How to avoid accessorial charges when shipping with Amazon Freight

One of the things businesses soon discover when shipping freight is that logistics can be complicated, with layers of details, documentation, and regulations that can be challenging for businesses of all sizes. The other thing shippers learn is that small mistakes in things like planning, labelling, and documentation can lead to additional, unexpected costs known as accessorial charges.

At Amazon Freight, we’re committed to streamlining shipping for our customers and simplifying complicated processes, so we can save your business both the time and money caused by delays and extra costs. We don’t want to have to charge you additional costs, and we certainly don’t want to surprise you with fees you didn’t know about. That’s why we’ve put together this guide to help you understand accessorial charges and—most importantly—how to avoid them.

Accessorial charges are additional fees that all freight providers have to charge to cover unforeseen costs above the base freight rate. Depending on your freight company, they may include detention charges if your cargo is held up longer than expected in a terminal, fees for the late cancellation of a booking, unforeseen storage charges, or fees that may be applied due to mistakes in packaging, labelling, or documenting your shipment.

Accessorial charges cover any unexpected costs or additional services that fall outside of standard shipping operations. We never want to charge these fees, but they are commercially necessary to compensate for any extra time, labour, or fees we have to invest to complete your shipment. They also help us to continue to provide an efficient, streamlined freight service and highly competitive, cost-effective rates for all our customers. To help you understand how and why these fees might happen, we’ve explained the most common Amazon Freight charges, why they might happen, and how you can take steps to avoid them.

These are extra costs you may have to pay if the shipping container transporting your cargo is delayed on its journey. Demurrage fees apply to delays within a port or other freight terminal, while detention charges are applied for delays outside the port or terminal.

You could be charged a demurrage fee if your container or cargo is held up at a port or terminal beyond the ‘free time’ agreed for loading or unloading. This is the grace period, usually a few days, granted by the shipping line or terminal operator for loading or unloading. Once this expires, demurrage charges are applied on a daily or hourly basis. They’re basically a penalty for exceeding the time allowed for handling cargo, designed as an incentive to prevent congestion.

You may be charged a detention fee if there is a delay in the container being returned to an agreed location (such as a port or container terminal) after it has been unloaded at its final destination, so it can be reused for another shipment. With millions of containers circulating around the world, these charges are an incentive to keep global logistics moving efficiently.

Delays that cause these charges include customs clearance issues, congestion in the port, inaccurate or incomplete documentation, and unforeseen delays in your cargo being picked up at the terminal. Some of these are beyond your control, but others can be avoided with advance planning and communication. Making sure your documentation is complete and accurate is always the best way to prevent any customs delays, while staying in touch with your freight provider can give both parties warning of any likely congestion on the route.

These are charges you may have to pay if you cancel your shipment after you have booked it. Every freight company has its own policy regarding cancellation charges. For example, Amazon Freight will never charge a fee if you make a cancellation more than 48 hours before the pickup time. If you have to cancel less than 48 hours before the scheduled pickup, or if the pickup is missed, we will need to charge a fee to compensate for the costs we have incurred. We know that what shippers want is transparent pricing without any hidden surprises, so we define and publish all our accessorial charges clearly in our Terms & Conditions , so you know what to expect upfront.

We always recommend that shippers double check their labelling is accurate and complete before shipping, because incorrect labeling is one of the big reasons why your Amazon Freight shipment might be rejected. It may also be rejected if the packaging or size of the load doesn’t comply with our delivery standards, or if your load contains restricted items.

One of the main labelling mistakes we find is an incorrect or missing bill of lading (BOL) and BOL numbers. You may also be charged a fee if your pallet is the wrong size, if you’ve used non-compliant packaging, if the boxes you have used are the wrong size or weight, or if you are shipping a restricted item. As a responsible freight provider, we may also be forced to reject hazardous materials , oversized items, or any other items restricted by local laws.

Being able to securely store your goods while moving through the logistics process can be invaluable for shippers, especially if you’re shipping high volumes to different locations or countries. However, unexpected storage costs are something best to avoid. We would only have to apply these charges if there are unforeseen delays in shipping, customs hold-ups, or scheduling conflicts.

If your goods need to be stored at an Amazon fulfilment centre, the amount of the storage fee will vary depending on the size and weight of the goods, the duration of the storage period, and the specific requirements of your shipment.

Less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping is a cost-effective option for any shippers who don’t have a full truckload (FTL) of goods to move. But one of the regulations that shippers don’t always know about is the LTL freight class. It’s a good idea to know what LTL freight class you fall into, based on classifications set by the National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC), because otherwise you may have to pay additional fees.

To identify your freight class , you first need to calculate your freight density, and there are several online calculators that can make this easy. The most important mistake to avoid is estimating or rounding down your load measurements, as this can easily be wrong. Carriers commonly re-weigh freight and if your shipment has been wrongly classified, it will likely cost you.

We know that freight classification can seem complicated, and we want to help you avoid any unnecessary charges. Thankfully, all you need to do is get in touch with our experts at Amazon Freight, who can streamline the process and quickly help you identify the correct code.

One of the common issues that always crops up in logistics is labelling. We know how easy it is to misprint a label, miss out some details ,or apply a label to the wrong box or shipment. Unfortunately, these small mistakes can end up costing you additional fees if your delivery needs to be rerouted or redelivered.

The good news is that shippers can proactively avoid most accessorial charges by preparing their freight according to carrier requirements, ensuring accurate documentation, adhering to their agreed pickup and delivery window, understanding some basic regulations, and using the expertise of their freight partner to guide them through any potentially confusing situations. To help you navigate this complexity, we’ve put together our five top tips to avoid accessorial charges.

Always aim to cancel or reschedule early to avoid late cancellation penalties. We understand that things can change quickly in supply chains and logistics, so we always recommend that customers keep that 48-hour limit in mind when making a booking.

With a little bit of advance planning, you can stay on top of any potential delays before they happen, and save yourself the inconvenience of late cancellation charges. It’s always a good idea to check the terms and conditions of your freight provider before you make a booking, and get in touch with them if you want to check exactly how cancellation charges work.

If you make sure your freight is ready by the confirmed pickup time, you can effectively mitigate the risk of any detention or demurrage charges that may crop up later. As soon as your shipment is picked up, the clock is ticking, so setting your shipment up for success from the start gives you more ‘free time’ to allow for potential delays in the container port or terminal, and in returning the empty container afterwards.

The best way to avoid rejected shipment fees is to use compliant packaging that is within the dimensions required by your provider. For Amazon Freight, you should use a wooden pallet that is no more than 1.2m x 1m if shipping within the UK, or a smaller pallet no more than 1.2m x 0.8m if you are shipping to or from the EU. The maximum height of your pallet should be no more than 1.8m, including the pallet base, for both the UK and Europe.

If you’re shipping to an Amazon fulfilment centre, we recommend that you keep your boxes within certain size and weight dimensions, because these are highly automated environments where unusual dimensions can slow down the whole operation. Boxes must not measure less than 15.2cm x 10cm x 2.5cm or more than 91.4cm (L) x 63.5cm (W) x 63.5cm (H). They should also not weigh less than 0.15kg or more than 23kg. There are some exceptions to these standard rules, which you can learn more about in this Amazon Seller Central article .

Incorrect or incomplete labeling is a major cause of delays and accessorial charges, but the good news is that this is something you can prevent. The key things to remember are to ensure the bill of lading is accurate, including the BOL number, dimensions, weight, NMFC codes (for LTL shipments), and any special handling instructions. If you’re enrolled in Fulfilment by Amazon and shipping to an Amazon fulfilment centre, each box and pallet should also be properly identified with a unique box ID and pallet label.

Creating your own shipping labels can be cost-effective if you’re handling a small volume of shipments and looking to keep costs down. If you’re a business sending a higher volume of shipments, using shipping label software such as Veeqo, Metapack, or Linnworks, can be a game-changer. To learn more, take a look at our top tips for creating shipping labels .

From choosing transportation modes to navigating customs regulations, logistics can be complicated and confusing, but an experienced provider can help to simplify the complexity and save your business time and money by mitigating the risks of logistical hold-ups. Most importantly, the right partner can give you the confidence of reliable, predictable delivery, which in turn leads to higher customer satisfaction and more repeat business. Amazon Freight gives shippers the reliability of 96% on-date deliveries, which helps to reduce the likelihood of extra charges caused by delays.

When you partner with Amazon Freight, you are tapping into a highly advanced, fully optimised logistics network that can select the right modes of shipping for you, find the best routes, help you navigate complex customs requirements, and handle paperwork or documentation. You also get the tracking, visibility, and high performance you deserve from a freight partner.

We know that hidden charges are the last things you need. That’s why we’re committed to transparency, education, and continuous improvement:

• We define and publish accessorial charges clearly in our Terms & Conditions to ensure customers are aware upfront
• We actively collect Voice of Customer (VoC) feedback to identify common pain points such as lack of clarity or traceability, which we use to improve communication and tooling
• We invest in proactive education, including regular guides , in-platform reminders, and webinars to help shippers avoid charges
• Our goal is not to penalise our shippers, but to partner with our customers to drive operational excellence and a better shipping experience

It’s important for your business to understand how and why accessorial charges might happen, so you can do whatever you can to avoid unpleasant surprises that may affect your bottom line. Logistics can be complicated and confusing, but an experienced provider who is committed to transparency can help you save time and money by mitigating the risks of logistical hold-ups and extra charges. Most importantly, the right partner can give you the confidence of reliable, predictable delivery, which reduces the likelihood of extra charges in the first place.

If you have any questions, or if you’d like to learn more about how to avoid accessorial charges, please drop us a mail on freight-eu-interest@amazon.com with your contact details and we will reach out to you.