Detention Pay: How to Claim What You're Owed at Every Shipper

Detention pay is one of the most consistently uncollected revenue sources in trucking. Drivers sit at docks for hours, losing time they could be running miles, and most never see a dollar for it. That's not because detention pay doesn't exist — it's because most drivers don't know how to claim it.

The standard industry rule is two free hours at pickup and two free hours at delivery. After that, detention pay kicks in — typically $50 to $75 per hour, though rates vary by broker and load. The key word is 'typically.' Detention pay is only guaranteed if it's written into the rate confirmation. If it's not there, you're negotiating after the fact, which is a much weaker position.

Documentation is everything. The moment you arrive at a facility, note your arrival time in your ELD and take a photo of the dock clock or a timestamped photo of the facility entrance. When you're finally loaded or unloaded, note that time too. This creates an irrefutable record that the broker cannot dispute.

Notify your dispatcher the moment you hit the two-hour mark. Don't wait until you're leaving the facility. Real-time notification allows your dispatcher to contact the broker while you're still on-site, which dramatically increases the chance of getting detention approved and paid. Brokers are far more likely to authorize detention when they're notified during the event than when they receive a claim days later.

When submitting the claim, include your arrival timestamp, your departure timestamp, the rate confirmation number, and the calculated detention amount. Keep it factual and specific. Vague claims get disputed. Documented claims get paid.

At Freight Fore Dispatch, we track detention in real time for every load we manage. We contact the broker at the two-hour mark, document everything, and submit the claim with the delivery paperwork. Our carriers recover detention pay on the vast majority of qualifying events — because we treat it as a standard part of every load, not an afterthought.