Detention vs. layover: what's the difference?
Detention is an hourly charge after free time at a stop; layover is a daily charge when a load slips a day. Truckstop puts detention at $50 to $85 per hour and layover at $200 to $500 per day.
By Clovrr ·
Detention: hours at the dock
Detention covers time held at a shipper or receiver beyond the free time. The OOIDA Foundation describes the traditional rule: the first two hours are free.
In its example, a driver who waits five hours at a dock has three hours of detention.
The DOT Inspector General found contracts typically allow about 2 hours for loading or unloading, and may entitle carriers to fees beyond that.
Layover: a lost day
Truckstop says layover applies when a driver can't load or unload on the scheduled day, so the load runs into the next day.
It's typically a flat daily charge, not an hourly rate. Truckstop lists wrong appointment information, a short-staffed receiver, or product not ready as common causes.
Side by side
- How it's billed. Detention: per hour after free time. Layover: a flat amount per day.
- What triggers it. Detention: a long wait at one stop. Layover: the load slips to another day.
- Main proof. Detention: in and out times from the ELD and BOL. Layover: the appointment, the reschedule message and where the truck waited.
- Where the terms live. Both: your rate confirmation and broker-carrier agreement.
When one stop has both
A truck can wait hours, get sent away, then wait again the next day. Whether you can bill both depends on your terms.
Check your rate confirmation and broker-carrier agreement. Then ask the broker in writing before the second day starts.
Get any layover approval in writing, with the amount. A reply to your email is enough to attach later.
Proof to keep for layover
- The original appointment on the rate con or in an email.
- The message moving the load to the next day, with its timestamp.
- ELD records of where the truck waited. An ELD records date, time and location at each duty status change, under 49 CFR 395.26.
- The broker's written approval of the layover amount.
- Rate con terms
- Layover $250 per day; detention $50 per hour after 2 hours free
- Day 1
- Arrived for 2:00 p.m. appointment; receiver not ready; told to return at 7:00 a.m.
- Layover
- 1 day × $250 = $250, approved by broker email
- Day 2
- Arrived 6:50 a.m.; departed 10:30 a.m. (ELD and BOL)
- Detention
- 3.5 hours from 7:00 a.m. − 2 free = 1.5 hours × $50 = $75
- Claim
- $250 layover + $75 detention = $325
These numbers are made up to show the math. Your rate con decides whether both can be billed.
Common questions
- Is layover the same as detention?
- No. Detention pays for hours held at a stop. Layover pays for a day lost when the load can't be finished on schedule.
- Do I need approval for layover?
- Check your rate confirmation and broker-carrier agreement. Getting the amount approved in writing before the second day makes the claim easier to prove.
- Can I bill detention on the second day too?
- Only if your terms allow both. Ask the broker in writing and keep the reply.
Sources
- Truckstop, “Accessorial charges every freight broker needs to know (and what they cost),” June 11, 2026. Accessed October 1, 2026.
- OOIDA Foundation, 2023 Detention Time Survey (report dated February 12, 2024). Accessed October 1, 2026.
- U.S. DOT Office of Inspector General, “Estimates Show Commercial Driver Detention Increases Crash Risks and Costs, but Current Data Limit Further Analysis,” report ST2018019, January 31, 2018. Accessed October 1, 2026.
- 49 CFR § 395.26, ELD data automatically recorded (Cornell Legal Information Institute). Accessed October 1, 2026.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Your rate confirmation and broker-carrier agreement set the terms for each load.