Baxter Bailey & Associates
Southaven, MS
Southaven, Mississippi collection firm focused only on trucking and freight debt, from unpaid freight bills to out-of-business brokers, with a free BBA Insider broker database.
Freight Collections Agencies for Unpaid Freight Bills
Unpaid freight bills can disrupt cash flow even when the shipment was delivered correctly. Review the invoice, your contract and the available recovery options before handing the account to collections.
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TransCollect by TransCredit
Jacksonville, FL
The collections arm of TransCredit, a Jacksonville transportation credit bureau since 1987, offering freight bill recovery alongside credit reports on shippers and brokers.
Reesor & Associates
Southaven, MS
Transportation-only collection agency that recovers unpaid freight charges for motor carriers on full contingency, with a free broker database and weekly broker risk alerts.
Burt & Associates
McKinney, TX
Texas-based nationwide business-to-business collection agency, in operation since 1979, that works on a no recovery, no fee basis and offers field collectors and a legal network.
The Kaplan Group
Pismo Beach, CA
Commercial collection agency for large B2B claims, founded in 1991, with a published contingency schedule of 10 to 30 percent and an in-house law firm. It has written about trucking collections.
Alexander, Winton & Associates (AWA Collections)
Olive Branch, MS
Olive Branch, Mississippi agency that handles only transportation collections on contingency, with weekly broker alerts, a 24/7 client portal and attorney forwarding.
Southwest Recovery Services
Addison, TX
Addison, Texas collection agency founded in 2004 with a dedicated trucking and freight collections service for carriers, brokers and 3PLs, billed on contingency with no upfront fee.
Freight Collection Solutions Law Group
Houston, TX
Houston boutique law firm that handles only freight collections and payment disputes, including demand letters, broker bond claims and litigation, with bilingual English and Spanish service.
Dover, Delaware commercial collection agency in business since 1997 with a freight and logistics practice covering shipper non-payment, broker non-payment, detention and accessorials.
Altus Commercial Receivables
Metairie, LA
Large B2B collection agency founded in New Orleans in 1994 with a transportation and logistics desk for freight invoices, accessorials, OS&D claims and broker bond claims.
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Freight Collections: Buyer’s Guide
When an unpaid invoice belongs in collections
Start by confirming that the invoice is actually overdue under the agreed payment terms. Check the amount, the delivery records and the contact responsible for payment. An invoice waiting for a missing attachment is different from a debtor refusing to pay. Ask for a specific explanation and document the response. If a business repeatedly avoids contact, misses its own promised payment dates or disputes the debt without explaining why, outside collection help may become appropriate. The decision should reflect the records and the relationship, not just frustration.
Before assigning the account, find out whether another party already owns the receivable or has authority to collect it. A factoring agreement can affect who should make a demand. Review the contract for notices, dispute procedures and any restrictions that could matter. Keep a record of attempts to resolve the issue and consider whether the customer relationship is still worth preserving. Collections is a business decision as well as a recovery process, so identify the result you want and the amount you are prepared to spend pursuing it.
What to try before referring the debt
A clear demand letter should identify the shipment, the unpaid invoice, the amount claimed and how the debtor can respond. Attach the essential records and send it using a method that leaves evidence of delivery. Avoid accusations you cannot support or threats you do not intend to carry out. If the customer raises a real documentation issue, address it directly. Do not let an informal payment conversation replace your record of the original terms or any applicable deadlines. A professional demand can clarify whether the problem is administrative or a substantive dispute.
For a broker debt, investigate a claim against the broker's surety bond or trust fund. FMCSA requires $75,000 in financial security for brokers, but that requirement is not a guarantee that your invoice will be paid. Confirm the broker's identity and current security information, then ask the surety or trustee about its claim process and documents. Other claims or coverage questions may affect recovery. Keep copies of everything submitted and consider legal help if the parties disagree about responsibility or if important deadlines are unclear.
Contingency fees and written collection terms
A contingency fee generally means the agency earns a fee when it collects money. Ask whether the fee is calculated on the original balance, the amount recovered or another basis. Confirm how partial payments, settlements and payments made directly to you are handled. Ask about extra expenses, legal referrals and any charge for withdrawing an account. Do not assume that no recovery always means no obligation of any kind. The written agreement should explain the circumstances under which you might still owe costs.
Find out who can approve a settlement and whether the agency can accept less than the invoiced amount without your permission. Ask how recovered funds are reported and remitted. Discuss what happens if the debtor disputes the bill, becomes insolvent or proposes installments. A collection contract should identify the accounts being assigned and the authority you are giving the agency. Keep enough visibility to reconcile payments in your own books, especially when several shipments or credits are involved. Compare the terms of service rather than relying on an advertised fee alone.
Documents a collection agency needs
Prepare the rate confirmation, bill of lading, signed proof of delivery and invoice for each shipment. Include the broker-carrier or shipper agreement, relevant emails, billing instructions and records of partial payments or credits. Give the agency the correct legal names and contact information for the parties involved. If the debtor uses a trade name, explain how it relates to the contracting business. A complete file makes it easier to identify the debt and respond when the other party claims it has already paid or never agreed to the charge.
Separate the original freight charge from detention or other accessorial charges and keep the records supporting each item. Appointment details, arrival and departure times, signed notes and written authorization may matter. The Detention Calculator can help you organize an estimate, but the contract and evidence determine what you can properly claim. Do not substitute a calculator result for an agreed rate or required documentation. Explain any missing signatures or disputed times honestly so the agency can assess the account instead of discovering the problem after a demand is sent.
What agencies can and cannot do
A collection agency can contact debtors, request payment, seek information and negotiate within the authority you give it. Some matters may be referred to an attorney, but an agency's involvement is not automatically court representation. Ask what licensing rules apply to its work and how it handles complaints or disputed debts. Collection efforts must follow applicable law. An agency cannot make a debt enforceable simply by describing it more forcefully, and it cannot promise that every party associated with a shipment is legally responsible for payment.
Ask how the agency verifies balances and avoids misleading statements. Find out what communication records you will receive and when it recommends ending collection efforts. Do not instruct a provider to harass people or threaten action without a proper basis. If the matter requires a lawsuit, ask who would represent you, where a case could be filed and how litigation costs would be handled. The decision to proceed should consider the documentation, legal issues, debtor's ability to pay and likely demands on your business, without treating collection activity as a guaranteed recovery.
Collections, factoring and legal representation
Collections pursues a debt that has not been paid. Factoring is a financing arrangement involving the sale of receivables, often used to improve cash flow before payment becomes overdue. It does not automatically solve a disputed or uncollectible invoice. Hiring an attorney is different again: counsel can evaluate legal rights, negotiate and represent a client in proceedings within the engagement. The right path depends on whether you need financing, ordinary payment follow-up or legal analysis. Confirm ownership of the invoice before using more than one provider for the same account.
Prevention begins before hauling. Check a broker's or shipper's credit using information relevant to the actual contracting entity, not a similar company name. Revisit credit decisions when payment behavior changes. Use clear rate confirmations, obtain signed proof of delivery and invoice promptly with the required attachments. Confirm accessorial approval in writing and send invoices to the correct address or system. Keep a consistent follow-up process and a complete shipment file. These habits cannot remove every payment risk, but they make problems easier to identify and explain. This guide is general information, not legal, financial or insurance advice.
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