What is detention in trucking?
Detention is what the carrier is owed when a shipper or receiver holds the truck past the free time. The rate confirmation sets the terms: how much free time each stop gets — two hours is common — and the hourly rate after that. When a broker arranged the load, the carrier bills the broker, and the broker bills the shipper.
How to calculate detention
- Start the clock when the truck arrived — or at the appointment time, if it got there early. Arriving early does not use up free time before the appointment.
- Stop the clock when the truck left: the out time on the bill of lading or the detention sheet.
- Take off the free time. It counts per stop: free time left over at the pickup does not carry over to the delivery.
- Multiply what is left by the hourly rate. DOCK2BILL bills whole 15-minute blocks and leaves off the minutes that do not fill one: a few minutes stay on the table, and the broker loses the easiest reason to push back.
Example, at $50.00 an hour with 2 hours free: 4 h 10 min at the dock − 2 h free = 2 h 10 min → 2 h in whole 15-minute blocks × $50.00/h = $100.00.
What gets a detention invoice paid
Brokers pay the time they can check. Get the in and out times written and signed on the bill of lading or a detention sheet. Many rate confirmations ask you to tell the broker before the free time runs out — read yours and do what it says. Then send the invoice soon after the load, with that paper attached, and keep the rate confirmation that shows the free time and the rate.
What is TONU?
TONU stands for truck ordered, not used. When a load is canceled after the truck was already sent for it, the broker owes a flat fee set in the rate confirmation. It is one fixed amount, not an hourly charge, and it takes the place of detention on that load: a truck that never loaded has no time at the dock to bill. Switch the calculator to TONU to make that invoice instead.