Detention pay: how to actually collect it

Detention is the most commonly written-off accessorial in trucking. Not because carriers don't know it's owed, but because collecting requires proof that nobody captured at the time.

What the confirmation has to say

Before the load, check three things: the free time (usually two hours), the hourly rate after that, and any cap. If the confirmation is silent on detention, ask in writing and keep the reply — a silent confirmation means you're negotiating after the fact from a weak position.

The proof brokers accept

Arrival and departure times, documented. In-cab ELD arrival records are strongest because they're timestamped and tamper-evident. A signed BOL with in/out times written by the shipper is second best. A driver's text message saying 'been here 4 hours' is not proof and will not be paid.

Invoice it separately

Detention billed as a line on the invoice, with the times and the confirmation clause referenced, gets paid. Detention rolled into the linehaul gets short-paid and you'll never know which part they cut.

The pattern worth watching

Track detention by facility. After a few months you'll know which receivers routinely burn three hours, and you can price that lane accordingly or decline it. That analysis is worth more than the detention itself.