How to audit a drayage invoice against the quote

Build the timeline before checking the math

Open the accepted quote and any later approvals. Match the invoice to the container, move date and reference in the quote. For a Seattle or Tacoma move, collect the gate-out record, proof of delivery, empty-return confirmation and applicable chassis interchange receipts. An equipment interchange receipt (EIR) documents an equipment handoff. The container and chassis can have different IDs, return locations and times.

Write down when the chassis was collected and returned, when the container went through each gate, and when the truck arrived and left the receiver. Use the timestamps from the relevant records. If the chassis was swapped, make a separate entry for each unit. Keep separate lines for invoices from the trucker, terminal, ocean carrier and equipment provider. That makes it easier to trace a pass-through charge back to the original bill.

Check what triggered each charge

Chassis rental days

Match the chassis ID and gate-out and return records. Check whether the written terms count calendar days or elapsed time. A chassis collected Monday afternoon and returned Tuesday morning can count as two days under calendar-day terms. DCLI’s billing FAQ gives an example of that method. Use the terms for your own shipment.

Truck waiting at the port or receiver

Match the stop and timestamps to the accepted waiting clause. Check what starts the clock, the included time and the billing increment. If appointments changed, pull up the revised appointment and dispatch record.

Pre-pull, yard storage and later delivery

Match the written approval, dates in and out of the yard and each truck leg. Compare the days and movements with the quote and ask how storage and chassis usage were counted during the same period.

Terminal and ocean equipment charges

Identify who billed the charge and ask for the underlying bill if it was passed through. Match the relevant free-time dates and gate records. Use the demurrage and detention guide for the separate billing questions those charges raise.

Send a billing question the issuer can answer

Flag one line at a time and say which event or term you want the billing party to verify. For example, if the empty-container receipt shows Tuesday but the chassis receipt shows Wednesday, ask which record ends the billed equipment period and how the provider counted those days.

For recurring lanes, keep a copy of the agreed equipment and waiting terms with the lane instructions. If pre-pulls or delays keep appearing on the same lane, review whether the receiving window or chassis arrangement should change before the next booking.