Ever received a freight bill noticeably higher than the "rate" you were quoted? You are not alone. Intercity pricing in India is built from several small charges stacked together. Here is what each line on the invoice usually means.
1. Base freight
The core charge for moving your goods from A to B. It is usually quoted per kg (or per parcel) for a lane, and it moves with distance, demand, and season. Festive season, harvest months, and monsoon typically push rates up across the industry. If a quote seems too good to be true, check what else is missing from it — the base rate is only the beginning.
2. Docket / booking charges
The docket (also called a consignment note or lorry receipt) is the legal document for your shipment. Most transporters add a small fixed docket or documentation fee per consignment. It is legitimate — just make sure it was disclosed before you booked.
3. FOV — freight on value
FOV is a small percentage charged on the declared value of your goods. It relates to the carrier's liability coverage on the consignment. Declared value matters: under-declaring to save a few rupees can cap what you can claim if goods are damaged.
4. Fuel surcharge
Many operators add a fuel surcharge as a percentage of base freight, adjusted as diesel prices move. Ask whether it is fixed or variable — and get the percentage in writing.
5. Handling, loading and unloading
Pickup, loading, unloading, and door delivery each involve labour. Sometimes these are bundled into the quote; sometimes they appear as separate lines. Industry guides commonly cite a few hundred to a couple of thousand rupees per delivery for handling — confirm whether your quote includes it.
6. GST
Road freight booked with a Goods Transport Agency (GTA) — a transporter that issues a consignment note — has its own GST treatment. Depending on the option the GTA has chosen, either the registered receiver pays GST under reverse charge, or the GTA charges GST on its invoice under forward charge, with different rates and input-tax-credit rules for each. Rates have been revised since GST began, so do not rely on an old rate card: check the current notifications on the official CBIC GST site. If you are GST-registered, find out which option applies to your freight and whether you can claim the credit. When in doubt, ask your accountant — not your transporter.
The one question that protects you
Before you book with anyone, ask: "Is this the all-in price, including docket, FOV, fuel surcharge, handling, and GST?" Get the answer in writing — a screenshot of the quote is fine. That single question eliminates most billing surprises.
How Bookroket approaches this
Bookroket’s outstation service, coming soon, is being built around a per-kg line-haul price for what you actually ship, with door pickup or hub drop at one end, door delivery or hub collect at the other, and the whole journey on one bill. Add your GSTIN at checkout and you can download a GST invoice for the booking. Where Bookroket stands today: we are starting with same-day, within-city goods delivery in Hyderabad, with a matched driver and a vehicle sized to your load. Outstation (city-to-city) shipping through verified transport partners, priced per kg for what you ship and billed once, is coming soon. The Bookroket app is not in the app stores yet.
