Guide

How to document detention pay

Detention is one of the most common accessorial disputes in trucking — and most of them are preventable with the right documentation from the first minute the free time clock runs out. Carriers who collect and submit detention correctly get paid. Carriers who rely on memory, verbal agreements, or informal notes often do not.

What detention pay is — and when it starts

Detention pay is compensation for a driver's time spent waiting at a shipper or receiver beyond the free time window. The rate confirmation specifies how long a driver gets for free — typically 2 hours at pickup and 2 hours at delivery, measured from the appointment time or check-in time depending on the broker. When the wait exceeds that window, the clock starts and detention begins accumulating at the agreed rate, which is usually between $25 and $75 per hour depending on the broker and lane.

Two things are non-negotiable before a detention dispute can go anywhere: the rate confirmation must show detention terms (rate per hour and the free-time window), and the driver must have documented the exact start and end of the wait. Without both, the carrier is asking for money with no paper trail to support the amount.

One important distinction: detention pay is not automatic. Many rate confirmations require the driver or dispatcher to notify the broker when detention is starting or when the free time has been reached. Miss that notification requirement and you may have no claim regardless of how long the driver waited.

Step 1: Check the rate confirmation before the truck moves

Before the driver departs for the load, the dispatcher or driver should read the accessorial section of the rate confirmation for the specific detention terms:

• Free time: How long before detention starts — typically listed as "2 hours free time" or "detention begins after 2 hours."
• Detention rate: The amount per hour once free time has elapsed.
• Notification requirement: Whether the driver or dispatcher must notify the broker when the free time window expires. This is where most detention disputes begin — some rate confirmations say "detention must be pre-approved" or "carrier must notify broker when detention begins."
• Maximum: Whether the broker caps the total detention pay, such as "max $200 per stop."

If the rate confirmation has no detention terms at all — no rate, no free time window — get those terms added before the driver leaves. A verbal agreement on detention that is not reflected in the written rate confirmation is nearly impossible to collect on after the fact.

Step 2: Record the exact clock-in time at the facility

The most important single piece of documentation in any detention dispute is proof of when the driver checked in. The free time clock starts from check-in (or the appointment time, depending on how the rate confirmation is written). A driver who can prove they arrived at 10:00 a.m. and were not released until 2:30 p.m. has a detention claim. A driver who says "I was there for about four hours" does not have much to work with.

What to collect at check-in

• Facility check-in paperwork: Many distribution centers, manufacturing facilities, and warehouses issue a guard shack ticket or check-in slip when a truck enters. This slip typically has the date, time, and the truck or trailer number. Keep this slip — it is the clearest third-party proof of arrival time.
• Signed BOL at pickup or stamped delivery receipt at delivery: These documents often include a timestamp from the shipper or receiver's system. When available, the timestamps on these documents can establish the time range of the visit.
• ELD location data: The driver's ELD records location and movement. While not a substitute for paper documentation, ELD data showing the truck stationary at a facility address during a specific time window supports the detention timeline if other documents are disputed.
• Text or email to the broker: When the free time expires, send the broker a message: "At [shipper name], free time expired at [time], detention clock started." This is both a notification (satisfying any notification requirement) and a timestamped document of when detention began. Screenshot it.

Step 3: Notify the broker when free time expires

If the rate confirmation has a notification requirement, the dispatcher must contact the broker the moment the free time window closes — not after the driver is released. This is the step that most carriers miss. A driver who waits 5 hours and then calls the broker after leaving to report "we had detention" is in a much weaker position than a driver whose dispatcher sent a message at the 2-hour mark saying "free time expired at 1:30 p.m., detention running."

Contact the broker through a channel that creates a timestamped record: email or text message, not a phone call with no follow-up. If you do call, follow up the call with an email summary: "Per our call at 1:35 p.m., I am confirming that Driver [name] has been waiting at [facility] since the appointment at 11:30 a.m. Detention began at 1:30 p.m. at $[rate]/hour. Please confirm." That email is now documentation of the notification and the broker's response (or non-response).

Step 4: Record the release time the same way as the arrival

Everything that applies at check-in applies when the driver is released. Note the exact time the driver was cleared to leave, received the BOL, or got the dock door closed. The release time minus the free time window end equals the billable detention hours. Round to the increments your rate confirmation specifies — many brokers pay in half-hour or quarter-hour increments.

If the driver went through a gate out process, get the gate-out slip. If the BOL was stamped with a departure time, photograph it. If the driver texted dispatch when they pulled out, screenshot it. Multiple overlapping timestamps are better than one.

Step 5: Submit detention with the invoice — not separately

Detention should appear on the invoice submitted after delivery, not as a separate request sent days or weeks later. Include:

• The detention line item on the invoice with the hours and rate
• The check-in time documentation (guard slip, stamped BOL, or other timestamped record)
• The release time documentation
• A copy of the rate confirmation showing the detention rate and free time window
• Any broker notification you sent (screenshot of text or email)

Submitting everything together — with the invoice rather than waiting for a dispute — makes it harder for the broker to claim they need more time to verify before paying. The documentation is already in front of them with the initial invoice.

What to do when a broker disputes or ignores detention

The most common broker response to a detention invoice is silence. The load payment comes through without the detention line item, or the broker pays the full invoice and issues a short payment for the detention amount. Here is how to handle each scenario:

Short payment (detention line item deducted)

When the broker pays the linehaul and fuel surcharge but removes or reduces the detention, respond in writing — email — within the payment period and include the documentation again. State the amount owed, attach the original invoice and all detention documentation, and ask for written confirmation of when the balance will be paid. Do not accept the partial payment as settlement in writing. If a broker asks you to sign a document releasing claims to accept partial payment, do not sign without understanding what you are giving up.

Full non-payment (detention ignored entirely)

If detention is not paid after follow-up within 30 days, escalate. Options include: demand letter via email referencing the rate confirmation terms; contact with the broker's compliance or billing department rather than the individual load agent; and for amounts worth pursuing, small claims court in the broker's jurisdiction, which is accessible without an attorney for most detention amounts.

Many brokers resolve properly documented detention disputes without escalation because the paper trail is clear. The ones that do not are often the ones the carrier should stop accepting loads from — a broker that routinely fights legitimate detention is not worth the ongoing relationship.

Common detention documentation mistakes

• Not reading the rate confirmation for notification requirements before dispatch. The notification window often expires while the driver is still waiting. A driver who calls dispatch at hour 3 to report detention may have missed a 2-hour notification deadline that was in the paperwork.
• Relying on memory for arrival time. Drivers who cannot provide a timestamped record of when they arrived have a much weaker detention claim than drivers who can show a facility ticket or a text to dispatch at check-in.
• Not notifying the broker until after the driver leaves. Detention notification is not a post-delivery activity — it is a real-time notification that protects the claim. The window has often already passed by the time the driver calls from the road.
• Submitting detention as a separate invoice days after the load payment. Brokers who receive a detention claim separately from the original invoice often treat it as a new dispute rather than an outstanding balance — which resets the timeline and creates more friction.
• Not documenting the release time as carefully as the arrival time. The start time matters, but the total billable hours depend equally on when the driver was released. Both need documentation.

A simple documentation checklist for every load

• Read rate confirmation detention terms before dispatch — note free time, rate, and notification requirement
• Driver checks in and gets a facility timestamp (gate slip, stamped paperwork, or a text to dispatch noting arrival time)
• Dispatcher or driver contacts broker in writing when free time expires
• Driver records release time through the same timestamped method as arrival
• Detention is calculated, added to the invoice, and submitted with supporting documentation at the same time as the load invoice
• If short-paid, respond in writing within 30 days with documentation and a request for payment of the balance

This guide explains general detention documentation practices. Specific requirements, payment terms, and dispute rights depend on the rate confirmation, the carrier agreement, and applicable law. Always refer to the actual documents controlling your specific load.

Common questions

When does the detention clock start?

Detention free time typically starts from your scheduled appointment time or actual check-in time, whichever the rate confirmation specifies. After free time expires — usually two hours — detention begins accumulating. Some shippers use gate arrival as the start; others use dock check-in. Document both times on arrival so your timestamps are unambiguous if the claim is disputed later.

What documentation do I need to bill detention?

The strongest detention documentation includes a time-stamped guard shack or check-in receipt, text messages or call records showing you notified the broker when free time was expiring, the signed BOL or scale ticket showing when paperwork was completed, and ELD location data confirming how long the truck was stationary at the facility address. The combination of notification records and timestamps is what closes disputes.

Do I have to notify the broker before billing detention?

Most rate confirmations and broker agreements require notification while the delay is happening. Best practice is to call or text the broker when free time is about to expire and keep a record of that communication. Brokers who were not notified during the wait routinely dispute detention claims made after delivery, even when timestamps clearly show the delay. Notification protects your claim; skipping it does not eliminate the right to bill, but it creates an opening for disputes.

Can I bill detention at both pickup and delivery?

Yes. Detention applies at both origin and destination. Each stop gets its own free time allowance and its own clock. Multiple stops on a load can each generate separate detention charges. Check the rate confirmation language to confirm whether detention terms apply to all stops or only specified stops — some rate confirmations limit detention billing to a single location.