Detention pay trucking guide: the claim timeline that gets you paid
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
Quick answer
Detention pay, in trucking, is extra pay for waiting past the free time at a shipper or receiver, usually an hourly rate after two free hours, as written on the rate confirmation. To get it: have the terms on the rate con, arrive on time, get in and out times on the BOL, warn the broker before free time runs out, and file the claim with the paperwork on delivery day.
This detention pay trucking guide starts where most carriers get burned. Every carrier has a detention story, and most of them end with "and the broker never paid it." I'm Steve, lead dispatcher at TruckSprint. Detention claims are routine work on our desk, and nearly every denied claim we see fails on the same few steps. Here they are, in order.
How detention works
There's no federal rule that sets detention pay. It's a contract term: the broker's rate con (or a shipper's contract) says how much free time you get at each stop and what the shipper pays per hour after that. The broker passes the claim to the shipper or receiver and pays you when it's approved.
For factored carriers, detention usually arrives later than the load pay, as a separate approved item, so expect it on its own schedule. That has two consequences for the claim itself. First, terms you didn't get in writing don't exist. Second, the broker is collecting from someone else, so the claim needs proof the facility will accept: times, notice and an on-time arrival.
The claim timeline
| When | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Before you book | Get detention, layover and TONU terms on the rate con | Can't be added later |
| On arrival | Check in on time; write the arrival time on the BOL; photo of the gate log if you can | Late arrival usually voids detention |
| 30 minutes before free time ends | Message the broker: "Checked in 08:00, still not loaded, free time ends 10:00" | Notice is required on most rate cons |
| While waiting | Update the broker every hour or two, in writing | Builds the record the shipper sees |
| At check-out | Get out time written and signed on the BOL | The core of the claim |
| On delivery day | Send the claim, signed BOL with times, and messages | Late claims get denied |
| On the invoice | List detention as its own line, with the approval | Factors and brokers pay what's documented |
Run the numbers on any wait with our detention pay calculator: free time, rate, increments and the driving time you lost.
Detention, layover, TONU and lumper
| Term | What it pays for | Where it's set |
|---|---|---|
| Detention | Waiting past free time at a stop | Rate con |
| Layover | A delay that pushes the load into another day | Rate con |
| TONU (truck ordered, not used) | Dispatched and showed up, but the load was canceled | Rate con |
| Lumper reimbursement | You paid a third party to unload | Rate con, with receipt |
| Stop pay | Each extra pickup or delivery stop | Rate con |
All of them live or die on the rate con. Our guide to rate confirmations shows where each one sits on the page.
Negotiating better detention terms
Detention terms are negotiable, like the rate. Before you book:
- Ask what the facility is like. Brokers often know which shippers and receivers run late. A known slow dock deserves more free-time pay or a higher rate.
- Ask for shorter free time or a higher hourly rate at facilities with long waits, especially for live loads and unloads.
- Ask for billing in smaller increments, such as 15 minutes, instead of full hours.
- Get layover terms too on any load where a missed appointment could push you into the next day.
- Prefer drop-and-hook where the shipper offers it: no waiting to load means no detention to chase.
If a broker won't put any detention terms in writing on a facility known for long waits, price the wait into the rate or pass on the load.
Why detention claims get denied, and the fix
- Late arrival. Most rate cons void detention if you missed the appointment. Fix: leave margin, and if you'll be late, tell the broker early and ask whether detention still applies.
- No times on the BOL. Without in and out times signed by the facility, there's nothing to bill. Fix: write them yourself and ask for a signature or a stamp.
- No notice before free time ran out. Fix: one message before the clock runs out, with times.
- Claim sent days later. Fix: same-day claim with the delivery paperwork.
- Terms weren't on the rate con. Fix: ask before you book, every time, even with brokers you know.
Why it matters beyond the money
Waiting isn't just unpaid time. 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 between $1.1 billion and $1.3 billion a year in lost earnings.
Source: U.S. DOT Office of Inspector General (2018), Estimates Show Commercial Driver Detention Increases Crash Risks and Costs · checked 2026-10
Waiting at a dock is generally on-duty time, so it eats the 14-hour window you need for driving; more on that in hours of service. A shipper with a reputation for six-hour waits should pay for it up front in the rate, not just in a detention claim that may or may not come through.