Trucking invoice
Invoice template for trucking companies and owner-operators: line haul, detention time, and loading and unloading. Fill it in online or download Excel or Word.
Templates by industry
- Line haul
- Detention time
- Loading and unloading
Preparation guide
Example workflow
Confirm scope and quantities
Example: reconcile the approval and work record for "Line haul" to establish the quantity for this invoice.
Record delivery and acceptance
Check completion for every line, including "Loading and unloading". Deliver dispatch details, delivery or storage records and the quantities confirmed by the customer.
Send the billing record
Send the final charges, delivery reference and due date to the customer, then reconcile payment against the invoice number.
A freight invoice is checked against two other papers: the rate confirmation agreed before the load and the signed delivery receipt. This template follows that logic with the agreed line haul, waiting time beyond the free allowance, and loading or unloading work done by the driver or a crew. Put the shipper's load or order number on every invoice, since without it the invoice is hard to match and often waits.
Fields to prepare
- Deliverables and line items
- Line haul, Detention time, Loading and unloading: record the quantities actually supplied and the service period.
- Line haul
- Give origin, destination, pick-up and delivery dates and the agreed rate per trip or per kilometre, and put a fuel surcharge on its own line if the rate confirmation allows one.
- Detention time
- Copy the arrival and departure times at each stop from your records or the signed paperwork, and bill only the hours beyond the free waiting time.
- Loading and unloading
- Say who did the work, such as the driver hand-unloading pallets or a hired crew, and attach the receipt if you paid someone at the dock.
- Goods and volume
- Record item codes, counts, weight or volume, packing units and handling conditions.
- Route and period
- Define origin and destination, storage or transport period, loading responsibilities and proof of delivery.
- Scope to agree
- Give the route and distance, the free waiting time and the rate beyond it, and who loads and unloads.
Before sending
- Does “Line haul” show the quantity actually supplied, not the quantity first quoted?
- Is “Detention time” charged at the rate the customer agreed to, with any change approved?
- Is “Loading and unloading” finished and accepted, or does it belong on a later invoice?
Show 3 more
- Check extra-charge conditions for waiting, redelivery, returns and special handling.
- Reconcile dispatch, arrival and received quantities and explain discrepancies.
- Match completed work to the order or approval record, and confirm the payment due date and amounts already received.
Worked example with sample figures
The figures below are invented to show how the template adds up: 3 lines in USD, with an example tax rate of 8%.
| Item | Quantity × unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Line haul | 12 × $1,200.00 | $14,400.00 |
| Detention time | 6 × $120.00 | $720.00 |
| Loading and unloading | 1 × $1,200.00 | $1,200.00 |
| Subtotal | $16,320.00 | |
| Sales tax (8%) | $1,305.60 | |
| Total | $17,625.60 | |
Net amount $16,320.00, sales tax $1,305.60, total payable $17,625.60.
What the document must show
The details an invoice has to show, and why each one matters, are set out in the guide below.
The sales tax depends on where the work is supplied, so set the rate that applies to your customer before sending.
Official rate reference: US government: state and local taxes
Full requirements: How to write an invoice: a step-by-step example
Frequently asked questions
What proof should go with the invoice?
Send the signed delivery receipt and, where you bill waiting time, the signed arrival and departure times. Shippers often refuse detention without them, so get the times signed at the dock before you leave.
What changes when a load has several drops?
Keep the line haul as one line and add a stop-off charge for each extra drop, naming each delivery address. Waiting time can then be shown per stop, matching the way the shipper's paperwork records it.
How is the sales tax worked out on this invoice?
The worked example above uses an example rate of 8%: $1,305.60 on a net amount of $16,320.00, for a total of $17,625.60. The editor recalculates all three when you change a quantity, a price or the country.
How should I number invoices?
Use one unbroken sequence per business, never reuse a number, and issue a credit note rather than deleting an invoice you have already sent.
Can I download it as Excel, Word or PDF?
Yes. A PDF needs no account: fill in the template and use Print / PDF. The Excel and Word files download from this page with a free account, and the spreadsheet keeps its formulas, so changing a quantity updates the tax and the total.
Read next
Reading for the Trucking invoice: How to write an invoice: a step-by-step example and Invoice payment terms: Net 15, Net 30, due dates. The VAT and GST calculator works out the tax line for you.