Detention
Detention is what a broker pays the carrier when the truck is held at a shipper or receiver longer than the free time written on the rate con. If the rate con says nothing, you may wait for free.
How detention works
Most rate cons that include detention set three things: free time (the hours the facility gets before detention starts), an hourly rate after that, and a proof rule (how arrival and departure are recorded). Some also cap the total, pay only in full-hour steps, or require the driver to call the broker before the free time runs out. Each of those details changes what you actually get paid.
Detention is set by the contract, not by a published rate. That is why the wording matters more than the dollar figure: "$40/hr after 2 hours" with no proof rule can turn into nothing if the receiver's sign-out sheet shows a different time.
Why waiting costs more than the wait
Waiting at a dock is not free time for the driver. Under the federal hours-of-service rules, on-duty time includes all time at a shipper's or carrier's facility waiting to be dispatched, and all time attending a truck while it is loaded or unloaded (on-duty time, 49 CFR 395.2). A property-carrying driver also may not drive after the 14th consecutive hour after coming on duty (49 CFR 395.3). So three hours at a receiver can mean three fewer hours to reach the next load, even if the clock on the rate con never started.
Wording to look for
- "Detention: $X/hr after Y hours free": the clean version. Check when "free" starts: arrival, appointment time, or check-in.
- "With broker approval" or "must be requested within 24 hours": conditions that can cancel the pay if you miss a step. Put a reminder on your phone.
- "Detention paid only if the shipper pays": your pay depends on someone you don't have a contract with.
- No mention at all: the facility can hold you as long as it likes without anyone owing you anything under this paper.
What the Rate Con Checker flags
If the word "detention" never appears, the checker marks a red flag. If detention is mentioned without an hourly rate, it is a flag. If there is a rate, the checker compares it with your minimums: by default it flags a rate under $50 an hour or more than 2 free hours. Those defaults are settings, not industry standards; Pro users set their own numbers.
What to ask for
Please add detention of $[rate]/hr after [N] hours free, starting at check-in, paid in 15-minute increments.
Then protect the proof: get in and out times on the bill of lading or the facility's sign-out sheet, keep your ELD location record, and send the broker a message with a timestamp when you arrive and when the free time ends.