Freight Audit / Carrier Pay Lead (Trucking & Brokerage)

Freight Audit & Carrier Settlements Lead
San Francisco, CA
Compensation: $120,000–$140,000 annually, plus bonus

We are seeking an experienced transportation finance operator to lead carrier pay and freight audit across both brokerage and asset-based operations. This role requires deep, hands-on knowledge of trucking, rate confirmations, accessorial charges, and shipment-level auditing.

This is not a traditional corporate AP or general accounting role. We are looking for someone who has worked directly in freight brokerage or asset-based trucking environments and understands the operational realities of carrier settlements.

The Freight Audit & Carrier Settlements Lead will serve as a player/coach — remaining close to the work while leading and improving how carrier finance operates at scale.

Role Overview

You will own the end-to-end freight audit and carrier payment process, ensuring accurate, timely, and contract-compliant settlements for third-party carriers and company-owned assets. This role sits at the intersection of Finance and Operations and plays a critical role in protecting carrier relationships, managing working capital, and preventing margin leakage.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day freight audit and carrier settlement operations across brokerage and asset divisions while supervising and developing team members.
• Review and approve carrier invoices against rate confirmations, contracts, and load documentation including BOLs, PODs, detention, TONU, layover, fuel surcharge, and other accessorial charges.
• Own the resolution of disputes, short pays, duplicate payments, and settlement discrepancies, partnering closely with Operations and Billing teams.
• Oversee driver pay and owner-operator settlements where applicable, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
• Maintain strong load-level audit controls to prevent overpayment, margin erosion, and processing errors.
• Ensure settlement accuracy within TMS and financial systems, including NetSuite and reporting tools.
• Provide visibility into carrier liabilities, accruals, and cash requirements with a strong understanding of shipment-level exposure.
• Identify opportunities to reduce freight costs through tighter auditing, dispute prevention, process automation, and operational discipline.
• Standardize and document freight audit workflows to support growth without proportional increases in manual effort.
• Serve as the escalation point for carrier-related financial issues and protect long-term carrier relationships through clear and consistent communication.

Required Experience

• 5–8 years of experience in freight brokerage, asset-based trucking, or transportation finance operations.
• Direct experience in freight audit, carrier settlements, transportation accounting, or driver pay oversight.
• Strong understanding of rate confirmations, carrier contracts, and accessorial billing structures.
• Hands-on experience working within a TMS environment.
• Experience operating in a player/coach or