Steplane › Guides › Rate confirmation and transport order
Updated 19 October 2026 · Written by Paul, founder of Steplane, a logistics process specialist with over 13 years in logistics, including at some of the biggest freight forwarders in the world.
In short: A rate confirmation (US) or transport order (EU) is the load-level contract you send the carrier. It names both parties, the vehicle, every stop with times, the goods, the agreed rate and extras, and the clauses that prevent disputes: no re-brokering, detention rules, proof of delivery and payment terms.
The free US template is a broker-to-carrier rate confirmation. The free EU template is a transport order for road carriage under CMR. Both fit on two pages.
The same core data goes into both documents. The names differ.
| Field | Rate confirmation (US) | Transport order (EU) |
|---|---|---|
| Your company | Legal name, MC and USDOT number, after-hours phone | Legal name, VAT number, 24/7 dispatcher phone |
| Carrier | Legal name, MC and USDOT number, dispatcher | Legal name, VAT number, licence number |
| Vehicle and driver | Truck and trailer number, driver cell, equipment type | Truck and trailer plates, driver name and phone, straps and bars |
| Stops | Address, appointment, pickup and PO numbers | Address, date and time window, loading reference |
| Goods | Commodity, weight in lbs, pieces, value, hazmat, temperature, seal | Goods, packaging, kg, loading metres, ADR, temperature, documents with the goods |
| Rate | All-in linehaul, detention, TONU, layover, lumper | All-in freight, waiting time, extra stop, cancellation |
| Clauses | No re-brokering, liability and insurance, POD, payment, non-solicitation | CMR, no subcontracting, checks at loading, delays, pallets, payment, non-solicitation |
| Signature | Carrier signs and returns before dispatch | Carrier signs and returns, or loading = acceptance |
The rate confirmation sits under the broker-carrier agreement. The agreement sets the general rules; the rate confirmation sets the load: who, where, when and how much. Keep it short and specific, and say which document wins if they conflict.
In Europe the forwarder sends a transport order (also called a carriage order or freight order) to the carrier. For international road carriage, the CMR Convention applies whatever the order says, so the order works alongside it rather than replacing it.
| CMR rule | What it means for your transport order |
|---|---|
| Art. 1: CMR applies to paid road carriage between two countries when at least one is a CMR country | Write “The carriage is subject to the CMR Convention” on the order. |
| Art. 4: the consignment note confirms the contract; a missing note does not cancel it | Your signed order is your proof of the agreed terms. Keep it with the CMR. |
| Art. 3: the carrier answers for its staff and anyone whose services it uses | Still forbid subcontracting without consent: you want to know who has the goods. |
| Art. 8: on taking over, the carrier checks the number of packages and their apparent condition | Ask the driver to write remarks and seal numbers on the CMR at loading. |
| Art. 23: liability limited to 8.33 SDR per kg of gross weight | Tell your customer, and offer cargo insurance on the quote if the goods are worth more. |
| Clause | Sample wording | What it prevents |
|---|---|---|
| No re-brokering / no subcontracting | “The carrier will haul this load with its own equipment and drivers. Re-brokering, double brokering or assigning the load is not allowed without our written consent.” | Your load ending up with an unknown carrier whose insurance may not apply. |
| Detention / waiting time | “[2] hours free from appointment, then [rate] per hour, max [cap]. Paid only if reported while it happens and in/out times are on the BOL or CMR.” | Surprise detention invoices days later that you cannot pass to your customer. |
| Cancellation / TONU | “Cancelled after the truck is dispatched: [amount].” | Argument about what a cancelled load costs. |
| Proof of delivery | “Send the signed BOL/CMR with any exceptions within [24] hours of delivery.” | Late invoicing to your customer and late discovery of damage. |
| Payment terms | “[30] days from receipt of invoice, signed confirmation and clean POD. Invoice must show our load or order number.” | Payment chasers before you have the documents to bill your own customer. |
| Delays and problems | “Report any delay, damage or refused load immediately. No reloading, transhipment or storage without consent.” | Finding out about a problem from your customer first. |
| Non-solicitation | “The carrier will not contact our customer on this lane for [12] months.” | The carrier taking the customer directly. |
Sample wording, not legal advice. Check it against your carrier agreement and local law.
Download EU transport order (.docx) Download US rate confirmation (.docx)
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The nine steps from order confirmation to billing hand-off: the transport order or rate confirmation, a booking checklist with a margin box, a carrier register with a rate and margin check in Excel, and a POD and billing hand-off. EU and US versions.
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€49 (about $55) per kit, one-time. EU and US versions. Any 3 kits €99, all 6 kits €199. 14-day money-back guarantee.
A one-load agreement between a broker and a carrier that confirms the stops, times, freight, the agreed rate and accessorials, and the terms. The carrier signs it before dispatch, and it sits under the broker-carrier agreement.
In Europe, the written order a forwarder or shipper sends to a road carrier for one load: parties, vehicle, route, goods, price and conditions. For international road carriage the CMR Convention also applies.
No. The transport order is your agreement with the carrier. The CMR consignment note travels with the goods and confirms the contract of carriage. Under CMR art. 4 a missing note does not cancel the contract.
The broker issues it and the carrier signs and returns it before the truck is dispatched. Keep the signed copy in the load file.
Add a clause that the carrier must haul the load with its own trucks and drivers and may not re-broker or assign it, and check the carrier’s authority and contact details on the FMCSA record before booking.
Write the free time, the hourly rate and a cap, and require in/out times on the BOL. The rate is a commercial choice; agree it with your customer first so you can pass it on.
Write it in days from receipt of the invoice, the signed confirmation and a clean POD. That way you hold the documents you need to bill your own customer before you pay.
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