Detention Pay etc.

I am a shipper and when the hours of service hype started a few years ago, we installed a time clock on our loading dock. When a driver shows up for a load, we clock a time card and have the driver sign it. Then when the truck is loaded and all the paperwork is given to the driver, we clock it again and retain this on file. It does two things, it keeps the driver honest about how long he had to wait and it make the shipping dock aware of how long they are holding drivers. We seldom have any problems with detention. It has worked very well for us.

 

I charge between 500 and 750 a day for circumstances that I can't control. I just got paid for an extra day on my last load in fact. Once the terms change that load confirmation can be renegotiated. Why should I eat a days pay due to someone else's error? Not going to happen with my truck and trailer.

 

I have a question for all on here if your truck is running late breakdown, accident, blown tire etc. Would you pay the shipper or receiver the delay in time of you not being on time?

 

Some of them actually state in the contract it will result in automatic reduction of the rate by $X amount. I broke down on a time sensitive load with a good broker and that was in the contract. But they paid me the full rate and never held me to it. They could have and that's the contract I signed, but they didn't. I suspect simply communicating with them effectively about the situation, plus being proactive in finding a quick solution to the problem while keeping them informed,and only being 3 hours late when it could have been much later up to a day possibly... is why they didn't, and why they continued to be repeat customer.

 

Yes, missing a crane appointment can be very costly. I've had many load that payment was structured as an "ontime bonus" as well.

 

I will answer "No" with an explanation.

If the shipper/consignee/broker trifecta has left the shipment to the last possible moment that is really just poor planning on their part and I won't agree to pay anything if I deliver "late". On the other hand, if I am given plenty of notice, then I should be able to leave plenty of extra time.

 

I used to write my detention terms on the rate sheet before I faxed it back to the broker. Then we would argue about it on the phone and more often that not I would lose the load over it. Bad vibes all the way around and I was making more enemies than friends and this business is all about friends.

Then, finally a broker said to me, "Listen, why are we fighting over something that might never happen? If there's a problem, we will deal with it then okay?"

So that's the way I deal with it now. These brokers are trying to move loads and my job is not to make problems, but make problems disappear. If there is a problem, I just make sure to get it dealt with, in writing, before I off load the freight.

Wise words from Erik at Golden Transportation who deadheaded me 300 miles to pickup a load in Roanoke, VA on a Friday night for which there was no paperwork until Monday AM. "You should have loaded your driver. If you don't have the freight, you have no leverage. Always load the truck. Sorry Buddy."

 

yes the detention is a paying first of all you have to sit there for 2 hours before detention starts but you have to call broker 30 minutes before you start charging detention to let them know my guess is the broker will then put pressure on the company to speed things up never happened to me but my guess is most the time they will get you done before they have to pay detention but not all brokers do this but they been trying to pass detentions laws on shippers and recievers for years who knows maybe one day they will have to pay us. but im sure they will pay the brokers and they will take a cut out and pay us the rest so they will make money off us sitting too #### crooks

 

I have offered that once. Got loaded on a straight-thru load, went around the corner to scale, then promptly found a leaking airbag and axle seal on my trailer. I had pre-tripped and checked those areas only hours before going to the shipper. Basically fell on my sword to make it right, as this is a solid customer. I offered to return to the shipper and take the load off at no charge, or deliver late with a discount if that's what he wanted. In the end I got the repairs completed by late the next morning (had to wait for the parts place to open) and ate two days of layover due to rescheduling at a Sysco. The broker agreed to pay the full rate since I was now delayed even more at no cost to him.

It didn't end there. While getting the repairs done, the alternator failed on my reefer. So in addition to the trailer repairs I had to run the truck all night with the jumpers hooked to the reefer. When I finally made it to the destination, I also had a small rubber coupler on my air compressor intake (buried under some serious brackets and whatnot) had blown out. It was not a total loss it turned out. The reefer needed repair and my truck was due for a PM as well. So I spent the extra waiting day at the Carrier shop for the reefer and down the street at a Mack shop getting a PM and that air intake coupler fixed. So I had plenty of things to do that would have killed time somewhere anyway.

If you communicate with your customer often and early, most will work with you within reason. It works both ways in my opinion. The object should be everyone gets made whole, not to make a killing off something that is out of the other's control.

 

detention pay is like a unicorn.. everyones heard of it but no one ever sees it