$975 Detention | Unreasonable?

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by ttnae, Jun 5, 2019.

  1. ttnae

    ttnae Light Load Member

    99
    166
    Oct 4, 2013
    0
    (Stepdeck Conestoga) I keep having loads (brokered) where I arrive at the consignee and no one made an appointment and I am put off for a day. Well, these brokers have a melt down when I insist on $975 as an unscheduled layover fee. I tell them that I charge $975 for an unscheduled layover. One i had already contracted for $250 (that has sense been changed in the contract to $1,000) and 3 others I got $900 after fighting my ### off and explaining that they do not get to own me for 24 hours , after they messed up then tell me what hey are willing to pay me. I know my costs and expenses and I know that the stupidest thing that a Broker can say to me is "The industry standard is..." but am I being unreasonable for insisting on a decent day of pay for my truck, trailer and time?
     
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. Kshaw0960

    Kshaw0960 Road Train Member

    1,575
    4,969
    Jun 17, 2018
    0
    I’ve been running from brokers as well (not leased on with a company) and 99.9% of the time I set up the appointment and not the broker. I’ve never had to sit 24 hrs in the past 2 years.

    That said, if I did have to sit 24 hours, there’s no way I would charge $975. That is absurd. Detention pay is purely profit since you aren’t moving except maybe if you want to idle. The money is basically for missed out income because you can’t work other loads. You’re telling me your costs are $975 a day just to sit still?!
     
    Rubber duck kw Thanks this.
  4. starmac

    starmac Road Train Member

    6,642
    12,524
    Apr 11, 2019
    Fairbanks Ak
    0
    We get it and more, but it is by the hour, when the weather is bad and they can't unload, by the hour means 24 hours a day, not some cheap day rate.

    975 may be pure profit, but you don't run a truck for 975 either, so you may very well be losing money sitting a day for it.
     
    Tb0n3 and blade Thank this.
  5. blade

    blade Heavy Load Member

    881
    647
    Jan 30, 2009
    Some where, Mo
    0
    I for one say get all you can get!!! I to try to make a grand a day!!! Did it cost me that to sit no!! However my fixed expense’s are there weather I move or not!!! Are they 950 a day no but I still won’t to make that or better!! I have no intention of driving a truck at age 70!!! So if there willing to pay you that get it!!! We all need to quit settling for less the brokers darn sure ain’t!!!
     
    Last edited: Jun 5, 2019
    Reason for edit: Bad spelling
    Tb0n3, ibcalm19, Dino soar and 5 others Thank this.
  6. mitmaks

    mitmaks Road Train Member

    2,446
    1,949
    May 16, 2014
    0
    #### broker, get all the money you can out of them
     
    blade Thanks this.
  7. Bakerman

    Bakerman Road Train Member

    4,663
    8,806
    Jan 27, 2013
    Phoenix, AZ
    0
    #### right! That truck should easily gross $1000 a day
     
    mitmaks and blade Thank this.
  8. starmac

    starmac Road Train Member

    6,642
    12,524
    Apr 11, 2019
    Fairbanks Ak
    0
    When I hauled hot oil, detention pay while they unloaded was 100 bucks an hour. They used to use me for storage and just unload as they used it, so it was not unusual to get 11 hours to unload.
     
  9. Antinomian

    Antinomian Road Train Member

    1,927
    2,931
    Feb 17, 2013
    0
    Those two sentences contradict each other.

    That said, $975 is a lot. But if you can get it then by all means go for it.
     
  10. x1Heavy

    x1Heavy Road Train Member

    34,017
    42,098
    Mar 5, 2016
    White County, Arkansas
    0
    I don't think so.

    I remember one seriously botched situation where FFE and Americold of Salinas CA had a TEAM (That's wife and I) sitting precooling for around 80 hours in front of their two docks on emergency orders from dispatch. (Those were the words they used sending us in there on 20 minutes notice.

    Nobody made a #### thing. Not us. Not FFE (They replaced like all 400 gallons of fuel the first pump we got to after loading on a dry truck. The converstation wife and I was having was calling a Salinas Fuel Dealer to deliver to us. at a cost which would have to need a PO from FFE for reimbursement. When the Americold Person came out to dock us.

    Extreme. Im still essentially volatile over it. Spilled milk 20 years ago. Abusive? close to it.

    It destroyed the trip after loading, destroyed the revenue flow up to that week which took more weeks to get back. Cost FFE pretty much a double fueling at god only knows what that cost. Then again if you are a multimillion operation it matters not. Just a matter of accounting. Hardly noticable to them.

    Bill the detention. Trucks are meant to roll. If they cannot roll it's a waste.

    If there was one owner operator and one tractor trailer with wife and I in it, at approx 0.75 to the truck our wage earning would have been very close to 900, the other 1.30 or so to the owner would be at least that.

    So this 975 would be half the true cost per day.
     
    Last edited: Jun 5, 2019
  11. kemosabi49

    kemosabi49 Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

    9,965
    41,250
    Jan 13, 2013
    SW Arkansas
    0
    I know that in the chemical tank industry, demurrage, or detention, is charged in most cases after 2 hours free time. Then it is charged for every hour after that 24/7 until that truck is done. Normal hourly is around $75 per hour. And the customers know this and expect to have to pay if they can't get it done.
     
    Feedman, brian991219 and x1Heavy Thank this.
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.