The 180 day rule.

A corrected LTL bill can sit in a pile for months before anyone looks at it. By then a deadline may already have passed. Federal law sets two 180 day clocks on motor carrier bills, one for the shipper and one for the carrier. Both are in 49 U.S.C. 13710(a)(3).

The shipper's clock

A shipper that wants to contest charges, whether on the original bill or on an additional bill sent later, must contest that bill within 180 days of receiving it. If you miss that window, you lose the right to contest those charges (49 U.S.C. 13710(a)(3)(B)).

The clock runs from when you received the bill, not from the pickup date. A reweigh or reclass usually arrives as a separate, later bill, so it starts its own 180 days.

The carrier's clock

The law also limits the carrier. A carrier that wants to collect charges on top of what it originally billed must issue that additional bill within 180 days of the shipper's receipt of the original bill. If it bills later, it loses the right to collect those added charges (49 U.S.C. 13710(a)(3)(A)).

For a reweigh or reclass, compare two dates: when you received the original bill, and when the corrected bill was issued. If the gap is more than 180 days, that alone is worth raising.

This carrier limit does not apply to household goods carriers or to carriers in noncontiguous domestic trade.

How to keep the dates straight

• Save the email or portal notice that delivered each bill. That is your proof of the receipt date.
• Keep one log with the PRO number, the date the original bill arrived, and the date any corrected bill arrived.
• Mark a reminder well before day 180 for every corrected bill you have not checked yet.

Ask for the rules behind the rate

On request, a motor carrier must give the shipper a written or electronic copy of the rate, classification, rules and practices its charge is based on (49 U.S.C. 13710(a)(1)). If a corrected bill cites a rule you have never seen, ask for it in writing.

Contest in writing

The law does not spell out a format, but a written dispute leaves a dated record. Name the PRO number, the charge you contest, the reason, and the documents you attach. Send it through the carrier's billing dispute channel and keep a copy.

If you have corrected LTL bills waiting, Zenmul checks each one, logs the dates, and prepares a dispute letter for every bill worth contesting. You decide what to send, and you send it under your own name.

This article is general information, not legal advice.