Drivers ask this all the time: is there a legal limit on how long a shipper can keep me? The short answer is no, but that is not the whole story.
There is no hard legal cap on dock time
No federal rule says a shipper must release you in a set number of hours. What protects you is your rate confirmation, which gives you free time and a detention rate after it. That contract is what turns waiting into money. See can a broker legally refuse to pay detention.
But your hours of service do not stop
Here is the part that costs drivers the most: the dock clock and your hours of service run at the same time. Every hour you sit burns into your 14-hour window and your drive time. A long wait does not just cost you detention pay, it can cost you the next load or a legal place to park.
When the clock starts paying
Free time almost always starts at your appointment time, not the minute you arrive. Show up two hours early and you are usually on your own dime until the appointment. Show up on time and get held, and the clock is the facility's problem.
What to do while you wait
- Check in and log your arrival the moment you are on the property. That timestamp is your proof.
- Note the appointment time so you know when free time starts.
- Get in and out times on the BOL if you can, signed by the shipper.
- Do not leave without your departure logged. No out-time, no clean claim.
Turn the wait into a check
You cannot always control how long they hold you, but you can make sure you get paid for it. HaulClaim logs your arrival and departure by GPS, builds the claim, and chases the broker. Free for a limited time — you keep 100% of what we recover.