Layover
Layover is a daily payment for a truck that is held overnight, or whose pickup or delivery is pushed to another day, through no fault of the carrier.
When layover applies
Typical cases: the receiver can't unload today and gives a new appointment tomorrow; the shipper's freight isn't ready and the pickup moves a day; or a load is held for paperwork. The truck sits, the driver can't take another load, and the day's revenue is gone. Layover pays for that lost day. Detention, by contrast, pays by the hour for waiting within the same day.
The difference matters because some rate cons pay detention but are silent on layover. A truck can sit through the night, start fresh the next morning, and the broker can argue that detention "reset". A separate layover line removes that argument.
How layover connects to hours of service
Under federal hours-of-service rules, a property-carrying driver needs 10 consecutive hours off duty before driving again, may not drive after the 14th hour on duty, and may not drive after 60 hours in 7 days or 70 hours in 8 days, depending on the carrier's schedule (49 CFR 395.3). A day held at a receiver is often logged off duty, which can actually help the driver's hours, but it still costs the carrier a day of revenue. Layover pay is about money, not legality.
Wording to look for
- "Layover: $X per day", ideally with what counts as a day (each calendar day, or each 24 hours after the original appointment).
- Exclusions: "no layover if the carrier missed the appointment" is fair; "layover at broker discretion" is not a commitment.
- Proof: the receiver's rescheduled appointment, in writing, is the key document. Ask for it by email.
- Interaction with detention: does detention stop when layover starts? Does it restart the next morning? Clear rate cons say.
What the Rate Con Checker flags
The checker searches for the word "layover". If it is there, it marks layover as addressed (OK). If not, it shows not found, which lowers the score by 4 points. It doesn't judge the amount, because layover amounts vary with equipment and lane.
What to ask for
Please add layover of $[amount]/day if the truck is held overnight.
The checker's message uses $250 per day as an editable placeholder, not a quoted market rate. Whatever number you choose, ask for it before the load, not after the receiver turns you away. Once you're sitting in a lot, your leverage is gone.
Keep the paper trail
Save the original appointment, the message that moved it, your arrival time and the new appointment. If layover is paid "upon proof", that set of four timestamps is the proof.