TONU and Layover: Getting Paid When the Load Falls Through
TONU (truck ordered not used) compensates the carrier when a broker-ordered load is cancelled after the truck was dispatched — documented by the rate con, dispatch records, GPS arrival proof, and written cancellation notice. Layover covers extended overnight delays; detention covers hourly dock waiting. The rate confirmation should state all three terms before dispatch — silent rate cons mean negotiating from weakness. Invoice accessorials promptly, separately, and with the full file.
You deadhead 150 miles to the shipper, arrive on time for your appointment — and the load is gone. Cancelled, given to another truck, or never existed. Your day is burned, your fuel is spent, and the broker's first instinct is to offer sympathy instead of money. That is what truck-ordered-not-used (TONU) exists to address.
TONU and layover are distinct from detention: detention pays for waiting at a facility, while TONU pays when the truck was ordered and the load did not materialize, and layover covers extended delays — typically overnight — when the truck is held without productive work. Each has its own triggers, documentation, and negotiation dynamics.
This guide covers when each applies, what documentation each needs, and how to negotiate payment. It is operational guidance, not legal advice — your rate confirmation governs.
What TONU Is and When It Applies
TONU — truck ordered not used — applies when a carrier dispatches a truck per the broker's or shipper's order and the load is then cancelled, reassigned, or otherwise unavailable through no fault of the carrier. The classic cases: you arrive and the freight shipped yesterday, the broker double-booked the load, or the shipper cancelled after you were already rolling.
The trigger is the order plus your reliance: the broker ordered the truck (the rate confirmation is the proof), and you acted on it — dispatched the driver, deadheaded to the facility, arrived for the appointment. A truck that never moved has a weaker TONU claim than a truck sitting at the shipper's gate; document the reliance, because the payment is for the wasted positioning, not just the inconvenience.
TONU does not apply when the carrier caused the miss: late arrival that forfeited the appointment, wrong equipment, driver no-show. Know which side of that line you are on before you demand payment — brokers check, and a TONU demand on a carrier-caused miss damages your credibility for the legitimate ones.
Layover: The Extended-Delay Sibling
Layover covers the truck held without productive work for an extended period — typically overnight — due to shipper, consignee, or broker delays: the facility closed early, the appointment was pushed to the next day, the load was not ready and the driver was told to wait until morning. Where detention is measured in hours at the dock, layover is measured in lost days.
The line between detention and layover varies by contract, but the common structure is: detention accrues hourly after a free period at the facility, and layover applies when the delay extends overnight or the driver is held an entire day without loading or unloading. Your rate confirmation should define both — if it defines neither, you are negotiating from custom rather than contract, which is a weaker position.
Document layover like TONU: arrival time, who told the driver to wait, the revised appointment, where the driver waited, and every communication. 'We were held overnight' needs the timestamps and names behind it to become an invoice.
What Your Rate Confirmation Should Say
The rate con is where TONU and layover are won or lost — before the event ever happens. Good rate confirmations state the TONU amount or formula, the conditions that trigger it, the layover rate, and the detention terms with free time. When these are in writing, the post-event conversation is arithmetic. When they are absent, it is negotiation.
Read the TONU clause for its conditions: some require arrival at the facility, some require arrival within the appointment window, some exclude cancellations made more than a set number of hours before pickup. Know the conditions when you accept the load, because you cannot renegotiate them from the shipper's parking lot.
If the rate con is silent on TONU and layover, establish the terms before dispatch — a one-line email confirmation from the broker ('TONU $250 if cancelled after dispatch, layover $300/day') beats a post-cancellation argument. Dispatchers who set terms upfront collect; dispatchers who assume goodwill donate.
Documentation: The TONU File
Build the file as the event unfolds: the rate confirmation showing the order, dispatch records showing when the truck was assigned, ELD or GPS data showing the deadhead miles and arrival time, the driver's timestamped arrival (check-in records, gate logs, photos), and the cancellation notice — who cancelled, when, and what reason they gave.
Get the cancellation in writing. If the broker cancels by phone, follow up with an email restating the facts: 'Per your call at 14:30, load cancelled after our truck arrived at 13:45, 150 deadhead miles from origin.' Written confirmation of verbal cancellations turns a story into a record — and brokers dispute verbal accounts far more readily than written ones.
For layover, add: the original appointment, the revised appointment, who authorized the wait, where the driver waited overnight, and any expenses incurred (parking, meals where your policy covers them). The file should let a stranger reconstruct the entire delay without calling you.
Negotiating Payment
Invoice TONU and layover promptly and separately from the load invoice — they are accessorial charges with their own documentation, and burying them in the load invoice invites them to be 'overlooked.' Reference the rate con clause, attach the documentation file, and state the amount plainly.
Expect the first response to be a discount: brokers routinely counter TONU demands, especially when the rate con was silent. Negotiate from your documentation — deadhead miles, driver hours lost, the next load missed — not from frustration. A documented $300 TONU settled at $250 today beats a righteous $400 demand unpaid in ninety days.
When the broker refuses entirely, escalate in writing through the broker's management, and factor the broker's behavior into your future booking decisions. A broker who burns you on TONU will burn you on detention and on payment terms — our bad broker red flags guide helps you read the pattern. For persistent non-payment, the collection remedies are the same as any freight charge dispute.
Preventing TONU Before It Happens
The cheapest TONU is the one that never happens. Confirm the load is real before dispatching: reconfirm with the broker the morning of pickup on high-risk loads, verify the shipper has the freight and the appointment, and be wary of loads booked suspiciously far in advance or at rates too good for the lane — both correlate with cancellations and double-brokering.
Limit deadhead exposure on unproven brokers: position the truck only after written confirmation, and think twice about long deadheads for brokers with no payment history. The TONU clause protects you after the fact; prudent dispatch protects you before it.
Track TONU by broker. A broker with repeated cancellations is telling you about their operation — believe them, and either price the risk into future rates or stop booking their freight. Your dispatch data is a broker scorecard; use it.
Key takeaways
- TONU pays for wasted positioning when the ordered load falls through — not for carrier-caused misses.
- Layover is the overnight sibling; detention is hourly dock waiting — know which applies.
- Put TONU and layover terms in the rate con before dispatch, not after cancellation.
- Get cancellations in writing and build the timestamped file as the event unfolds.
- Invoice accessorials promptly and separately with full documentation.
- Track TONU by broker — repeat cancellations are a broker scorecard.
Questions carriers ask
What does TONU mean in trucking?
Truck ordered not used — payment owed when a carrier dispatches a truck per the broker's order and the load is cancelled or unavailable through no fault of the carrier. It compensates the wasted positioning, not just the inconvenience.
What is the difference between TONU, layover, and detention?
TONU applies when the ordered load never materializes. Detention pays for waiting at a facility beyond free time, measured in hours. Layover covers extended delays — typically overnight — when the truck is held without productive work.
How much is TONU usually?
There is no standard rate — it should be stated in your rate confirmation. Common structures are a flat fee or a formula based on deadhead miles. If the rate con is silent, establish the term in writing before dispatch.
What documentation does a TONU claim need?
The rate con showing the order, dispatch records, GPS/ELD proof of deadhead and arrival, timestamped arrival evidence, and the cancellation notice in writing — who cancelled, when, and why.
Does TONU apply if my driver was late?
Generally no — TONU covers broker/shipper-side cancellations, not carrier-caused misses. A late arrival that forfeited the appointment weakens or eliminates the claim.
What if the broker refuses to pay TONU?
Invoice it promptly with documentation, negotiate from the facts, escalate in writing to broker management, and factor the behavior into future booking decisions with that broker.