This happened to a carrier I was working with about a week ago. The truck was given a load that was a 1 pickup, 3 stop, but during the course of the load, it was changed to 2 stops. The driver was at stop #1 when the broker called and said "the 3rd stop facility didn't need the product, just offload the remaining pallets at the 2nd stop, and after that delivery the load is completed." The red flag the carrier missed was that this was said over the phone and wasn't put into writing — the broker didn't send the carrier an updated Rate Con reflecting the change from 3 stops to 2.
When the carrier finished unloading at stop #2 — which happened to be at the end of the month, on a Friday afternoon — the truck sent the paperwork to his factoring company to get paid before the weekend started. This is pretty standard; most carriers run 2 to 4 loads over the course of a week and save them to submit on Friday (it saves on ACH fees the factor charges), so they can pay the driver and any bills before the weekend.
This carrier sent over the original paperwork — the Rate Con showing 3 stops, and the POD/BOL showing 2 stops. The paperwork didn't match. From the factor's perspective, it looked like the carrier hadn't completed the job — like there was one more stop needed before the load could be marked complete, because the carrier never got an updated Rate Con showing the change. Now it's the end of the day, Friday during "magic hour" — the last few business hours of the week — and the broker doesn't care about your updated Rate Con because they're covering more loads for their customers. The broker doesn't care about your situation or about you getting paid this Friday. You delivered the load, they told the customer it delivered, and updating a Rate Con isn't a priority for them at that hour. They'll update it Monday or Tuesday, and the carrier has to resubmit the paperwork the following week. Nine times out of ten, that's exactly how it plays out.
To avoid running into issues like this, make a rule for yourself: never do what the broker tells you until the Rate Con is updated, or until you have an email specifically from the broker confirming the load was changed. I once worked for a freight factor, so I know better than most — I've seen carriers try to use screenshots of text messages to prove a load was changed. A text message does not count as a legal document for payment processing purposes. Nor does "the broker called me and told me over the phone." The freight factor is buying your paperwork, so ALL paperwork — Rate Con, BOL, POD — must match 100% for the factor to buy that load from you.
So don't be like the carrier in this story. If the broker changes the load and calls or texts you about it, politely say: "10-4 confirmed, I understand the change, but before I do what you need me to do, I need you to send me an updated Rate Con reflecting the changes that have been made. Once I have the updated Rate Con, I have no problem getting the load completed. I'll be watching my email waiting for your updated Rate Con." That's how you need to handle these situations.