call and we will scope a package matched to your class mix and accessorial volume.
Will this work with our existing LTL TMS or rating platform?
Yes. We work inside SMC3, Carrier Logistics FACTS, MercuryGate, Banyan, FreightPOP, and similar systems. Class verification, accessorial coding, and dispute management all happen inside your existing systems.
How do you handle the recent NMFC reclassification changes?
The team stays current on NMFC classification updates, including the density-based reclassification changes from 2025-2026. Every shipment is verified against the current NMFC classification, and reclassification disputes are managed using the correct commodity description and density data.
Do you provide LTL audit services?
Yes. ClearLane audits LTL carrier invoices line by line: class and weight verification, reweigh disputes, limited access and liftgate accessorials, and duplicate detection. The audit runs before payment and before your shipper invoice goes out. For the cross-mode picture, see the freight audit guide.
Related services
Carrier Invoice Audit
Learn more →Class, weight, and accessorial verification on every LTL invoice.
Pre-Billing Revenue Audit
Learn more →Catch delivery accessorials before the invoice goes out.
AR Management
Learn more →Follow-up on LTL invoices across multiple customers.
Bookkeeping
Learn more →Settlement and books kept current as you scale.
Get Started
See how we can help your LTL operation
Most LTL clients start with freight class verification and accessorial billing, then grow into full back-office management.