What is "Lumper" in trucking?
A lumper fee is the charge for third-party labour that loads or unloads a trailer at a warehouse, distribution centre or grocery DC. The driver does not touch the freight; a lumper crew (often contracted through companies like Capstone, QSI or Advance Services) does the work and charges a fee — typically US$75 to US$250, and up to US$400+ on a hand-stacked or multi-SKU load. Legally the fee is the shipper's or receiver's cost of doing business, but operationally the driver pays it at the dock and the carrier gets reimbursed afterwards. That gap between paying and being reimbursed is where dispatchers lose money, and it is entirely preventable.
- Dispatcher checklist: What a lumper actually does
- How much a lumper fee costs in 2026
- Who pays the lumper fee — the honest answer
- The dispatcher's lumper playbook
- FAQ coverage: What is a lumper fee? · Who pays the lumper fee? · How much is a typical lumper fee in 2026?