Reference
Freight audit: what it is, what it recovers, and how to buy it
Carrier invoices are assembled from a contract, a published tariff and a stream of port events — and the three rarely agree. A freight audit is the process of reconciling them line by line, then converting the differences into filed, collectable claims.
What a freight audit actually checks
Rate and contract compliance
Every billed rate is matched back to the signed service contract or quote for the sailing date — not the tariff live when the invoice was raised. Contract shipments billed at tariff rates are one of the largest single sources of overbilling.
Demurrage and detention
Free time is recalculated from actual gate-in, discharge and gate-out events, then compared to what the carrier billed. Terminal closures, customs holds and carrier-caused delays are stripped out.
Surcharges and indexes
Formula-driven surcharges such as BAF and CAF are reproducible. If the published index and factor do not reproduce the billed amount, the line is wrong.
Duplicate and phantom accessorials
Chassis, reefer plug, gate, pre-pull, storage and per-diem lines billed twice, billed after container return, or billed on a service that was never rendered.
Deadfreight and unused space
Space booked, billed and never used — and the reverse, cargo shipped short and still charged at the booked slot.
Duty, bond and emissions pass-through
Customs bond charges, HS classification errors and EU-ETS pass-through lines applied outside the scope or period they legitimately cover.
In-house, software, or outsourced recovery
“Freight audit” covers three quite different purchases. The right one depends on whether your problem is visibility or cash.
In-house review
Fits when: Low volume, one lane, a controller with spare hours.
Strength: No external cost, full data control.
Limit: Catches obvious duplicates only. Contract-versus-tariff and index recalculation work is rarely done, and claims are seldom pursued to the time bar.
Freight audit software
Fits when: You already have clean invoice data in a TMS and a team to work the exceptions.
Strength: Fast, repeatable checks on every invoice; good dashboards.
Limit: Software flags; it does not file, argue or collect. Subscription is paid whether or not anything is recovered.
Outsourced audit and recovery
Fits when: You want the money back, not another dashboard.
Strength: The provider does the recalculation, files the claim, chases the carrier and pushes it to settlement.
Limit: You share the recovery. Check whether the fee applies to prevented charges or only to cash actually recovered.
How a recovery audit runs
- 01Send twelve months of carrier invoices. Any format — no integration.
- 02Every line is reconciled against the contract, the tariff version in force on the sailing date, and the AIS and terminal events for that container.
- 03You receive a written recovery figure with the flagged lines, usually within 48 hours.
- 04Approved claims are filed with the carrier with the evidence pack attached, and chased to settlement — typically six to forty days.
- 05You are invoiced 20% of what the carrier actually pays back. Nothing recovered, nothing owed.
Go deeper on a specific charge
Demurrage vs detention
The two clocks, who owns them, and how to calculate what you actually owe.
Surcharge decoder
BAF, THC, CAF, PSS, GRI — what each line means and how it gets overbilled.
Accessorial decoder
Chassis, per diem, storage and pre-pull on US inland and drayage invoices.
Carrier tariff reference
Free time, detention tiers and dispute windows by carrier.
Port Friction Index
Live dwell and congestion data behind every delay claim we file.
Landed cost calculator
Goods, freight, duty, brokerage and accessorials in one shareable per-unit breakdown.
Chargeable weight calculator
Air dim factor, LCL weight-or-measure, and what carrier rounding adds to every shipment.
Freight class calculator
LTL density in lb per ft³, the NMFC class band, and what a carrier reclass costs you.
Customs bonds
Continuous vs single-entry, bond amount and where importers overpay.
Import duty rates by HTS code
Column 1 General rates for top import chapters, plus the 301, 232 and AD/CVD layers on top.
Freight audit FAQ
What is a freight audit?
A freight audit is a line-by-line review of carrier invoices against the contract, the published tariff and what actually happened to the shipment. Anything billed outside those three references is recoverable.
How much is typically recoverable?
On ocean freight the commonly cited range is 2–5% of spend, concentrated in demurrage, detention and accessorial lines. Congested lanes and reefer cargo run higher because penalty tiers escalate.
How far back can you claim?
It depends on the carrier and the jurisdiction. Many bills of lading carry a one-year time bar, and some tariffs impose a shorter dispute window measured in months from the invoice date, so older invoices are triaged first.
What do freight audit companies charge?
Three models exist: per-invoice fees, a software subscription, or a success fee on recovery. Sellexio charges 20% of money actually recovered — no retainer, no fee if nothing comes back.
What data do you need to start?
Twelve months of carrier invoices in any format — PDFs, a spreadsheet, or a TMS export. No systems integration and no software to install.
Find out what you are owed
Send twelve months of invoices and get a written recovery figure in 48 hours. The audit costs nothing; our fee is 20% of what lands back in your account.
Start the free audit