Detention is one of the most common sources of lost revenue in trucking — and one of the most preventable. Every hour a carrier sits at a shipper’s dock beyond the agreed free time is an hour they are not driving, not earning, and not recouping their cost of operating. For independent dispatchers, detention is a test of your systems, your documentation habits, and your willingness to advocate for your carriers the moment the clock starts running. Here is a practical, step-by-step guide to doing it right from the first call to the final payment.
- Get written detention terms before pickup: free time, hourly rate, and payment process; confirm by email if absent.
- Require drivers to document arrival, guard check in, BOL stamps, ELD timestamps, and timestamped photos of facility paperwork.
- Submit detention claims the same day or within 24 hours with rate confirmation, timeline, photos, and a concise cover email.
- Counter broker pushback with specific evidence: timestamps, BOL photos, and a clear calculation; log repeat denials for future action.
- Make detention SOP: use log templates, reminders, track problem shippers and brokers, and negotiate higher rates up front.
Start Before the Load: Get Detention Terms in Writing
The best time to address detention is before the truck ever arrives. When you receive a rate confirmation, look for the detention clause. Specifically, identify three things: the free time window (typically 2 hours for live loads), the per-hour rate once free time expires (industry standard is $50–$75/hour, though you should push for $75 or higher), and the payment process — does the broker require documentation submitted within a specific window to pay detention?
If the rate confirmation does not include explicit detention terms, or if the terms are vague (“detention may be available”), address it before your carrier arrives. Send a short email or message to the broker that confirms the free time and per-hour rate in writing. This creates a paper trail that protects your carrier and gives you a documented basis for the claim. Brokers who claim they “don’t know” the shipper’s detention policy are not prepared — and that gap becomes your problem when your driver is sitting for four hours with no documented agreement.
What Your Driver Needs to Document During Detention
Documentation is everything. Without it, even a legitimate detention claim can be denied. Train every carrier in your network to capture the following the moment they check in at a facility: the exact time they arrived and checked in at the guard shack or dock office, a timestamped photo of the check-in paperwork or BOL stamped with arrival time, the exact time they were given a dock door or began loading/unloading, and — if the load is not completed within free time — regular timestamped check-ins showing they were still waiting.
Most drivers today use their ELD’s timestamp as supporting documentation, but a photo of the facility’s own paperwork is more persuasive to a broker than a driver’s self-reported time. Both together are ideal. If a facility stamps the BOL with arrival time, that stamp is your strongest single piece of evidence. Make sure your drivers know to ask for it — and to photograph it immediately.
How to Submit the Detention Claim Without Getting Ignored
Speed matters in detention claims. Many brokers have a submission window — some as short as 24 to 48 hours after delivery — and will deny claims that come in late regardless of how well-documented they are. Submit your detention claim the same day or, at the absolute latest, within 24 hours of delivery. Your submission package should include the rate confirmation showing agreed detention terms, a clear timeline documenting arrival time, free time expiration, and departure time, supporting photo documentation from the driver, and a short cover note summarizing the hours and dollar amount claimed.
Do not simply send a text message to your broker contact. Send a formal email with all documents attached and a clear subject line — something like “DETENTION CLAIM — Load #XXXXX — [Carrier Name] — $[Amount].” This creates a trackable record and removes any ambiguity about what you are claiming and why.
When the Broker Pushes Back
Most detention disputes are not outright denials — they are delays, partial payments, or requests for documentation you may or may not have. The most common pushback you will encounter: “The shipper says the driver was only there for 90 minutes.” Your response to this is your documentation. If you have timestamped photos and BOL stamps that show otherwise, present them directly and firmly. You do not need to be aggressive — you need to be specific. “I have timestamped photos showing arrival at 10:14 AM and departure at 2:47 PM. Free time expired at 12:14 PM. That is 2 hours 33 minutes of billable detention at the agreed rate of $65/hour — a total of $163.45. Here are the photos.”
If a broker repeatedly denies valid, documented claims, that is a pattern — and it belongs in your broker evaluation file. Carriers who rely on you to advocate for them will leave if you don’t. The dispatchers who build the strongest carrier networks are the ones known for actually collecting on legitimate claims, not just submitting them and shrugging when they’re denied.
Build It Into Your System
Detention management should not be reactive — it should be a standard operating procedure in your dispatch workflow. Create a simple detention log template for your carriers to fill out on any load with a live pickup or delivery. Set a reminder to follow up on every load where free time could be at risk. Keep a running record of which shippers and which brokers have a history of detention issues, and factor that into your rate negotiations on future loads. A shipper known for long dwell times should be a shipper where you’re pushing for a higher all-in rate to begin with — not one where you’re chasing detention claims after the fact.
Detention is not an edge case — it is a recurring feature of the trucking business. Dispatchers who treat it as a system rather than a surprise are the ones who protect their carriers’ earnings, preserve their broker relationships, and build a reputation for running a professional operation.
