Detention Pay Trucking: How to Claim Every Dollar Owed

The freight is delivered. The paperwork is signed. But somewhere between that dock and your bank account, a few hundred dollars disappeared — and you let it go because chasing it felt harder than moving on to the next load.

That is the pattern I see from owner-operators at every experience level, and it costs real money over the course of a year. Accessorial charges — detention, TONU, layover, lumper fees — are legitimate compensation for time and cost that falls outside normal transit. They are collectible. But only if you set them up correctly before you roll and document them properly while you are on site.

Here is exactly how to do that.

What Are Accessorial Charges?

Accessorial charges are fees beyond the base linehaul rate that compensate a carrier for additional services, delays, or costs incurred during a load. They are not extras you invent after the fact — they are defined line items that should appear in your rate confirmation before the truck moves.

The most common ones owner-operators encounter:

Detention: Compensation for time spent waiting at a shipper or receiver beyond the free time specified in the rate confirmation. The clock starts when you arrive and check in. Most rate confirmations set a free time window — commonly two hours — after which detention accrues at an hourly rate.

TONU (Truck-Ordered Not Used): A fee paid when a carrier is dispatched and in route (or staged and ready) and the load is canceled after the truck has committed. This compensates you for the opportunity cost of turning down other freight.

Layover: Compensation when a driver is held over at a location — typically a shipper or receiver — beyond a single operating day, preventing the truck from running. Layover is different from detention; it covers extended holds rather than just dock wait time.

Lumper fees: Charges for third-party labor used to unload (or occasionally load) a trailer, often at grocery distribution centers and large retail receivers. Lumper costs can run from modest to significant depending on the facility and load configuration. Some shippers cover lumper directly; others expect the carrier to advance the cost and be reimbursed.

The Core Problem: It Has to Be in the Rate Confirmation

This is where most operators fail, and it is where I will give you my honest opinion: the number one reason owner-operators don’t collect accessorial pay is that they never built it into the rate confirmation in the first place.

A verbal agreement does not pay. An email after the fact is weak. What is enforceable is a rate confirmation — signed, with specific line items defining the free time window, the detention rate, the TONU amount, and the lumper reimbursement process.

Before you accept a load:

• Confirm that detention language appears in the rate con with a defined free time threshold and a per-hour rate.
• Confirm that TONU is defined with a trigger condition (how far in route, what constitutes cancellation) and a dollar amount.
• Confirm layover terms if the load has any realistic potential for an extended hold.
• Confirm how lumper fees are handled — advance and reimburse, or direct payment to the facility.

If a broker sends you a rate confirmation that is silent on these terms and you are heading into a shipper known for long dock waits, ask for the language in writing before you accept. A broker who refuses to define accessorials is a broker signaling that they will dispute them later.

Documentation: The Chain of Proof

Even with clean rate confirmation language, you need documentation to collect. The claims that get paid are the ones with timestamps and signatures. The ones that get disputed are the ones with a driver’s word against a broker’s notes.

Build your documentation habit around these actions:

• Arrival time: Log your physical arrival at the facility gate or dock area. Use a combination of: ELD/GPS timestamp, a check-in slip from the guard shack or door office, and a note in your load app if the broker uses one. Three sources are stronger than one.
• Check-in time: If the facility requires check-in before assigning a door, document that separately. Many facilities have a gap between gate arrival and dock check-in — both matter.
• Loading/unloading start time: Note when the freight work actually begins.
• Release time: Get a departure time documented — a signed BOL, a check-out slip, or a scale ticket with a timestamp.
• Lumper receipt: If you advance lumper fees, get a receipt with the facility name, date, amount, and the lumper’s name or number. Keep the original.
• Written notice to broker: Once detention free time has expired, notify the broker in writing — text, email, or app message — that you are now on detention. Contemporaneous notice is your friend in a dispute. “Hey, I’ve been here 2.5 hours, detention clock started at [time]” sent in real time is far more credible than a claim filed a week later.

TONU: A Fee Most Operators Undercharge

TONU is one of the least-claimed accessorials in trucking, which is striking because load cancellations are common enough that every regular carrier has encountered them.

The standard for a TONU claim is that you had committed to the load — you turned down other freight, you are in route, or you are staged at pickup — and the load was canceled through no fault of yours. The rate confirmation should define the trigger and the amount.

What to do when a cancellation hits:

1. Document your location at the time of cancellation (GPS, screenshot, ELD data).
2. Document when you received the cancellation notice (time-stamped message).
3. Invoice the TONU fee immediately, referencing the rate confirmation line item and the cancellation notice.
4. Follow up in writing if unpaid within the broker’s stated payment window.

Operators who never claim TONU are not running a cleaner business — they are training brokers that they do not enforce their rate confirmations.

Layover: Know When You Have a Claim

Layover applies when a delay at a shipper or receiver extends beyond a single day and prevents you from running. Not every overnight hold qualifies — the trigger is defined in the rate confirmation, so know your terms.

If you are held for an extended period:

• Notify the broker in writing as soon as it becomes clear the delay will extend beyond same-day release.
• Document check-in and check-out times for each day held.
• Invoice with the rate confirmation reference, your documented timestamps, and the number of layover days claimed.

Disputing Non-Payment

Even with clean documentation, some brokers will dispute or ignore accessorial invoices. Your process:

1. Invoice clearly. Itemize each charge by type, amount, reference the rate confirmation clause, and attach your documentation.
2. Follow up in writing. If unpaid within the stated payment window, send a formal written demand referencing the rate confirmation.
3. Escalate to carrier relations or management at the brokerage — many billing disputes are resolved at this level without formal action.
4. File a complaint with the FMCSA or your state’s motor carrier authority for clear non-payment cases involving bad-faith brokers.
5. Consider a collections service or transportation attorney for larger disputed amounts. The cost needs to match the claim size, but documented claims have teeth.

One resource worth knowing: the FMCSA’s Household Goods Dispute Settlement Program does not apply here, but the FMCSA does handle complaints against brokers for violations of the Broker-Carrier Agreement requirements. Understanding your federal rights is part of running a business. Learn more about operating authority and compliance resources at /services.

Building the Habit Into Your Operation

Collecting accessorials is not aggressive — it is professional. You have operating costs, you have a rate confirmation, and you have documentation. What is left is the discipline to invoice consistently.

A few practical steps to systematize this:

• Create a detention tracking log. A simple spreadsheet noting load number, shipper/receiver, arrival time, free time expiration, release time, and the amount owed is enough to build a claim history.
• Set a documentation checklist for every load. Before you leave a facility, confirm you have: signed BOL, arrival and departure timestamps from at least two sources, and any lumper receipts.
• Invoice same week. The longer you wait to submit an accessorial invoice, the harder it is to collect and the easier it is for a broker to “not have record” of the delay.
• Know your rate confirmation before you arrive. Pull it up on your phone. Know what the free time is. Know the detention rate. So when the clock starts ticking, you are not scrambling to find the paperwork.

If you need help structuring your contracts or want a review of your current rate confirmation language, that is exactly the kind of operational support we provide to independent contractors. Visit /for-independent-contractors for more on how LAN works with owner-operators.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: When does the detention clock start? The start time depends on what your rate confirmation specifies. Typically, free time begins when you arrive and check in at the shipper or receiver. The exact trigger should be written into the rate confirmation — arrival at gate vs. arrival at dock can be different, and that distinction matters. Document both.

Q: What is a reasonable detention rate to negotiate? Detention rates vary widely across the industry. The right rate for your operation accounts for your hourly cost of operating (fixed costs per hour plus driver time), not just what is “standard.” Negotiate based on your actual numbers. Whatever rate you set, get it in writing on the rate confirmation.

Q: Can I claim TONU if the load was canceled before I left the terminal? It depends on your rate confirmation language. Some TONU definitions trigger only after the truck is in route; others trigger once you have accepted the load and turned down other freight. Define it clearly in writing before you accept loads.

Q: What if the broker says detention was never agreed to? This is why the rate confirmation is non-negotiable documentation. A signed rate confirmation with detention language is your contract. If the broker’s rate con was silent on detention and you accepted it, you have a harder argument. That is why you request the language before you roll.

Q: Are lumper fees always reimbursable? Lumper reimbursement depends entirely on what is stated in the rate confirmation. Some shippers pay lumpers directly; some programs require the carrier to advance and invoice for reimbursement. Know the terms before you reach the facility. Keep every receipt.

Disclaimer: Accessorial charge terms, enforceability, and applicable regulations vary by contract and jurisdiction. This post is for informational purposes. Consult your rate confirmation, legal counsel, or contact LAN for guidance specific to your situation.

Stop Leaving Accessorial Money Behind

The documentation habit takes about five minutes per load to build. The return on those five minutes — across detention, TONU, layover, and lumper claims over a year — is real money. If you want help reviewing your rate confirmation language, building an accessorial tracking process, or understanding your rights as an independent contractor, our team is ready.

Book your free consultation at logisticsassistancenow.com/contact.