How to Collect Detention Pay From a Broker (Step-by-Step)
Collecting detention pay requires three things: timestamped evidence that survives a broker dispute, submission within the rate confirmation’s claim window, and a systematic follow-up process until you’re paid. Most carriers fail at step one, which is why fewer than 50% of detention invoices are ever collected, according to the ATRI 2024 Detention Study.
Why Most Detention Goes Uncollected
Detention happens on 39.3% of all truck stops. Nearly all carriers — 94.5% — charge fees when it does. But the gap between what’s billed and what’s paid is enormous.
The reason isn’t that brokers have a legal right to refuse payment. The reason is that carriers submit invoices with documentation that’s easy to dispute:
- A timestamp the driver wrote on the BOL
- A note from dispatch with an estimated arrival time
- No GPS data, no ELD corroboration, nothing hardware-stamped
Brokers know this. When documentation is weak, disputing the invoice costs the broker nothing and saves them the payment. That’s the game. The only way to win it is to make the documentation undeniable.
Step-by-Step: How to Collect Detention Pay
Step 1: Capture GPS-Verified Timestamps at the Stop
The moment your driver arrives at the facility, your telematics system should be logging the event. This is your foundation.
What you need from every stop where detention might occur:
- Arrival timestamp — GPS-verified, from your ELD or telematics system
- Appointment time — From the load tender or confirmation
- Door assignment time — If your rate confirmation specifies free time begins at door assignment (not facility arrival), this is critical
- Departure timestamp — GPS-verified
If you’re relying on drivers to write times on the BOL, you’re setting yourself up to lose disputes. A broker’s compliance team will simply say the truck arrived later than written. Without hardware-timestamped data to counter that claim, the invoice dies.
Step 2: Calculate What You’re Owed
Formula: (Total Time at Facility − Free Time Allowance) × Hourly Rate = Detention Owed
Most rate confirmations specify two hours of free time. After that, every additional hour (or fraction, depending on the RC) is billable.
Example:
- Scheduled appointment: 10:00 AM
- Actual GPS arrival: 10:05 AM
- Free time ends: 12:05 PM
- GPS departure: 2:45 PM
- Billable time: 2 hours 40 minutes
- Rate: $75/hour
- Detention owed: $200
Check your rate confirmation for: the free time allowance (typically 2 hours), whether the clock starts at facility arrival or door assignment, the hourly rate, and any maximum detention cap.
Step 3: Pull the Claim Window From Your Rate Confirmation
Every rate confirmation that includes detention terms will also include a claim window — the deadline by which you must submit a detention invoice. Missing this window is one of the most common reasons legitimate detention claims go uncollected.
Typical windows run 24–72 hours after delivery. Some carriers require same-day submission. Once the window closes, the claim is contractually barred regardless of how well-documented it is.
Look for language like:
- “Detention claims must be submitted within [X] hours of delivery”
- “Accessorial charges not submitted within [X] business days will not be honored”
If no window is specified, submit within 24 hours of delivery to be safe.
Step 4: Build and Submit Your Invoice
A detention invoice that survives scrutiny should include:
| Field | What to Include |
|---|---|
| Load / Pro number | From the rate confirmation |
| Shipper / consignee | Where detention occurred |
| Scheduled appointment | From load tender |
| GPS arrival time | From telematics report |
| Free time end | Appointment + free time allowance |
| GPS departure time | From telematics report |
| Billable hours | Calculated to the minute |
| Rate per hour | Per rate confirmation |
| Total amount owed | Billable hours × rate |
| Evidence | Attach telematics report screenshot |
Submit via the broker’s preferred channel — email, TMS portal, or their carrier payment system. Include the evidence in the initial submission. Don’t send the invoice and wait to be asked for proof.
Step 5: Follow Up on a Fixed Schedule
A single submission with no follow-up is not a collection process. It’s a wish. Brokers have large payables queues and unpursued invoices get deprioritized.
Build a follow-up cadence:
- Day 0: Submit invoice + evidence
- Day 7: First follow-up email to billing contact
- Day 15: Escalate to broker account manager or ops
- Day 30: Send written final notice — inform the broker you intend to pursue formal dispute resolution
- Day 45+: File for TIA arbitration, FMCSA complaint, or surety bond claim as appropriate
Log every communication with date, contact, and response. You’ll need this if the dispute escalates.
Step 6: Escalate Unpaid Claims
When a broker refuses a legitimate claim, you have formal options:
TIA Arbitration — The Transportation Intermediaries Association offers binding arbitration for freight payment disputes. If the broker is a TIA member, they’re obligated to participate. Filing fees are modest and the process is faster than litigation.
FMCSA Complaint — The FMCSA maintains a complaint registry for carrier-vs-broker disputes. Filing creates a formal record and often prompts broker action because it affects their complaint history.
Surety Bond Claim — Freight brokers are federally required to maintain a $75,000 surety bond. A carrier with a legitimate unpaid claim can file against this bond through the bonding company.
What Moves the Needle Most
Carriers who switch from manual timestamps to GPS + ELD-verified documentation typically see collection rates go from under 50% to over 80%. That single change — better evidence at submission — eliminates most disputes before they start.
Brokers dispute what they can plausibly deny. They can’t deny two independent, hardware-timestamped data sources.
If your fleet runs Motive ELDs, Dwell automates this entire process — detection, evidence packaging, invoice generation, and follow-up — without changing how your drivers or dispatch team works. Join the waitlist to see what your fleet is leaving uncollected.
Related Articles
- What Evidence Do You Need to Win a Detention Dispute?
- How Long Do You Have to Submit a Detention Invoice?
- What to Do When a Freight Broker Refuses to Pay Detention
- Free Detention Pay Invoice Template
Dwell connects to your Motive account, detects detention automatically, and builds the evidence package before a dispute happens. No new hardware. We make money only when you do.