Detention (and detention pay)
Detention is the time a driver waits at a shipper or receiver beyond the free window; detention pay is the money you charge for that lost time.
Detention is the time you spend waiting at a shipper or receiver beyond the agreed free time (often the first two hours). Detention pay is what you bill for the time beyond that – because every hour parked at a dock is an hour you cannot earn miles, and it eats into your hours of service clock.
Why it matters: detention is one of the most common ways operators lose money invisibly. Your 14-hour driving window keeps ticking while you sit, so a long wait can cost you a whole driving day, not just the wait itself. Get detention terms in writing, document arrival and departure times (your ELD helps), and bill it as a accessorial charge.
See also lumper fee, another dock-related cost.