Detention pay calculator
Enter your check-in and check-out times and the detention terms on the rate con. You get the billable time, the detention amount, and what the wait cost in lost driving.
Updated October 2026 · Free, no signup
Detention
- Detention to bill
- $150
- Time on site
- 5h 30m
- Past free time
- 3h 30m
- Billable time
- 3h 0m
- Driving time lost, valued
- -$245
- Detention vs lost time
- -$95
Send the claim with the BOL showing in and out times, the same day. Most brokers want notice while you're still waiting, not after.
5h 30m at the dock. Our dispatchers negotiate detention terms before you book and handle the claim with the broker, and you confirm every load.
Let us chase detentionHow it's calculated
| Number | Formula |
|---|---|
| Time on site | Check-out - check-in (crosses midnight if needed) |
| Past free time | Time on site - free time |
| Billable time | Past free time, rounded down to completed increments, up to any cap |
| Detention | Billable hours x detention rate, if you arrived on time |
| Lost time value | Hours past free time x what an hour of driving earns you |
Free time, rate, increment and cap all come from your rate con. There's no federal rule that sets detention pay; it's a contract term between you and the broker or shipper.
Worked example
| EXAMPLE | |
|---|---|
| Checked in / out | 08:00 / 13:30 (5h 30m) |
| Free time | 2 hours |
| Past free time | 3h 30m |
| Rate | $50/hr, full hours |
| Billable | 3 hours |
| Detention | $150 |
| Lost driving at $70/hr | $245 |
Even when detention is paid, it rarely covers what the truck could have earned moving. That's why the terms on the rate con matter, and why a facility with a reputation for long waits deserves a higher rate up front.
Why detention matters beyond the money
The U.S. DOT Office of Inspector General estimated in 2018 that a 15-minute increase in average dwell time at facilities raises the expected crash rate by 6.2%, and that detention costs for-hire truckload drivers $1.1 billion to $1.3 billion a year in lost earnings. Long waits eat into hours-of-service clocks and push driving into tired hours.
Source: U.S. DOT Office of Inspector General, Estimates Show Commercial Driver Detention Increases Crash Risks and Costs (2018) · checked 2026-10
Documenting a detention claim
- Write the check-in time on the BOL when you arrive, and get the check-out time when you leave, signed if possible.
- Message the broker as free time runs out, with the time. A text or email is a timestamp.
- Take a photo of the gate log or check-in screen when you can.
- Send the claim with the signed BOL the same day you deliver.
When you dispatch with us, we ask for detention terms before you book, keep the broker updated while you wait, and file the claim with your paperwork.
Questions about this calculator
What is a typical detention rate per hour?
It's set on each rate con, not by any federal rule. Many rate cons give two hours of free time at the dock, then pay an hourly detention rate. Know the number before you book: if the rate con is silent, ask the broker to add detention terms in writing.
How do I get paid detention?
Arrive on time, get your in and out times written on the BOL or signed by the receiver, tell the broker when free time is running out, and send the claim with the paperwork the same day. Brokers pay detention when the shipper or receiver agrees to it, so documentation is everything.
Do I get detention if I'm late?
Usually not. Most rate cons only pay detention when you arrive on time for the appointment. Some brokers will still try if the facility caused the delay after a late arrival, but don't count on it.
How is detention billed: by the hour or by the minute?
Whatever the rate con says. Common terms bill in full hours or in 15 or 30-minute increments after free time, sometimes with a daily cap. Pick the increment in the calculator to match your rate con.
Is detention the same as layover?
No. Detention pays for waiting at a facility beyond free time on the same day. Layover pays when a load is delayed into the next day and you can't run another load. Each has its own rate on the rate con.
Numbers done. Want someone to find loads that beat them?
No setup fee. No contract. No haul, no pay.