Detention and accessorial terms are not standardized across all brokers or shippers. Free time and rates are individually negotiated per relationship, so applying a generic default to every load can lead to under-billing or misstating what is actually owed.
Detention isn't just an occasional inconvenience—it's a systemic issue affecting 39.3% of all truckload stops in 2023, costing the industry an estimated $15.1 billion that year. That includes $3.6 billion in direct expenses and a staggering $11.5 billion in lost productivity, according to the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) 2024 driver detention study.
Despite 94.5% of fleets charging detention fees, fewer than 50% of those invoices are actually paid. This billing gap translates to more than 135 million hours lost to driver detention in for-hire trucking alone in 2023—time that could have been spent on the road, delivering loads, and generating revenue.
Detention and accessorial terms are not universal across the trucking industry. They are typically negotiated and set in the rate confirmation for each individual load or within a broader master agreement between a specific broker or shipper and carrier. These terms can vary widely from one relationship to the next, and they can change over time as agreements are renegotiated.
Free-time allowances—the window of time before detention charges begin accruing—and the rates for detention and other accessorial charges are often subject to customer-specific terms. For example, one shipper might offer 2 hours of free time, while another might offer 4 hours, and the detention rate could differ between them. These variations are why it's crucial to apply the correct terms for each specific load.
Layover, TONU (Truck Ordered Not Used), and lumper/stop-off fees are also often subject to customer-specific terms. Just like detention, these charges are typically defined in the rate confirmation or master agreement for each relationship. This means that the rules for when these charges apply and how much they cost can differ significantly depending on the broker or shipper.
A plain, ready-to-use letter format for documenting a detention or accessorial charge with any broker or shipper -- fill in the bracketed fields with your own load details and terms.
[Your Company Name] [MC# / DOT#] [Date] To: [Broker or Shipper Name] Re: Detention / Accessorial Charge -- Load #[Load Number] This letter documents a detention/accessorial charge on the above load, per our agreement. Facility: [Facility Name and Address] Scheduled Appointment Time: [Time] Driver Arrival Time: [Time] Driver Departure Time: [Time] Agreed Free Time: [X hours, per rate confirmation or contract] Billable Detention Time: [Total time on site minus free time] Detention/Accessorial Rate: [$X per hour or flat fee, per rate confirmation or contract] Amount Owed: [Total] Supporting documentation attached: [check-in/check-out timestamps, photos, BOL, etc.] Please remit payment within [your standard terms, e.g. 30 days], or contact us with any questions about this claim. [Your Name] [Your Company] [Phone / Email]
Select the text above to copy it, or use your browser's print/save-as-PDF option to keep a copy.
Try the free detention & accessorial savings calculator to estimate what your fleet may currently be leaving uncollected.
Try the CalculatorNo. Free time and detention rates are set individually in each rate confirmation or contract, and commonly range from about 1 to 4 hours before detention begins, with rates typically between roughly $25 and $100 per hour depending on the relationship.
A single flat rule risks under-billing customers whose contracts allow less free time than assumed, or filing a claim that does not match a specific customer's actual agreed terms -- a common reason detention and accessorial claims get disputed or rejected.
Typically the rate confirmation sent for each load, or a broader master agreement with that broker or shipper. Terms can also change over time, so it matters which version was in effect for a specific load.
Layover, TONU (Truck Order Not Used), and lumper or stop-off fees can all have their own rate and eligibility rules that vary by broker or shipper, the same way detention terms do.
ChargeGuard stores each broker or shipper's own agreed free-time and rate terms and applies them automatically to every claim for that specific customer, instead of applying one generic default rule to every load.
Join the waitlist for ChargeGuard and apply your own actual terms to every claim, not a generic default.
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