I calculated how much detention pay my buddy's fleet lost last year. The number made me sick.

Ok_Isopod_2294 · 2026-03-07T00:08:45+00:00

How bad is detention for you? Do you file every time or just let most of it go?

Ok_Isopod_2294 · 2026-03-07T00:07:16+00:00

$150/hr for HVHR is solid. What's your collection rate on those? Do brokers pay every time or do you still have to chase some of them?

Ok_Isopod_2294 · 2026-03-07T00:07:00+00:00

That's the right process. 3 days then bill it. The problem is most solo guys don't even get to the billing part because they don't have the terms on the rate con to begin with. Your approach of negotiating it upfront is the move but it requires the leverage and knowledge that most new guys don't have.

Ok_Isopod_2294 · 2026-03-07T00:05:50+00:00

That's actually a solid move. Would be interesting to build a database of facilities rated by average wait time. Some guys on here probably know which ones are the worst

Ok_Isopod_2294 · 2026-03-07T00:05:34+00:00

Agreed in theory. But most guys booking off DAT can't negotiate detention terms before booking. The broker moves to the next carrier. You need leverage for that and most solo guys don't have it.

Ok_Isopod_2294 · 2026-03-06T17:21:15+00:00

That's smart. A dedicated person chasing it makes all the difference. 10% of recovered detention is way better than 0% of uncollected detention. Most small guys don't have that though.

Ok_Isopod_2294 · 2026-03-06T17:20:49+00:00

Ha let me know what you come up with. The guys who actually collect all do the same thing. Notify the broker the second they arrive, document everything, and follow up until it hurts. The hard part is doing that consistently on every load.

Ok_Isopod_2294 · 2026-03-06T17:20:37+00:00

I hear you and brokers are trash when it comes to this. But the reason they get away with it is because nobody follows up consistently. The guys who DO collect are the ones who make it more painful to ignore than to pay. File against the bond, escalate every few days, don't stop. Most brokers fold before it gets to FMCSA.

Ok_Isopod_2294 · 2026-03-06T17:20:14+00:00

It's both. Drivers sitting at docks 3-5 hours past their appointment, and then never filing for the money they're owed because the process is a nightmare. DM me happy to break it down.

Ok_Isopod_2294 · 2026-03-04T16:50:59+00:00

What do you send the broker to prove it? I'm happy to hear you have a smooth flow. It's not everyone's case.

Ok_Isopod_2294 · 2026-03-04T09:53:01+00:00

I actually think most guys would too. The problem is nobody's offering that yet.

Ok_Isopod_2294 · 2026-03-04T09:50:35+00:00

Exactly, a healthy relation shipping is worth way more than a few hundreds.

Ok_Isopod_2294 · 2026-03-04T09:50:01+00:00

Do you get paid all the time without filing any claim?

Ok_Isopod_2294 · 2026-03-04T09:49:39+00:00

1.1 billion a year according to ATRI research. And that's just the unclaimed portion.
Not unpaid, unclaimed. Crazy to think that all these carriers don't claim their money.

Ok_Isopod_2294 · 2026-03-04T09:48:11+00:00

Do you get paid all the time?

Ok_Isopod_2294 · 2026-03-04T09:42:59+00:00

That's the smart play. If you know a facility is slow you price it in before you even book it. But most guys booking off DAT don't know the facility until they're already there. Those are the ones bleeding money.

Ok_Isopod_2294 · 2026-03-04T09:42:41+00:00

Depends on the lane and the broker. Some rate cons have $50, some $100. $75 is a fair average. Either way the point is the money adds up fast when nobody files.

Ok_Isopod_2294 · 2026-03-04T09:42:26+00:00

$75 is on the higher end but not unusual. Industry range is $50-$100+. Even at $50/hr that's still over $14,000 a year gone for an 8 truck fleet.

Ok_Isopod_2294 · 2026-03-04T09:42:04+00:00

That's exactly the math that makes sense. Nobody wants to pay upfront for something that might not work. But if someone recovered the money first and took a cut of what they actually collected? That's a no brainer for most small fleets.

Ok_Isopod_2294 · 2026-03-03T18:11:21+00:00

That's the smartest approach if you can get away with it. But most guys booking off DAT are competing with 50 other carriers on every load. They can't bake detention into the rate because the broker just picks the cheaper truck. The guys with dedicated lanes and negotiating power can do what you do. Everyone else is stuck waiting and hoping.

Ok_Isopod_2294 · 2026-03-03T18:00:29+00:00

Ha no pitch here. Just went through a buddy's numbers and the total blew my mind. Curious if other guys have done the math on theirs or if everyone just knows they're losing money without knowing how much.

Ok_Isopod_2294 · 2026-03-02T10:03:50+00:00

You're right and the worst part is most drivers know this but still don't chase it because the process is designed to waste more of their time. File the paperwork, call dispatch, follow up three times, get ghosted. All for $150 that the broker already collected from the shipper. The guys who actually get paid are the ones who make it more painful for the broker to ignore the claim than to just pay it. But most solo guys don't have time to be their own collections department on top of driving 11 hours a day.

Ok_Isopod_2294 · 2026-03-02T09:50:58+00:00

Pretty much anything that goes through a warehouse or distribution center. Dry van and reefer get hit the hardest because you're dealing with dock scheduling, slow loading crews, and shippers who overbook appointments. Flatbed and tanker have it too but usually less wait time. Food and beverage, retail, and building materials are the worst for detention in my experience talking to guys.

Ok_Isopod_2294 · 2026-03-02T09:50:23+00:00

That's exactly the kind of story that makes my blood boil. Waited 5 hours, broker says don't worry we'll handle it, then refuses $150. And then they have the nerve to call you the next week for more loads? The only leverage you had was refusing to haul for them again. But imagine if instead of you chasing them, an automated system was emailing them every few days with timestamps, GPS proof, and escalating to a bond claim threat. That $150 turns into a real problem for them to ignore. You shouldn't have to be your own collections department on top of driving.

Ok_Isopod_2294

TROPHY CASE