How to bill detention

Bill detention by charging the hourly rate on your rate confirmation for each hour past the free time, with proof attached. Free time is often 2 hours, according to a 2018 DOT Inspector General report.

By Clovrr · Updated October 1, 2026

Why it's worth billing

Detention is common. In a September 2024 ATRI study, drivers reported being detained at 39.3% of stops.

Getting paid is the hard part. The same study found 94.5% of fleets charge detention, but fewer than half of those invoices get paid.

Many carriers stop trying. In the OOIDA Foundation's 2023 survey, 44% of members who never ask for detention said they wouldn't receive it anyway.

Start with your rate con

Your detention terms come from the rate confirmation and the broker-carrier agreement. The DOT Inspector General found contracts generally set a loading time limit and may entitle carriers to fees beyond it.

Check your rate confirmation and broker-carrier agreement for these terms before the truck arrives:

• Free time. How many hours, and whether the clock starts at arrival or at the appointment time.
• Rate. The hourly amount, any billing increment such as 15 minutes, and any cap per stop.
• Notice. Whether you must tell the broker before free time runs out, and how.
• Proof. Which documents the broker accepts, such as signed in and out times or ELD records.
• Billing window. How many days after delivery you have to submit the charge.

For a sense of typical rates, Truckstop says most agreements allow two free hours, then carriers charge $50 to $85 per hour.

Proof that holds up

A broker can only pay a claim it can check. Send times from two independent records when you can.

• ELD records. An ELD automatically records the date, time and location at each duty status change, under 49 CFR 395.26. Export the stop's on-duty and off-duty entries.
• Geofence times. If your ELD or TMS logs arrival and departure at the facility, include that report.
• Bill of lading. Ask the shipper or receiver to write in and out times on the BOL and sign it.
• Appointment proof. The rate con or email showing the appointment time, so the broker sees you arrived on time.
• Your notice. The email or text you sent when free time was about to run out, with its timestamp.

How to send the claim

1. 01Send notice during the stop if your rate con asks for it.
2. 02Get in and out times on the BOL before the driver leaves.
3. 03Invoice the detention as its own line, with the load number, facility, times, billable hours and rate.
4. 04Attach the rate con, signed BOL and ELD stop record in one email.
5. 05Send it inside the billing window, then follow up until it's paid or denied in writing.

If you factor, send the claim the way your factoring agreement requires.