Trucking dictionary
Live load (trucking)
Live load: A live load is when the truck and driver wait at the dock while the shipper loads the trailer; a live unload is the same at the receiver. The opposite is drop and hook. Live loads can take minutes or many hours, and the waiting time usually counts as on-duty time against the driver's hours of service.
In practice
You back into door 14 at your appointment time, the shipper loads 22 pallets, and you wait. If it goes smoothly, you're out in under two hours. If the warehouse is behind, you can be there half the day.
- Appointment
- 8:00 a.m.
- Checked in
- 7:45 a.m.
- Free time
- 2 hours
- Loaded and out
- 1:15 p.m.
- Billable detention
- 3 hr 15 min
- 14-hour window used
- 5.5 hours before driving
EXAMPLE times and terms. Detention is set on the rate con.
Protecting your time on live loads
- Get detention terms on the rate con: free time, hourly rate, billing increments. See detention pay.
- Arrive on time and get your check-in time recorded.
- Message the broker before free time runs out.
- Get in and out times on the BOL.
- Ask who unloads. A live unload may involve a lumper or a driver assist, each with its own terms.
Is a live load bad?
Not always. Many live loads are quick. The risk is the long ones: they burn your hours and push your next load. Price that risk into the rate when a facility is known for long waits.
What's the difference between live load and drop and hook?
On a live load you wait while the trailer is loaded. On a drop and hook, you swap trailers and leave. Our dry van loads guide compares the two on the same lane.
Steve Woods · Lead Dispatcher, TruckSprint
Steve Woods leads the TruckSprint dispatch desk and reviews every guide we publish. How we research and update guides.
Updated October 2026