TONU

What it means

In logistics, TONU stands for truck ordered, not used. Some carriers call it "equipment ordered not used" or "vehicle ordered but not used." Carriers define it in their accessorial schedules and rules tariffs. Union Pacific's accessorial schedule for the truckload carriers it hires describes it as "Driver arrives on site and is advised that the load is not ready or canceled," and says the charge will not be approved if the shipper gave 24 hours' notice of the cancellation.^[1] Heartland Express applies an "equipment ordered and not used" charge when the shipper cancels without at least four hours' notice from the scheduled pickup time after equipment is dispatched.^[2]

Federal rules describe accessorial charges in general as charges applied on top of the base tariff rate or base contract rate.^[5] TONU is one of them. It is not part of the line-haul price, and it only applies when the carrier's terms say so.

The notice window and the amount differ by carrier and contract, so the rate confirmation or tariff that governs the load is what decides whether a TONU applies.

When carriers charge a TONU

The trigger is the same in most tariffs: the carrier dispatched a truck at the customer's request, and through no fault of the carrier the truck left without the freight. The common cases are:

• Canceled after dispatch. The shipper cancels once the truck is already rolling, or inside the carrier's notice window. Heartland's window is four hours before scheduled pickup; Union Pacific's is 24 hours.^[2][1]
• Load not ready. The driver arrives and the freight is not built, not released or not on the dock. Union Pacific's definition names this case directly.^[1]
• Load not accessible. Heartland's item also covers a load the carrier cannot get to through no fault of its own.^[2]
• Any vehicle that is sent and not used. Magnum's 2026 rules tariff applies its TONU item to LTL pickups, truckload shipments, expedited service and exclusive-use vehicles alike, and bills the party that asked for the vehicle.^[3]

A load the receiver refuses at delivery is usually a different item. Heartland, for example, handles consignee refusals under its diversion, reconsignment, holding and refusal charge, not under its TONU item.^[2] If a receiver turned freight away, see rejected loads.

How TONU appears on tariffs and rate confirmations

Every carrier writes its own terms. Some use a flat fee, some charge by weight, and some add mileage. The table below shows what each schedule said when we opened it. These are examples, not market rates, and carriers change them.

On a single load, the rate confirmation is where TONU usually shows up. It is the sheet that sets the price for that load, and it often lists accessorials such as detention, layover and TONU with their amounts and conditions. If the confirmation names a TONU amount, that amount normally controls for that load. If it is silent, the carrier's tariff or the shipper's contract with the carrier usually fills the gap. Read both before you cancel.

Why it matters

A TONU is one of the easiest accessorials to prevent, because it nearly always starts with a timing gap: freight that was not ready, or a cancellation sent after the truck left. When a pickup runs through a warehouse or a cross-dock, the dock and the shipper both need to agree that the freight is ready before the truck is ordered. RapidShips runs its East Brunswick, NJ dock by appointment and does not own trucks, so the carrier's own TONU terms are the ones that apply to any pickup there.

How to avoid a TONU

1. Cancel early and in writing. Beat the notice window in the carrier's terms, and keep the email or portal record with a timestamp.
2. Confirm the freight is ready before dispatch. Check that the pallets are built, the paperwork is done and the release is in hand. For a container, confirm the box is released and available before booking the pickup.
3. Give the right address and appointment. A truck sent to the wrong dock or outside receiving hours can end in a TONU or an inaccessible load charge.
4. Read the rate confirmation before you sign it. Check the TONU amount, the notice window and whether mileage is added.
5. Ask for proof if you are billed. Union Pacific's terms require its logistics team to confirm with the shipper before approving a TONU, and it denies accessorials outside its listed items.^[1] Asking for the dispatch time and arrival record is reasonable.

Example

Illustrative case: a shipper books a truckload pickup for 2 p.m. At 11:30 a.m. its production team says the order will not be finished until tomorrow. The carrier's rate confirmation lists a TONU with a four hour notice window. Because the cancellation came two and a half hours before pickup and the truck was already dispatched, the carrier bills the TONU shown on the confirmation. Had the shipper canceled the evening before, no TONU would apply under those terms.

TONU vs. detention vs. layover

• TONU pays for a trip that produced no load. The truck came, and the freight did not move.
• [Detention](/freight-glossary/detention/) pays for waiting time when the load does move but loading or unloading runs past free time. Union Pacific's schedule starts detention after a standard 2 hour window; Heartland's after 60 minutes of free time.^[1][2]
• Layover pays for an unplanned overnight or long break. Union Pacific applies it when a driver must stay overnight because the wait ran out the driver's legal hours. Heartland defines layover as an unplanned break of more than 6 hours.^[1][2]

They can stack. Heartland's TONU item says detention charges also apply where applicable, so a driver who waits two hours and then learns the load is canceled may produce both.^[2] For who pays each charge between shipper, receiver and broker, see who pays when a truck driver waits.

Frequently asked questions