Glossary · FMCSA & freight
Rate confirmation
Also called: Rate con, Load confirmation, Carrier confirmation
Definition
A rate confirmation is the broker's load agreement sent to a carrier, setting the agreed rate, pickup and delivery details, accessorials and payment terms for a single load.
The rate con names the broker and carrier with their MC numbers, the load and reference numbers, pickup and delivery windows, the line-haul rate, accessorials such as detention or lumper reimbursement, and payment terms, sometimes including quick pay options. The carrier signs and returns it before the load moves.
For a factor, the rate con is the evidence of what the debtor owes. It is also the easiest document to forge: amounts get inflated, loads get invented, and broker letterhead gets copied onto a lookalike domain. Because fuel advances are often funded on a rate con alone, a fake one costs money fast.
Confirm the load and rate with the broker using contact details from your own records, and compare the rate con with the bill of lading and POD. See fake rate confirmations, BOLs and PODs.