A bilty total is the sum of several charge heads, usually freight plus loading, unloading, labour, delivery, handling, fuel and miscellaneous charges, less any discount. Who pays and when is decided by the freight term: paid at booking, to-pay at delivery, or billed to an account and settled later.
The charge heads on a bilty
Transporters name these differently, but the same eight heads cover most bilties. Writing them separately, instead of as one lump sum, is what lets you explain a total to a customer and spot a head that was forgotten.
| Charge head | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Freight | The main carriage charge, usually from the goods lines and the route rate. |
| Loading | Putting the goods on the vehicle at the origin. |
| Unloading | Taking the goods off at the destination. |
| Labour | Porters or handlers used at either end. |
| Delivery | Carrying the goods from the destination branch to the receiver's door. |
| Handling | Special care such as fragile, stacked or repacked goods. |
| Fuel surcharge | An adjustment when fuel costs move between rate reviews. |
| Miscellaneous | Anything else agreed, written with a reason. |
Per package or per weight
The freight line is a rate multiplied by a basis. The basis is either the number of packages or the weight. Cartons of similar size are usually priced per package. Bulk goods, bags and metal are usually priced by weight.
Weight has a second wrinkle. Many transporters charge on a charged weight that can differ from the weight on the scale, for example when the goods are light but take a lot of space. That is why a bilty often records both figures. The basis comes from your rate agreement with each customer, so confirm it rather than assuming it.
A worked example
The figures below are made up to show the arithmetic. They are not market rates or a recommended price.
A customer books 40 cartons from Faisalabad to Karachi.
- Freight: 40 cartons at Rs 150 per carton = Rs 6,000
- Loading: Rs 400
- Delivery to the receiver's shop: Rs 600
- Total: Rs 7,000
- Discount agreed for a regular customer: Rs 200
- Net freight: Rs 6,800
What happens to that Rs 6,800 depends entirely on the freight term, which is the next section.
Paid, to-pay and billing compared
| Paid | To-pay | Billing (TBB) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who pays | The sender | The receiver | A credit customer, often the sender |
| When cash arrives | At booking | At delivery | When the periodic invoice is settled |
| Collection risk | Lowest | The transporter carries it until delivery | Highest, it behaves like a credit sale |
| Advance possible | Not needed, paid in full | Yes, reduces the balance due | Yes |
| What to track | Cash received at the counter | Cash collected by the destination branch or driver | Receivable ageing per customer |
TBB stands for "to be billed". Some transporters use slightly different labels, so check what your own customers and branches call each term and keep one meaning per word.
Where freight goes uncollected
- To-pay cash that never reaches the office. The receiver paid the driver or a branch, but nothing links that cash to the bilty. Fix it by clearing every to-pay bilty against a recorded collection.
- Forgotten charge heads. Loading and delivery are added by hand and missed. A fixed set of heads on the form removes the guesswork.
- Rates in a clerk's memory. The same route is quoted differently on different days. Store rates per route and weight bracket.
- Monthly billing without ageing. A credit customer slips from 30 to 90 days because nobody looked. Review receivables by age every week.
- Cash on delivery mixed with freight. The value of the goods belongs to the sender, and the freight belongs to you. Keep them in separate columns.
How FlowForg calculates it
In FlowForg's transport module, every bilty uses the eight charge heads above. Freight comes from goods lines, each priced as a rate times either quantity or weight. Route and weight rate cards fill the rate automatically on booking.
- The total is always recalculated on the server, never trusted from the browser.
- A discount can never exceed the total, and an advance can never exceed what remains after the discount.
- A paid bilty is treated as collected in full at booking, so nothing is left due.
- To-pay and billing bilties keep a balance due, with an advance field.
- Billing bilties are consolidated into a period invoice per customer, and the receivables report buckets what is owed at 30, 60 and 90 or more days.
- Cash on delivery is tracked on the bilty and remitted to the sender once collected.
New to the document itself? Start with what a bilty is.
Common questions
What does to-pay mean on a bilty?
To-pay means the freight is collected from the receiver when the goods are delivered, not from the sender at booking. The transporter carries the collection risk until the cash arrives.
What does TBB or to be billed mean?
It means the freight is not collected at booking or delivery. It is added to a customer account and settled later, usually through a periodic invoice.
Is freight charged on actual weight or charged weight?
It depends on the rate agreement. Many transporters charge on a weight that can differ from the scale weight, which is why a bilty often records both. Confirm the basis with your transporter.
Can an advance be taken on a to-pay bilty?
Yes. The advance reduces the balance due at delivery. On a fully paid bilty there is no balance because the freight was collected in full at booking.