Detention pay is simple math, but the details are where drivers lose money. Here is exactly how to work out what you are owed, with two examples.
The basic formula
Two numbers from your rate confirmation control everything:
- Free time is the hours you get before detention starts. Usually 1 to 2 hours per stop.
- Detention rate is what the broker pays per hour after free time. Commonly $50 to $75 an hour.
Then it is just:
Time on site minus free time = billable hours
Billable hours times the rate = what you are owed
A worked example
You have a 2-hour free window and a $60/hr detention rate. You check in at 08:00 and the shipper releases you at 12:30. That is 4.5 hours on site.
4.5 minus 2 = 2.5 billable hours
2.5 times $60 = $150 owed
Some rate cons round to the half hour, some to the quarter, and a few pay only in full-hour blocks. Read the detention clause so you bill the way the contract says.
Two stops on one load
Long days stack up. Say you run a load with a pickup and a delivery, both with a 2-hour window and a $50 rate:
| Stop | On site | Free | Billable | Owed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pickup | 3.0 hrs | 2 | 1.0 | $50 |
| Delivery | 5.0 hrs | 2 | 3.0 | $150 |
That is $200 on a single load most drivers would have written off.
What counts toward the clock
The clock runs on facility-caused delay: waiting for a dock, waiting to get loaded or unloaded, waiting on their paperwork. It does not run on breaks you chose, your own equipment problems, or transit time. For the full breakdown, see what counts as detention time.
Mistakes that shrink the number
- Starting the clock at the door instead of at check-in. Your time starts when you arrive on the property, not when they finally wave you to a dock.
- Guessing your arrival and departure. A guess is easy to dispute. A GPS timestamp is not.
- Ignoring the appointment time. If you show up early, free time usually starts at your appointment, not when you rolled in.
The cleanest way to get every number right is to let the app run the clock. It logs your arrival and departure by GPS and does the math for you, then files the claim and chases the broker.