Detention pay calculator

Enter arrival and departure times, free time and the hourly rate to get detention pay for a load, then add layover, stop-offs and lumper fees. Free, no sign-up.

Time at each stop

Pickup
Delivery
Bill detention in

Other accessorials

Free time, rates and billing rules come from your rate confirmation or carrier agreement. Change the defaults to match yours. A departure time earlier than the arrival is read as the next day. Results update as you type.

Total accessorial charges
$187.50
Pickup: time on site4 h 30 min
Pickup: billable detention2 h 30 min
Delivery: time on site1 h 30 min
Delivery: billable detention0 h 00 min
Detention charge$187.50
Layover$0.00
Extra stops$0.00
Lumper and other$0.00

This adds up the times and rates you enter. It does not decide what is owed: that depends on the terms both sides agreed and on proof of the arrival and departure times.

How detention pay is calculated

Detention is the charge for holding a truck at a shipper or receiver beyond the agreed free time. Take the time on site, subtract the free time, and multiply what is left by the hourly rate.

Use it as a detention pay calculator for one load, or as an accessorial charge calculator: it adds detention at pickup and delivery to layover, extra stops and lumper fees. It totals the numbers you enter and does not decide what is owed.

Start with the clock.

Record when the truck arrived and when it left each stop. The time between is the time on site. Those times need proof, such as in and out times signed on the bill of lading.

Subtract the free time.

Most agreements allow a set free time per stop, commonly two hours, before detention starts. What is left is billable, usually rounded up to the next 15 minutes, 30 minutes or hour.

Add the other accessorials.

Layover is charged per day when a truck is held overnight. Stop-off charges apply to each extra stop, and lumper fees are passed through at cost with a receipt.

Detention FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Subtract the free time from the time the truck spent at the stop, then multiply what is left by the hourly detention rate. For example, 4.5 hours on site with 2 hours free leaves 2.5 billable hours. At $75 an hour that is $187.50.

Detention is a charge for the time a truck waits at a pickup or delivery beyond the agreed free time. It pays the carrier for hours when the driver and the equipment could not be used elsewhere.

Two hours per stop is the most common free time, but it is set by the rate confirmation or the carrier agreement, not by a regulation. Some agreements allow more, and many only pay detention if the truck arrived on time for its appointment.

Detention rates are negotiated. Hourly rates of roughly $50 to $100 are commonly quoted for van and reefer freight, but the rate that applies is the one written on the rate confirmation.

The carrier bills the broker, because the broker is the carrier's customer. The broker then bills the shipper or receiver if its agreement with them allows it. If it does not, the broker may have to absorb the cost.

Arrival and departure times that can be shown: in and out times signed on the bill of lading or proof of delivery, or tracking data. Many rate confirmations also require the carrier to tell the broker before the free time runs out.

Detention is charged by the hour for waiting beyond the free time. Layover is charged per day when the truck is held overnight or the load is pushed to the next day.

Stop-off charges for extra stops, lumper fees for unloading, driver assist, tarping, redelivery, and a truck-ordered-not-used fee when a load is cancelled after the truck has been dispatched.

These tools are free and need no sign-up.

They are made by Polt, the AI-native TMS for freight brokers and 3PLs.

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