I had a carrier reach out to me with a scenario this past week. She said, "Paul, I just got loaded up, and the freight is 1,000 pounds heavier than what's on the Rate Con... Should the 1,000 pounds be removed, or should the Rate Con be adjusted? If it's adjusted, how much should I ask for?"
This kind of issue happens all the time, and there are several ways to handle it. First, does the extra weight put your truck overweight? If so, that's a big problem — get with the broker ASAP to either get the extra weight removed or ask for more money, before the dispatcher closes the doors and puts a seal on them.
If the extra weight doesn't put you overweight, it's not the end of the world. Politely tell the broker: "Hey, I'm at the shipper and the BOL doesn't match the Rate Con. Please send me an updated Rate Con showing the change before I finish picking up this load, otherwise my factoring company might take 2-4 days to sort out the paperwork discrepancy on the back end, and I'd be stuck waiting to get paid."
The broker will typically reply in one of two ways. First, they'll say yes and get you what you need ASAP, since they don't want to find another truck when you're already there — that's your leverage. Second, they might update the Rate Con but say they don't have extra cash for the weight change and ask if you can still run the load as a favor. If it doesn't put you overweight, I'd advise saying yes — and it never hurts to politely ask for a little more cash in that moment. If it does put you over your weight limit, hold your ground: "This is putting me over my weight limit, and if DOT pulls me over and fines me, I'm not going to be happy. Add the corrected weight to the Rate Con and an extra $50 and I'll get this moved." Nine times out of ten, you'll get what you're asking for — just stay polite and professional.
The real point here isn't the extra cash — it's getting all the paperwork to match. Success in this business comes down to three things: excellent time management, being a great communicator, and paying attention to the details. This scenario is all about the details.
If your paperwork (Rate Con, BOL, POD) doesn't match, it means more back-and-forth for your freight factor to get you paid once you deliver. They'll have to communicate with the broker, the customer, and the shipper — sometimes 30 calls or emails over two weeks to sort it out. And on the back end, after the load is delivered, is when everyone cares the least about fixing your paperwork. Catching the error on the front end saves you a ton of frustration on the back end.
P.S. — The same goes for the total number of boxes, pallets, and weight. Do not close the truck doors at the shipper until the Rate Con matches the BOL. Once you've pulled away with a signed BOL, the load is confirmed picked up and it belongs to you now.