Truck detention calculator

What truck detention is

Detention is the charge for keeping a truck waiting at a pickup or delivery beyond the agreed free time. It pays the carrier for hours the truck could have been earning elsewhere.

How to use this calculator

Enter the time the truck arrived and the time it left. Then enter the free time and hourly rate from your rate confirmation. You get the time on site, the billable hours and the amount.

The formula

Billable hours = time on site − free time
Detention = billable hours × hourly rate

A worked example

A truck arrives at 8:00 and leaves at 12:30, which is 4.5 hours on site. With 2 free hours at $75 an hour, 2.5 hours are billable and detention comes to $187.50.

Getting detention paid

• Put the free time, the hourly rate and how to claim it on the rate confirmation.
• Have the driver get in and out times written on the bill of lading.
• Tell the shipper as soon as the free time runs out, not after delivery.
• Bill it through on the shipper’s invoice, so it doesn’t come out of your margin.

Common questions

How many free hours are standard for detention?

Two hours is common, but your rate confirmation or shipper contract decides. Use the figure you agreed.

What hourly rate should I use?

Use the rate in your agreement. Rates vary by carrier, shipper and equipment.

What proof do I need for a detention claim?

Time-stamped arrival and departure records, usually in and out times signed on the bill of lading.