Shipper Detention Pay Calculator
Work out exactly how much detention money you are owed for delays at pickup and delivery — with a ready-to-send claim summary for your broker.
How detention pay works
Use this detention pay calculator to work out the charge a carrier or owner-operator can claim when a truck is kept waiting at a shipper or a receiver beyond the free time agreed on the rate confirmation. The truck, the driver and the hours are tied up and the next load is put at risk.
This calculator treats the pickup and the delivery as two separate stops, because that is how a real claim is worked out. Enter the hours delayed at each stop, the free time allowed per stop and the rate from your rate confirmation, then choose the billing increment your agreement uses. The calculator subtracts free time from the delay at each stop, rounds the billable time up to your increment, multiplies it by your rate and adds the two stops together.
What is free time at a shipper or receiver?
Free time is the period after arrival during which no detention is owed. Two hours per stop is the most common allowance, although some facilities allow one hour and some allow three or four. The clock normally starts when you arrive and check in, not when loading or unloading eventually begins, so your arrival time matters as much as your departure time. If you are in and out inside free time, no detention is owed. If you are held for five hours with two hours of free time, only the three hours beyond free time are billable, before any rounding.
Free time is not a standard set by law. It is whatever the rate confirmation and the carrier agreement say it is, which is why you should settle it before dispatch. A vague promise of detention “if available” or “subject to approval” is no promise at all. If those terms are missing, ask for them in writing before you accept the load.
Typical detention rates and billing increments
Detention rates for dry van and reefer work in the United States commonly fall between about $50 and $100 per hour, with $50 to $75 the most usual range. Whatever the figure is, it only counts if it is written down.
Billing increments decide how part-hours are charged. Exact time bills the precise billable minutes, so 2.2 billable hours is charged as 2.2 hours. A 15-minute increment rounds it up to 2.25 hours, a 30-minute increment to 2.5 hours, and a 60-minute increment to 3 hours. Rounding is applied per stop, not to the day as a whole, so a short delay at each stop can still add up.
How to document a detention claim so it gets paid
A detention claim is paid on its paperwork, not on how long the wait felt. The claims that are paid promptly are the ones a broker can verify without chasing the driver for details. Build the file as the delay happens, not after delivery.
- Agree the detention terms on the rate confirmation before dispatch: rate, free time, when the clock starts and who to notify.
- Get in and out times signed or stamped on the bill of lading at each facility.
- Keep your ELD records, which prove arrival, departure and time spent at the facility.
- Notify the broker in writing before free time expires: a timestamped text or email beats a phone call.
Send the claim summary, the signed bill of lading and a short note giving the load number, the date and the times, and keep a copy of everything. Before you haul for a broker again, check that they pay accessorial charges and are in sound financial shape. Our Broker Credit and Safety Verification Checklist helps you check a broker before you haul for them, and our guide to detention, layover and TONU pay explains how detention sits alongside the other accessorial charges. You can find both, with the rest of our free calculators, on the Trucking Tools hub.
Is detention pay guaranteed by law?
No. Detention pay is contractual, not guaranteed by any federal law. There is no federal rule that says a shipper or broker must pay a driver for waiting. Your entitlement comes only from the terms you agreed in writing.
Frequently asked questions
What is detention pay?
Detention pay is the charge a carrier claims when a truck is held at a shipper or receiver beyond the free time agreed on the rate confirmation. It compensates the carrier for the truck, the driver and the hours lost while the truck is not earning.
What is free time at a shipper or receiver?
Free time is the period after arrival, usually two hours, during which no detention is owed. The clock normally starts when you arrive and check in. Only the time beyond free time is billable, and if you are out inside free time nothing is owed.
Is detention pay guaranteed by law?
No. There is no federal law that guarantees detention pay. It is purely contractual, so it depends on the detention terms in your rate confirmation and carrier agreement. Without those terms in writing, there is nothing to enforce.
How do I document a detention claim so it gets paid?
Agree the terms in writing before dispatch, get in and out times signed on the bill of lading, keep your ELD records, notify the broker in writing before free time expires, and send the claim with the signed paperwork and a clear calculation for each stop.