Truck detention is time a commercial vehicle spends waiting at a shipper or receiver beyond the free time allowed by the governing agreement. It is an industry term used across Canadian and U.S. trucking operations.
When can detention become billable?
There is no universal rule. A potentially supportable claim usually depends on several conditions occurring together:
- The driver arrived on time.
- The delay exceeded the allowed free time.
- The delay was not caused by the carrier.
- Arrival and departure times are documented.
- Any required notice was provided.
- The request is submitted within the applicable deadline.
Detention is not created by the website or the carrier’s frustration. The commercial basis comes from the rate confirmation, contract, written approval or counterparty policy.
Truck detention pay calculator
Estimate a potential charge using the free time and hourly rate in your load agreement. Potential charge = max(0, dwell hours − free hours) × agreed hourly rate. This is arithmetic, not an approval or a promise of payment.
Example values are not standard rates or free-time allowances. Enter documented elapsed hours, including partial hours (90 minutes = 1.5 hours), not clock times. The calculator does not apply rounding increments, caps, layover rules, notice deadlines or eligibility conditions. CAD and USD are labels, not a currency conversion. Your entries stay in your browser; no load information is sent.
Have the times but not the supporting paperwork? Use our document checklist or request a free 10-load review.
A simple detention example
| Item | Example |
|---|---|
| Arrival | 9:00 AM |
| Departure | 2:00 PM |
| Total dwell | 5 hours |
| Free time | 2 hours |
| Potential billable time | 3 hours |
| Rate | $75/hour |
| Illustrative claim | $225 |
The example is illustrative only. The actual rate, rounding method, maximum, notice requirements and eligibility rules are load-specific.
What evidence is commonly required?
Broker policies frequently require documented in/out times. TQL’s carrier FAQ describes on-time arrival, timely notice and recorded arrival/departure times as part of its detention process. Uber Freight’s published request guide illustrates a time-limited request with a POD containing in/out times. These are examples, not rules for every load: confirm the current load agreement and submission process before billing.
- Rate confirmation or written agreement.
- Signed POD/BOL or other facility record showing times.
- Tracking or ELD evidence where available.
- Required broker notice or approval.
- Original invoice or settlement status.
Why does detention matter in Canada?
Ontario hours-of-service guidance treats waiting for loading or unloading as on-duty time. That means a delayed truck consumes legally limited driver hours even while the vehicle is not moving. Canadian Trucking Alliance publications have also described detention as a recurring carrier and driver concern.
How to prepare a detention invoice
- Confirm the billing basis. Find the agreed rate, free time, trigger, any maximum and required notice. If the terms are absent or ambiguous, ask the load contact for written clarification instead of inventing a rate.
- Reconcile the timeline. Record the appointment, actual check-in and release time, date and time zone. Explain discrepancies between the POD, tracking and dispatch records; do not rewrite evidence to make it fit.
- Show the calculation. Identify the load, facility, eligible time, agreed rate, currency and requested amount. Apply the agreement’s rounding and caps rather than assuming the calculator total is payable.
- Attach the support. Include the agreement, signed time record, timely notice and approval where required. Use the full document checklist.
- Use the correct payment route. Check whether the charge was already billed or paid. If the invoice was factored, coordinate the revised or supplemental invoice with the factor.
- Submit and track. Use the counterparty’s required channel before the applicable deadline. Keep the submission reference, amount approved, payment status and next follow-up date.
What if the broker has not paid detention?
Separate an unsubmitted charge, an incomplete request, a disputed charge and an approved-but-unpaid invoice. Each needs a different next step.
- No submission record: confirm the deadline and send through the authorized route only if still eligible.
- Missing paperwork: request the specific missing document and record whether it can still be accepted.
- Disputed amount or eligibility: compare the reason with the agreed terms, timestamps and notices; ask for a written explanation.
- Approved but unpaid: reconcile the remittance and factoring ledger before following up with the correct payment contact.
A delay alone does not establish a legal right to payment. FCR provides administrative review and claim preparation, not a guarantee of collection or legal advice. We do not submit a claim without carrier approval.
Why are detention invoices often missed?
- The driver does not obtain signed in/out times.
- The dispatcher sends notice but billing never sees it.
- The accessorial is approved in email but omitted from the final invoice.
- The broker has a short submission deadline.
- The carrier factors the base invoice before adding the supplemental charge.
- The freight payment arrives and nobody reconciles the accessorial separately.
How Freight Claim Recovery approaches detention
We start with recent completed loads and review the terms, times, notices, supporting documents and payment state. A load is classified as potentially supportable, incomplete, already billed, not supported or requiring a factoring route. Nothing is submitted without carrier approval.