Choosing a freight audit and payment partner isn’t just about cutting costs—it’s about trust, control, and visibility across your entire supply chain. Below you’ll find detailed answers to the questions we hear most from shippers, finance leaders, and logistics teams evaluating Nolan & Cunnings.
If you don’t see your question here, contact us and we’ll be happy to help.
Established in 1920 by William Nolan and Oliver T. Cunnings, Nolan & Cunnings (N&C) is a longtime leader in the freight audit and payment industry. N&C began as a local Detroit-based clearinghouse for perishable goods claims. In 1953, the company introduced one of the first pre-audit and freight bill payment plans in the United States. Today, N&C provides a full suite of logistics and supply chain services to more than 2,000 client locations across North America, South America, Europe, and Asia.
The mission of Nolan & Cunnings is to deliver comprehensive, accurate, and cost-effective audits of all freight invoices for shippers of every size. Shipment and cost data are collected and leveraged to help reduce overall supply chain spend. By fostering close collaboration between customers and the internal team, N&C continuously improves services—driving measurable cost savings, improved profitability, and value that can be shared by all stakeholders.
Nolan & Cunnings has been in business for 105 years as of 2025.
Freight audit and payment services were launched in 1953 and have been refined and expanded ever since.
Nolan & Cunnings operates like a family business, treating employees as family members and encouraging open, ongoing dialogue about how to improve operations, products, and services. Teams meet regularly to review system performance and identify ways to enhance functionality, speed, efficiency, and automation—so work is completed more accurately and reliably for customers.
Nolan & Cunnings is a privately held, Michigan-based C corporation with only two shareholders.
Invoices are audited and paid across virtually all modes of transportation, including parcel, LTL, FTL, ocean, air, rail, bulk, flatbed, intermodal, and final mile.
The N&C database includes more than 4,000 carriers, and payments are processed to them on behalf of customers.
Yes. Carriers outside the United States can be paid, and payments can be processed in 32 different currencies.
All standard and many custom formats are supported, including traditional ANSI X12 EDI, XML, carrier proprietary formats, spreadsheets, flat files, delimited records, and more.
Yes. N&C can interface and exchange files with any ERP platform on the market. Clients are not forced into a fixed format or protocol. Instead, N&C works with IT and finance teams to define the best interface—file formats, transmission method, and frequency—based on existing systems and capabilities.
A standard implementation usually takes about 30–45 days of development time. Projects with extensive integrations or highly specialized requirements may take longer, but timelines are scoped and communicated clearly upfront.
Client impact is designed to be minimal. Typically, the following roles are involved:
Total time required from client teams is usually less than 10 hours.
Implementations are led by an operations supervisor with over 20 years of experience at N&C, including deep knowledge of systems, processes, and requirements. The assigned account team and, as needed, IT resources also participate to ensure a smooth go‑live.
Each client is assigned a dedicated account manager who serves as the primary point of contact for both client teams and carriers. The account manager is supported by:
This structure ensures that issues are identified and resolved quickly and accurately.
Most daily communication occurs via email and phone between designated client staff and the N&C account team. Communication style and escalation paths are adapted to client preferences.
When escalation is required, direct access is provided to:
Clear contact information and response expectations are provided so issues are resolved quickly.
Tailored training is provided on the website, portal, and tools for all necessary team members. Training is role‑specific so each user understands the features and workflows most relevant to their responsibilities and can use the tools effectively from day one.
Client funds are managed with a high level of control and security:
Importantly, no N&C client has ever lost any funding provided for the payment of freight invoices.
Yes. Separate bank accounts are maintained for freight payments and for N&C operating funds. These funds are never commingled.
They are never commingled.
N&C does not schedule or profit from float. The only float that occurs is the standard banking time between posting client funds to the N&C account and the clearing of payments:
Client funds are never held longer than necessary to apply and generate payments to carriers.
Yes. Financial statements are compiled by an external Certified Public Accountant (CPA) based in Farmington Hills, Michigan. The CPA is certified by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA). Reviews are supplemented by the internal N&C financial team.
Yes. N&C engages an external audit firm and maintains annual SOC 2 audit compliance, the modern successor framework to SAS 70 Type II.
Controls and policies are aligned with standards established by the AICPA Standards Committee and are validated through the SOC 2 audit. This framework ensures robust, well‑documented controls around security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy.
Multiple layers of internal control are in place to prevent fraud and misappropriation:
No client has ever experienced a loss of funds under N&C’s management.
Client data is protected through network, system, and access controls, including:
These measures help ensure that only authorized users and systems can access sensitive data.
Access is configured at a granular level. Every menu, menu item, and sub‑menu in the applications is controlled at the user level. Each user is granted only the access required to perform assigned responsibilities—applied consistently to both internal N&C users and external client users.
Yes. Every transaction processed in the databases generates an entry in the user log. These logs are visible through the website and internal production applications, providing clear traceability for activity and changes.
SQL databases are backed up frequently to protect data and support rapid recovery:
Incremental and full backups are retained at the data center and can typically be restored within about one hour. Offsite tape backups are stored in a secure facility and rotated monthly.
Disaster recovery capabilities are tested regularly:
These tests help ensure recovery processes remain reliable and current.
Yes. In the event of a catastrophic failure at the primary data center, systems automatically roll over and redirect to another hosting provider site within North America to maintain continuity of operations.
Data is retained online for seven years, making it readily available for reporting, audits, and analysis. After seven years, data is archived for future retrieval if needed. Archives are not permanently deleted or destroyed, ensuring historical data remains accessible.
Less than 2% of all invoices processed by N&C are rejected due to missing information or required approvals. When an invoice is resolved via the portal and the carrier does not submit a duplicate, there are no additional charges for reprocessing exception invoices.
When no additional approvals or documentation are required, paper invoices are generally processed from receipt to readiness for inclusion on a funds request in less than one calendar week.
A robust duplicate‑checking algorithm compares thirteen different data points—including client ID, carrier, invoice/pro number, BOL, origin, destination, and shipment date—to flag and block duplicate invoices before they are processed or paid.
Data capture is configured to align with client requirements. In most cases:
This level of detail supports thorough auditing, reporting, and analysis.
Yes. A client/carrier table maintains mode‑specific requirements and data preferences. Designated data elements (for example, indicators for air or ocean) are used to determine transportation mode so shipments are correctly classified and processed even when a single carrier handles multiple modes.
An OCR process is used to extract data from carrier invoices and supporting documents, followed by 100% human verification. A verifier checks each field for accuracy and corrects any misreads before a transaction is finalized.
Isolated issues caused by poor‑quality images are corrected and advanced; systemic issues trigger template updates by a dedicated team so future invoices are captured accurately, continuously improving data quality.
The N&C rate engine supports complex fuel surcharge (FSC) structures. Multiple FSC tables and cost matrices can be loaded, managed, and audited. For each shipment, the system dynamically selects the correct fuel table based on carrier, mode, lane, date, and shipping location to ensure accurate FSC application.
Yes. Each charge on a freight invoice—freight, FSC, accessorials, and taxes—is captured as a separate line item in an accessorial table. This structure allows detailed tax reporting by country and region. For Canadian shipments, GST, PST, and HST are audited to confirm accurate application based on the provinces traversed.
Yes. Invoice aging can be configured to match contract payment terms. Bills can be aged by:
Payment terms can be set globally or at the individual‑carrier level, providing flexible control over aging and cash‑flow timing.
The freight rating engine is purpose‑built for audit requirements and automatically applies:
This automation streamlines the audit process and ensures that invoices are rated accurately against contracted terms.
A comprehensive audit is performed on:
All information is verified against supporting documents (such as BOLs) and any available client shipping files, so invoices are validated end‑to‑end before payment.
Invoices without pricing on file are placed into the online exception portal. A designated client contact receives an email listing invoices requiring review. That contact can log in, review the invoice image and data, and instruct N&C on how to proceed—for example, approve, dispute, or request a “pay as presented” approach.
“Pay as presented” is available but treated as an exception rather than the standard practice.
Lead time depends on complexity:
Rate‑change timing is coordinated so updates align with carrier agreements.
Yes. The system is designed to handle multi‑tiered and complex pricing structures, and tiered or multi‑rate contracts have been implemented successfully across a wide range of clients.
G/L coding can be applied to any required level of detail, including down to individual part or SKU when needed. Coding logic is configured according to each client’s rules so codes are assigned consistently and automatically across freight spend.
During implementation, existing G/L rules and coding logic are examined in detail. Based on this review, a collaborative process is used to identify recurring issues and design improved structures and rules. The objective is to enhance coding accuracy and optimize freight cost allocation and reporting.
Invoices can be allocated according to client‑defined business rules, including:
Allocation logic is fully configurable to match internal financial and reporting structures.
More than 90% of invoices requiring G/L coding and allocation are processed automatically through configured business rules, reducing manual effort and improving consistency over time.
No. Funds requests can be initiated or closed on any day of the week that aligns with client preferences and operational requirements, rather than adhering to a fixed system closeout day.
Carrier payments are processed daily. Once funds are available to N&C, payments are released within 48 business hours. Payment cadence can be configured—such as consolidating to a monthly payment cycle—based on carrier agreements and client preferences.
Multiple remittance methods are available:
Remittance information is provided in formats aligned with the payment method:
Billing cycles and funds requests are configured around client requirements. In general:
Specific report types, file formats, and timing are defined and documented during implementation.
Funds requests are created according to client‑specific requirements. Typically:
Once funds have been received, payments are issued to carriers in accordance with the configured payment cadence and terms.
Nolan & Cunnings helps shippers uncover and eliminate hidden freight overcharges and inefficiencies—often saving 3–5% on audited freight spend and up to 20% with our Transportation Management System and analytics.
If you have a question that’s not covered here, reach out to our team and we’ll get you the details you need.