Detention Time

Detention time is the period during which a truck and driver are held at a shipping or receiving facility beyond the contractually agreed-upon free time allowance. When a facility takes longer than the free time period, typically 2 hours, to load or unload a truck, detention charges begin to accrue as compensation for the carrier's lost productivity and the driver's consumed hours of service.

Standard detention charges in the reefer freight market range from $50 to $100 per hour, billed in 15 or 30-minute increments after the free time expires. Some carriers have adopted higher detention rates to discourage facilities from treating truck drivers as free warehousing. Detention charges are billed to the party responsible for the delay, which is typically the shipper for loading delays and the receiver or consignee for unloading delays.

Detention is more than a cost issue. For refrigerated shipments, extended detention at the dock means prolonged exposure to ambient temperatures during loading and unloading, increasing the risk of temperature excursions. For drivers, detention consumes their limited hours of service under FMCSA regulations, potentially forcing them to take a mandatory rest break that delays the delivery of the temperature-sensitive load to its destination.

The trucking industry loses an estimated $1.1 billion to $1.3 billion annually in unpaid detention charges. Many carriers have difficulty collecting detention fees, even when documented. ArrowLane's carrier agreements include clear detention policies with established rates and documentation requirements, ensuring that facilities are incentivized to process trucks efficiently and that carriers are fairly compensated when delays occur.