You showed up on time, backed into the dock, and then sat for four hours while the shipper got their act together. Who pays for that? The short answer: detention exists to cover it — but only if you know how to document and collect it.

What truck detention actually is

Detention (sometimes called "detention time" or "demurrage" on the rail side) is money a shipper or receiver owes you for holding your truck past a reasonable window at the dock.

Most facilities give you two hours of "free" time to load or unload. That's baked into the linehaul rate. Once you're past that window through no fault of your own, the detention clock starts.

It's not a favor. It's compensation for your truck, your hours of service, and the time you can't spend on your next load.

What detention typically pays

Detention rates aren't set by law — they're negotiated per load or per shipper. But some patterns hold industry-wide:

  • Free time is usually the first two hours after your appointment.
  • After that, detention is billed hourly, often with a cap per day.
  • The rate and the cap should be spelled out before you accept the load — not argued about after you're sitting.

The single biggest mistake owner-operators make is assuming detention is automatic. It isn't. If the terms weren't set up front and you didn't document your time, you're likely eating those hours.

How to document detention so you actually get paid

Detention lives or dies on your paperwork. A verbal complaint to the dock clerk means nothing 30 days later. Protect yourself:

  • Log your arrival time the moment you get on site. Your ELD timestamp and check-in are your proof.
  • Get the in and out times on the BOL or a signed dock receipt whenever possible.
  • Note the appointment time versus when loading/unloading actually started and finished.
  • Tell your dispatcher immediately — not after you leave. Real-time notice lets them push the claim while it's fresh.

The cleaner your timeline, the harder it is for anyone to wave off what they owe you.

Why detention is easier to collect under ARI's authority

Here's where a lot of solo operators lose money: chasing detention is a billing fight, and it takes leverage most single trucks don't have.

When you run under ARI's authority, you're not the one arguing with a broker's back office over an hourly rate. Your dedicated dispatcher — who handles a maximum of seven trucks — knows your lanes, knows the shippers, and gets the detention terms nailed down when the load is booked. If you get held up, you call them and they work the claim through ARI's billing team.

Because ARI moves real volume and has established broker and shipper relationships, that leverage is bigger than what one truck brings to the table. And with same-day pay and a true 82% revenue share, the money you're owed doesn't disappear into quick-pay fees or a slow billing cycle. See how the split and the dispatch model work on the owner-operator opportunities page.

A quick reality check

Detention won't make you rich, and no honest carrier can promise you'll collect on every claim — some shippers simply refuse, and sometimes the delay is genuinely on you. But documented, dispatcher-backed detention adds up over a year, and it's income you already earned by sitting there.

If you're tired of losing hours you never get paid for, the fix is a carrier that puts a real person on your billing. That's the model at ARI — no escrow, no forced dispatch, and a dispatcher who fights for your time. When you're ready to run smarter, start your application and we'll walk you through it.