Detention Pay in Trucking: How to Bill, Document, and Collect
Detention pay is owed when shippers hold you past the free window. Here's how to document it, the standard rates, and the language that gets it paid.
Detention pay is what brokers and shippers owe carriers when loading or unloading runs past the free window written on the rate confirmation — usually 2 hours. In 2026, typical detention rates are $50–$100 per hour, capped at $400–$800/day.
Why most carriers never collect it
Brokers count on small carriers giving up. The three reasons detention claims fail:
- No documented in/out times signed by the shipper
- Driver didn't notify dispatch (or the broker) before the free window expired
- Rate-con detention language was vague and the broker reads it in their favor
The documentation rule
On every load with appointment-time pickups or drops, capture:
- Arrival time — geofenced ELD timestamp + a photo of the gate or guard shack with a visible clock
- Check-in time — driver signs in; ask for a paper or printed timestamp
- Departure time — signed BOL or shipping document with out-time stamped
- Reason — written note: "Held for live unload, no door assigned until 14:32"
Standard detention language to ask for
"Detention bills at $75/hr after 2 hours free time, billed in 30-minute increments, supported by ELD records and shipper-signed in/out times. Payable within 30 days of POD submission."
Put this on every rate confirmation. If a broker won't add it, that is a signal to pad the linehaul or pass.
How to bill it
- Submit detention with the original invoice and POD — don't wait
- Attach signed in/out times + ELD log screenshot
- Reference the rate-con detention clause by line number
- Follow up at 14 days, 21 days, and 30 days — squeaky wheels get paid
The bigger picture
Detention is a symptom of broken broker/shipper math, not a bonus. If a particular customer always runs you past 4 hours and pays slow, the right answer is usually a higher base rate next time — or no next time. Run any flagged customer through the FMCSA broker lookup and broker comparison tool.
Cross-check the math on every load
Even with detention paid, a 6-hour wait at $75/hr ($450) only matters if the underlying load wasn't a loser. Run rate vs. total miles vs. your cost per mile in the Load Profit Calculator before you take the next one from the same broker.