New to HaulClaim, or not sure what to tap next? This is the whole flow, start to finish. You drive, the app builds the case. Here's exactly how a load goes from booked to invoiced, plus the small habits that make a detention claim stick.
Before you start: what you need
You don't need much, but two things make or break a claim later:
- The rate confirmation for the load. It spells out the appointment window and, in most cases, the detention rate the broker already agreed to.
- Your phone on you at the dock. The GPS timestamp is the proof. If your phone is in the sleeper while you sit in the office, the clock can't see you arrive.
That's it. No extra paperwork, no spreadsheet, no calling dispatch.
Step 1: Add the load
Tap + to start a new load the moment you're booked. That's it, you've got a load open and ready to fill in. Do it early, while the details are fresh, so you're not rebuilding the load from memory three days later.
Step 2: Scan the rate con
Snap a photo or upload the PDF. HaulClaim reads the addresses, appointment windows, and detention terms automatically, so you don't have to type them in. If you'd rather enter them yourself, you can do that too. Double check the appointment time it pulled, because that one number decides when your free time starts.
Step 3: Tap "I'm at the dock"
One tap when you arrive. GPS confirms you're at the stop and starts the detention clock. This is the timestamp that becomes your proof later, so don't skip it. Tap it when you physically pull onto the property, not when you reach a door or a guard shack down the road.
Step 4: Let the app run the clock
A geofence tracks your time on site in the background and tallies free time, chargeable hours, and dollars owed. No spreadsheet, no math, no watching the clock. Tap again when you leave and the app locks in your departure. Forget to tap out? You can fix the departure time later, but the cleaner the live record, the stronger the claim.
Step 5: Upload your proof
When the load's done, attach the BOL and any evidence, signed paperwork, photos, screenshots, so the claim holds up. The stronger your documentation, the harder it is for a broker to wave the claim off. A signed BOL with in and out times written by the shipper is the gold standard, so grab a photo of it before you pull off.
Step 6: Send the invoice
Review the detention invoice HaulClaim builds for you and email it to the broker, right from your phone. Mark the load paid when the money lands. If the broker drags their feet, HaulClaim keeps the pressure on with follow-ups so you don't have to chase it yourself.
How long does this take?
About ten seconds at each tap. Adding the load and scanning the rate con is a minute or two up front. Tapping in and out is one button each. Sending the invoice is one more tap once the load closes. The app does the math and the chasing in between.
Common mistakes that sink a detention claim
Avoid these and most claims go through clean:
- Forgetting to tap "I'm at the dock." No arrival timestamp, no clock, no proof. This is the big one.
- Leaving your phone in the truck while you wait inside. The geofence needs you on the property.
- No rate con on file. Without the agreed terms you're arguing from scratch. If you don't have it, pull it from your email, dispatch, or factoring portal.
- Skipping the BOL photo. Written in and out times from the shipper back up your GPS record.
- Waiting weeks to invoice. The sooner the detention invoice goes out, the easier it is to collect.
New to the idea of detention itself? Start with what detention pay is, then walk through how to claim it step by step.
It's free for a limited time, and right now you keep 100% of what we recover, so HaulClaim only matters when you collect. If nothing comes in, you owe nothing.