Detention & Layover Claims: Getting Paid for Waiting
Detention pay compensates waiting beyond agreed free time at shippers/receivers; layover covers longer holds. Payable claims need real-time documentation — timestamped arrival, in/out times, written broker notification during the delay — filed through the broker's claims channel per your rate confirmation terms. JackRick manages detention claims as part of dispatch.
Your truck earns when it moves. When it sits at a shipper or receiver past the agreed free time, that waiting has a price — detention pay for loading delays, layover pay for multi-day holds, and related accessorials for the disruptions that eat your driving hours. Too many carriers treat waiting as the cost of doing business and leave real money unclaimed, load after load, all year.
This guide covers how detention and layover pay actually work, the documentation that makes claims payable, the filing process step by step, the negotiation tactics that get claims paid instead of ignored, and how to reduce waiting in the first place. No invented rates appear here — detention terms vary by broker and contract, and your rate confirmation is the governing document.
Detention, Layover, and Related Accessorials
Detention is the charge for time spent waiting at pickup or delivery beyond the agreed free time — typically measured from the appointment time (or arrival, if early) after a free period, often two hours. Layover covers longer holds: the truck held overnight or across days because the facility cannot load or unload. Related accessorials include truck-ordered-not-used (TONU), redelivery, and lumper reimbursements — each with its own trigger.
The key distinction is contractual, not definitional. Your rate confirmation — not industry folklore — sets the free time, the hourly detention rate, the layover terms, and the documentation required. Two brokers can have entirely different detention terms; the only terms that matter are the ones on the confirmation for the load you are sitting on. Read it before you wait, not after.
The Documentation That Makes Claims Payable
Payable claims are built in real time, not reconstructed later. Timestamped arrival: log your arrival time with proof — check-in receipts, gate timestamps, ELD location data. In/out times: record when you checked in, when loading started and ended, when you departed. Names: who you spoke with at the facility. Communications: every delay notification to the broker, in writing, as it happens.
The golden rule: notify the broker of the delay while it is happening, not after delivery. Same-day notification with timestamps creates the contemporaneous record that claims departments pay on; a claim filed three days later with reconstructed times gets questioned. Document like an auditor is watching, because the claims reviewer effectively is.
Filing the Claim: Step by Step
Step one: confirm the governing terms on the rate confirmation — free time, rate, documentation requirements. Step two: compile the documentation packet — arrival proof, in/out times, delay notifications, bills of lading with timestamps. Step three: submit to the broker's claims process (not just your dispatcher contact — find the actual claims channel) within the required window. Step four: follow up on a schedule until paid or formally denied.
Track every claim in a simple log: load, broker, amount, date filed, status, follow-up dates. Untracked claims die quietly; tracked claims get paid. Review the log weekly — the same cadence as your invoicing — and escalate stalled claims before they age out.
Getting Claims Paid: Negotiation That Works
Most denied or ignored claims fail on process, not merit: filed late, sent to the wrong contact, missing documentation, or never followed up. Fix the process first — the majority of 'unpaid detention' is actually 'unfiled detention.' Submit complete packets to the right channel inside the window, and payment rates rise dramatically.
For genuinely disputed claims, escalate professionally: restate the rate-confirmation terms, attach the documentation, set a response deadline, and copy the broker's management when the claims contact goes silent. The tone is firm and factual, never heated — you want future loads from this broker too. And know when to walk away: a small disputed claim against a good broker relationship is sometimes the cost of the relationship.
Reducing Waiting in the First Place
The best detention claim is the one you never file because the wait never happened. Appointment discipline: confirm appointments the day before, arrive in the window, and communicate delays immediately. Facility intelligence: learn which shippers and receivers run chronically late, and price or avoid accordingly — your dispatcher's facility notes are worth real money here.
Contract terms are leverage: negotiate detention language into rate confirmations before accepting, especially with facilities known for delays. And schedule design matters — back-to-back appointments with no buffer turn one facility's delay into a missed second appointment. Build the buffer; the waiting you prevent pays better than the waiting you claim.
How JackRick Handles Detention for Clients
Detention management is part of the dispatch service, covered in the flat 10%: we negotiate detention terms into rate confirmations before you book, monitor your check calls for developing delays, notify brokers in real time when waiting starts, compile the documentation packet, file the claim, and follow up until it resolves. You drive; we chase the waiting pay.
The facility intelligence compounds: across our client base we learn which facilities pay detention cleanly and which fight every claim, and that knowledge shapes the loads we book for you. Fewer bad waits booked, more good claims paid — the accessorial line on your settlement grows in both directions.
Key takeaways
- Your rate confirmation sets the detention terms — read it before you wait.
- Document in real time: timestamps, names, written broker notification during the delay.
- File through the actual claims channel, inside the window, and follow up weekly.
- Most unpaid detention is unfiled detention — fix the process before blaming the broker.
- Prevent what you can: appointment discipline, facility intelligence, and schedule buffers.
Questions carriers ask
What is detention pay in trucking?
Payment for time your truck waits at pickup or delivery beyond the agreed free time — the terms (free period, hourly rate, documentation) are set by your rate confirmation, and vary by broker.
What is the difference between detention and layover?
Detention covers waiting beyond free time at a facility (usually hours); layover covers longer holds, typically overnight or multi-day, when the facility cannot load or unload.
How do I document a detention claim?
Timestamped arrival proof, check-in/out times, facility contact names, and written delay notifications to the broker while the delay is happening — compiled into a packet filed through the broker's claims channel.
How long do I have to file a detention claim?
It depends on the broker's terms and your rate confirmation — file promptly, same-day notification with follow-up filing. Track every claim in a log and follow up weekly.
What if the broker ignores my detention claim?
Escalate professionally: restate the rate-confirmation terms, attach documentation, set a response deadline, and copy broker management. Most ignored claims failed on process — right channel, complete packet, persistent follow-up.
Does JackRick handle detention claims?
Yes — detention terms negotiation, real-time delay notification, documentation, filing, and follow-up are part of the dispatch service, covered in the flat 10%.