This paper presents a rational basis to model the transport of suspended sediment. The loose-boundary condition for 3D models and the adjustment coefficients for both the depth-integrated 2D and laterally integrated 1D models are treated comprehensively. A combination of Dirichlet and Neumann conditions is proposed as the loose-boundary condition. The adjustment coefficient for 2D models is obtained on the basis of the proposed boundary condition and analytical solutions developed for some simple cases of non-equilibrium transport of sediment in uniform flows. The adjustment coefficient for 1D models for natural rivers is further obtained from lateral integration. Comparisons with analytical solutions and a considerable amount of laboratory and prototype data show that mathematical models developed along the proposed line of attack would well simulate the transport of suspended sediment in practical problems. This paper presents a rational basis to model the transport of suspended sediment. The loose-boundary condition for 3D models and the adjustment coefficients for both depth-integrated 2D and laterally integrated 1D models are treated comprehensively. A combination of Dirichlet and Neumann conditions is proposed as the loose-boundary condition. The adjustment coefficient for 2D models is obtained on the basis of the proposed boundary condition and analytical solutions developed for some simple cases of non-equilibrium transport of sediment in uniform flows. The adjustment coefficient for 1D models for natural rivers is further obtained from lateral integration. Comparisons with analytical solutions and a considerable amount of laboratory and prototype data show that mathematical models developed along the proposed line of attack would and simulate the transport of suspended sediment in practical problems.