Guide
Negotiate detention terms before you haul
Most detention fights start at the dock. Most are decided earlier, in the rate con, by six small terms nobody read.
In short
- Detention is paid for waiting past free time. Six terms set the dollar amount: free time, hourly rate, clock start, clock stop, cap and billing window.
- Ask for each term in writing before you accept the load. A rate con line beats a phone promise.
- Same 5 hour wait, four term sets, payouts from $100 to $150. The terms did that, not the dock.
- If a term is missing, say so and ask. We do not know your broker's paperwork, so check your own contract.
Hook. In the example, a cap of 2 paid hours turns a $150 wait into $100. The cap sat in the fine print and nobody asked about it.
The wait is the same. The paycheck is not.
Detention is money for time spent waiting after free time runs out. If you already bill it, start with the detention pay guide. This page is about the step before: what you agree to when you book.
The figure shows one 5 hour dock stay. The first 2 hours are free time. The last 3 hours are billable. Move the free time to 3 hours and the billable part shrinks by a third. Add a cap and it shrinks again.
Our detention calculator runs your own free time and rate. Use it on the load before you say yes.
Settle it in six asks
Free time
Ask how many hours before detention starts, and whether it is per stop.
Rate
Ask for the hourly rate and whether it is prorated by the minute or rounded.
Clock start
Arrival time or appointment time? Early arrivals change the count.
Cap
Ask if there is a maximum number of paid hours or dollars per stop.
Proof and window
Ask what proof counts and how many days you have to submit the claim.
The six terms and what to write down
| Term | Ask this | Keep as proof |
|---|---|---|
| Free time | How many hours, at each stop? | Rate con line or email |
| Hourly rate | Flat per hour or prorated? | Rate con line |
| Clock start | Arrival or appointment time? | Gate log, check-in time, ELD stamp |
| Clock stop | Leaves the dock or leaves the gate? | Signed BOL with out time |
| Cap | Maximum hours or dollars per stop? | Email reply, saved to the load file |
| Billing window | How many days to submit? | Broker email or contract page |
Worked example EXAMPLE VALUES
Example data. One invented dock stay of 5 hours, run through four invented term sets at $50 an hour. In D the truck arrived 30 minutes early and the clock starts at the appointment.
| Terms | What was agreed | Hours counted | Hours paid | Detention |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terms A | 2 h free, $50 an hour, no cap | 5 h | 3 h | $150 |
| Terms B | 3 h free, $50 an hour, no cap | 5 h | 2 h | $100 |
| Terms C | 2 h free, $50 an hour, cap of 2 paid hours | 5 h | 2 h | $100 |
| Terms D | 2 h free, $50 an hour, clock starts at appointment (arrived 30 min early) | 4.5 h | 2.5 h | $125 |
Terms A and B differ by one hour of free time and $50. Term C matches A until the cap bites. Term D shows why the clock start matters when you arrive early. None of these numbers are market figures. They show the method.
If you also pay a driver for waiting, compare it in driver detention pay vs carrier detention billing.
Where it goes wrong
- Asking only for the rate. The rate is one term of six. Free time and the cap move the total more.
- Trusting a phone call. Ask for the line in the rate con or a short email. Save it with the load.
- Skipping the clock stop. If time ends at the gate and not the dock, you lose the walk out.
- Missing the window. A claim sent after the billing window may not be paid. Check your contract.
The formula and a message to copy
Keep the reply in the load folder. Short and factual works best.
Your numbers decide
Everything above is invented. Whether a broker agrees to any term is up to the broker and your contract. If a term affects a legal right, check your contract and verify with a professional.
We do not give legal, tax or financial advice. Your contracts come first.
Questions
Can I ask for detention terms on every load?
You can ask. Some brokers have fixed terms and will say so. Then you know what the load pays before you accept it.
What if the rate con says nothing about detention?
Ask the broker before you book and save the answer. Without a term, any claim later is a harder conversation.
Does a longer free time always cost me?
It lowers the detention you can bill. It may come with a higher line haul. Compare the full load on load profit.
Where do I keep proof?
In the load folder, next to the BOL. See the detention evidence checklist.
Related: detention pay, rate con red flags, layover pay, detention evidence, accessorial calendar, all guides.
See what your last 20 loads show.
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