What Is Detention Pay?
Detention pay is extra compensation a carrier receives when a driver waits at a shipper or receiver longer than the agreed free time. It is meant to pay for the time your truck and driver are tied up while not moving freight.
How Detention Usually Works
Most detention terms have three parts:
Free time: the amount of time you can wait without extra pay. It often starts at your scheduled appointment time or arrival time, depending on the agreement.
Hourly rate: what you are paid for each hour after the free time ends.
Maximum limit: some agreements cap the total hours or amount that can be paid.
These terms are different for every broker and every load, so never assume. Always check your paperwork.
Why Detention Pay Matters
Waiting costs you money in several ways. Your truck cannot earn while it sits. Your driving hours keep running under hours-of-service rules. And delays can make you late for your next pickup. Without detention pay, the carrier pays for someone else’s delay.
Step 1: Check the Rate Confirmation Before You Book
Read the rate confirmation carefully. Look for the free time, the hourly detention rate and any limits. If detention is not mentioned, ask the broker to add it in writing before you pick up the load. Agreeing before you go is much easier than arguing after the delay.
Step 2: Arrive on Time and Record It
Detention claims depend on proof. Arrive within your appointment window and keep a record of when you got there. Take note of:
Your arrival time at the gate
Your check-in time at the office or dock
The time you were assigned a door
The time loading or unloading started and finished
The time you left the facility
Step 3: Keep Strong Proof
Brokers often need evidence before they approve detention. Good proof includes:
App or GPS timestamps showing your arrival and departure
Photos of the dock, the line of trucks or the gate with the time visible
Check-in sheets or receipts signed by the shipper or receiver
Messages with the broker or dispatcher about the delay
The signed bill of lading with in and out times, where possible
Step 4: Tell the Broker Early
When the wait is getting close to the end of your free time, let your dispatcher and the broker know right away. Do not wait until you are back on the road. Early notice shows good faith, gives the broker time to contact the shipper and makes your claim more believable.
Step 5: Submit Your Detention Request Quickly
Send your detention request with your paperwork and proof as soon as you can. Many brokers have time limits for detention claims, so late requests may be denied. Include the load number, the dates, the arrival and departure times, the free time and the hours you are claiming.
Common Detention Mistakes
Not checking if detention is in the rate confirmation
Arriving late, which can weaken your claim
Failing to record arrival and departure times
Telling the broker too late
Missing the deadline to submit the claim
Leaving the facility without getting the time written on your paperwork
What If the Broker Refuses to Pay?
Stay calm and professional. Send your proof and the written terms from the rate confirmation. Ask the broker to check with the shipper or receiver. If a broker keeps refusing valid claims, think carefully about whether you want to work with them again. Detention fights are one reason carriers keep track of which brokers are fair.
How Volecore Dispatch Handles Detention for You
At Volecore Dispatch, we help our drivers protect their time. We review rate confirmations for detention terms before you book, follow up with brokers when delays happen and submit claims with the right paperwork, so waiting time does not turn into lost income.
Tired of working for free at the dock? Contact Volecore Dispatch today and let our team handle your detention claims.