A truck sitting at a dock earns nothing and still costs money: the payment, the insurance and the hours on the driver's clock. Detention pay is meant to cover that. This detention pay calculator works out what to bill from the times on your paperwork, using the free time and rate you agreed.
How it is calculated
- Clock start = the appointment time, or your check-in time if you arrived after it.
- Clock time = check-out − clock start. A check-out after midnight counts as the next day.
- Over free time = clock time − free time, never below zero.
- Billable time = over free time, rounded down to your billing increment (15 minutes, 30 minutes or full hours).
- Detention = billable hours × your hourly rate.
If you add your truck's cost per hour, the calculator also shows what the whole wait cost you, so you can see whether the detention even covers it.
A worked example
- Appointment 08:00, checked in 07:30
- Clock starts 08:00
- Checked out 13:10
- 5 h 10 min
- Minus 2 h free time
- 3 h 10 min
- Rounded down to 15 min
- 3 h 00 min
The 30 minutes before the appointment don't count, and neither do the last 10 minutes, because this rate con bills in 15-minute steps. Check in at 09:00 instead, after the appointment, and many brokers would refuse detention altogether.
Detention fee trucking basics
| Term | What to look for on the rate con |
|---|---|
| Free time | Usually stated in hours per stop |
| Rate | Per hour after free time |
| Increments | Whether partial hours count |
| Cap | Some brokers cap detention per stop or per day |
| Approval | Who must approve it, and by when |
Rates and terms vary by broker and shipper; there is no standard. Get them in writing before you book.
Getting detention paid
- Write in and out times on the bill of lading and have them signed.
- Message the broker when free time runs out, while you're still waiting.
- Bill it with the load, not weeks later.
Detention is one of several extras on an invoice; the rest are in the accessorial charges calculator. Port waits work differently in drayage, covered in drayage rates. Long waits in unsecured lots also raise theft risk, as cargo theft statistics shows. For multi-stop loads, check each stop with the multi-stop load pay calculator, and see what dispatch costs with the dispatcher fee calculator. How power only drop loads cut waiting is on power only dispatch.
Results are estimates from the times and terms you enter, not a promise any broker will pay.