As a truck driver, there are a few different ways you’ll be paid. One of them is through a detention rate. While that rate might sound like a bad thing, it’s actually not. It’s a fee that carriers can charge for their wait time past a grace period at loading docks. For example, while you might make a per-mile rate normally, your wait time will be converted to an hourly rate if you’re waiting at a loading dock for an extended time. 

Here’s more about what to expect from a detention rate, including how it’s calculated, its impact on your schedule, why it’s important for drivers to receive this compensation, and why you should always document your time when you’re at a loading dock.

What Is Detention Pay?

Detention pay in trucking is compensation paid to drivers for time spent waiting at shippers or receivers beyond the scheduled loading/unloading time. However, keep in mind that there is a grace period before detention pay kicks in. Normally, that grace period is around two hours. Once those two hours pass, you can begin to calculate detention time and the hourly rate that goes along with it. 

Typical reasons you could be delayed at a loading dock might include:

• Problems with the dock, such as congestion or delays in warehouse operations
• Slow paperwork processing
• Miscommunication about arrival times or when the container or load will be available
• Unexpected events such as natural disasters or strikes

If you find yourself at a loading dock or facility without anything to do and have to wait, you will begin calculating your detention pay as soon as your contract allows. The per-hour rate will vary depending on the contract. 

How Detention Pay Is Calculated

If you find yourself waiting for a shipment or waiting to unload a shipment at a receiver, you will be able to receive detention pay after the grace period. Normally, that grace period (the free wait time) is two hours, but it may vary. 

Detention pay is paid by the hour after the free wait time, and how much you’ll receive is based on your company’s policies, your contract, and any independent arrangements made. 

At Pride Transport, our detention pay rate is a guaranteed $15 per hour. 

The Impact of Detention on Your Drive Time

It’s necessary to discuss the impact of detention on your hours and ability to comply with Hours of Service (HOS) regulations through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). 

To start with, think about HOS regulations. These regulations limit the number of hours you can work in a day. There are mandated rest times, as well.

The problem with detention time is that it cuts into the total number of hours you can be behind the wheel. For example, if you have seven more hours you can drive but end up stuck at the shipper’s warehouse for four, you will only be able to be on the road three hours before you have to park. Since drivers are usually paid by the mile, the hourly wage they receive during the wait (after the grace period) is unlikely to make up for what they’ve lost. 

Detention time can also have a cascading effect on your route. A delay at one shipping or receiving warehouse can lead to delays in future deliveries. Depending on how significant the delays are, they could lead to penalties and negatively impact your earnings. 

Why Detention Pay Is Important for Truckers

While it’s true that delays have a negative impact on your route, having detention pay in place is designed to help mitigate at least some of them. With detention pay, it’s possible to reduce the financial burden related to the inefficiencies at shipping or receiving locations. And since receivers or shippers know they’ll need to pay if they’re delayed, having detention pay in place incentivizes them to stay on schedule.

Shipping and receiving companies understand that being efficient helps everyone. By staying on schedule, goods and deliveries get to their destinations on time. Additionally, they reduce overhead costs and keep their warehouses and lots running smoothly, reducing friction between drivers and workers as well as carriers and manufacturers. 

Documenting Detention Times

Our team at Pride Transport is committed to ensuring that you’re fairly paid for your time and effort. That’s why we suggest keeping an independent log of your hours and wait times. 

While shippers and receivers, as well as our own company, may keep logs about your time, it’s equally as important for you to keep your own records to compare them in the case of confusion, disputes, or misunderstandings. 

You’ll want to have a log that states the time you arrived at the destination and when you departed. That log should be confirmed or signed off on by the shipper or receiver, as well, which allows you to verify your hours. 

Don’t forget that you should keep open and clear communication about wait times while you’re on your route. Take these steps and log them as a best practice:

1. Record the time you arrive at the shipper or receiver’s location.
2. Let your dispatcher know if you are going to be detained. This communication serves as a second way to record the detention and the time that it began. 
3. Document the time that you begin to load or unload your truck. This time is included in the detention time. 
4. Note when you are finished unloading or loading the truck.
5. Keep a copy of the original appointment time as proof of when you were supposed to start the pickup or delivery.
6. Get and keep a copy of the bill of lading/delivery receipt. 
7. Provide all the collected information to your dispatcher or company. 

By taking these steps, you’ll protect yourself and ensure you’re compensated for your time.

Drive With Pride Transport

Within the industry, there are many factors you have to consider when choosing who you want to drive for. Guaranteed detention pay is just one of those factors — and it’s a rate we ensure is covered at Pride Transport. To learn more about working with us, visit our website or, if you’re ready to get started, apply now.