# Freight audit and payment software that catches the accessorial before the money leaves, not after the clock runs out

> Freight audit and payment is the review a shipper runs over every carrier invoice before paying it: rate applied, accessorials charged, duplicate bills caught, and the freight bill matched back to what was actually tendered. The clocks are statutory. Under 49 U.S.C. 13710 a carrier has 180 days from the original bill to add charges and a shipper has 180 days to contest one, and 49 U.S.C. 14705 allows 18 months to begin a civil action either way. Neurobird holds the shipment, the invoice and the dispute on one record.

- URL: https://neurobird.com/freightaudit/
- Product: Neurobird Freight Audit and Payment Operations Platform
- Niche: freight audit and payment
- Buyer: shippers, brokers and third party logistics providers
- Status: in development, open for early access
- Updated: 2026-08-22

## What Neurobird Freight Audit and Payment does

- Match every invoice to the shipment it belongs to before payment, not after
- Flag duplicate payments and overcollections against the freight bill that supports them
- File the overcharge claim with the documentation 49 CFR 378.4 asks for
- Run the 180 day billing window and the 18 month limitation on the same board

## How it works

1. **Take the invoice** Carrier bill, bill of lading, rate and accessorials land against the shipment record rather than into an inbox, so the comparison happens before the payment run is built.
2. **Audit against the tender** Rate, weight, classification and every accessorial are checked against what was agreed, and anything unexplained becomes a line with a reason attached rather than a rounding difference.
3. **Run the claim to the end** A claim carries the documentation the rule requires, the 60 day disposition window the carrier is working to, and the statutory limitation date that ends the argument for good.

## From the source material

> A carrier must issue any bill for charges in addition to those originally billed within 180 days of the receipt of the original bill in order to have the right to collect such charges.

Source: 49 U.S. Code 13710, https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/49/13710

## Industry context

- **180 days** Window a motor carrier has to issue a bill for charges beyond those originally billed, and the same window a shipper has to contest a bill, each measured from receipt of the original bill. (source: 49 U.S. Code 13710, https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/49/13710)
- **18 months** Limitation on a carrier beginning a civil action to recover charges, and on any person beginning an action to recover overcharges. Electing to file a complaint with the Surface Transportation Board instead extends that to 3 years. (source: 49 U.S. Code 14705, https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/49/14705)
- **60 days** Time the processing carrier has to pay, decline to pay or settle a written overcharge, duplicate payment or overcollection claim, unless both sides agree in writing to a specific extension. (source: 49 CFR 378.8, https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/378.8)
- **120 days** Time a carrier has to pay, decline or make a firm compromise settlement offer on a loss or damage claim, with a written status update at that point and every 60 days after it while the claim stays open. (source: 49 CFR 370.9, https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/370.9)
- **15 days** Standard credit period a carrier extends to a shipper, beginning the day after the freight bill is presented and including weekends and legal holidays. A tariff rule may substitute a different period, but never longer than 30 calendar days. (source: 49 CFR 377.203, https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/377.203)
- **3 years** Time the government has to deduct an overpayment from an amount later due a carrier, on top of the prepayment audit already required before payment. Payment to an audit contractor may not exceed 50 percent of the overpayment identified. (source: 31 U.S. Code 3726, https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/31/3726)

## Pricing

- Single shipper: $199 per month
- Multi mode: $625 per month
- Logistics provider: $1,480 per month

## Questions

### What is freight audit and payment?

It is the review a shipper runs over carrier invoices before paying them, and the settlement that follows. It covers rate and accessorial checking, duplicate detection, claim filing under 49 CFR part 378, and the statutory clocks in 49 U.S.C. 13710 and 14705.

### What are the deadlines on a freight overcharge?

49 U.S.C. 13710 gives a shipper 180 days from receiving a bill to contest it. 49 U.S.C. 14705 gives 18 months to begin a civil action to recover an overcharge, extended to 3 years if a complaint is filed with the Surface Transportation Board instead.

### Does this pay the carriers for us?

No. Payment runs through your existing accounts payable. This is the audit and the claim record around it, so what leaves has been checked first and what is disputed is tracked to a date rather than to a hope.

### How does it handle a duplicate payment?

A duplicate is a claim class of its own under 49 CFR part 378, alongside overcharges and overcollections. The record keeps the freight bills and the payment information that 49 CFR 378.4 says the claim must be accompanied by.

### Is a prepayment audit different for federal freight?

Yes. 31 U.S.C. 3726 requires each agency to verify a transportation bill using a prepayment audit before paying it, and lets the government deduct an overpayment from later amounts due for 3 years after the bill was paid.

## Sources

- [49 U.S. Code 13710, billing disputes](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/49/13710)
- [49 U.S. Code 14705, limitation on actions](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/49/14705)
- [49 CFR 378.4, documentation of claims](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/378.4)
- [49 CFR 378.8, disposition of claims](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/378.8)
- [49 CFR 377.203, extension of credit to shippers](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/377.203)
- [31 U.S. Code 3726, payment for transportation](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/31/3726)

## Contact

- office@neurobird.com
- https://neurobird.com/