# Bill a shipper for detention and accessorial charges with proof

Builds an accessorial invoice backed by timestamps and contract terms, plus a firm email that gets detention paid.

- Topic: Finance & Accounting
- Framework: Few-Shot
- Level: Standard
- Tags: Finance, Fill-in Template
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/bill-a-shipper-for-detention-and-accessorial-charges-with-proof

## Prompt

```text
Help me bill a customer for detention and other accessorial charges and get paid.

**Customer and load:** [SHIPPER OR BROKER, LOAD NUMBER, PICKUP AND DELIVERY LOCATIONS, DATES]
**Charges to bill:** [detention, layover, lumper, TONU, driver assist, redelivery, extra stop]
**Our rate terms:** [e.g. "2 hours free, then $X per hour", from rate confirmation, contract, or tariff]
**Notice requirements in our agreement:** [e.g. "notify within 1 hour of free time ending", "submit within 7 days"]
**Timestamp evidence:** [appointment time, arrival, check-in, loaded or unloaded, departure - and source: ELD geofence, gate log, signed BOL in/out times]
**Notifications we sent:** [WHO, WHEN, HOW]
**Customer pushback so far:** [e.g. "driver was late", "no prior notice"]

Do the following:
1. Calculate billable time from appointment or arrival (whichever our terms use) minus free time, and show the math.
2. Check whether we met every notice and paperwork condition; flag anything that weakens the claim.
3. List the documents to attach.
4. Draft the invoice line items with descriptions.
5. Draft a short email to the customer's AP or carrier rep: facts, terms, amount, documents, due date.
6. Draft a firmer follow-up for if they deny or ignore it.

Also give me 3 process changes so detention is captured automatically next time (driver check-in prompts, rate con language, geofence reports).

Use only the rates and times I give you; mark gaps [ADD]. Do not overstate what the contract says.
```

## What to fill in

- WHO, WHEN, HOW
- e.g. "driver was late", "no prior notice"
- ADD

Free to copy and use. From ThinkWithPrompt (https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/), a library of 2,663 curated AI prompts.