Detention time pay with own authority?

It is all about negotiation and the customer. You are in the same boat as most fleets believe it or not. It is what you can negotiate with the customer. There is no real legal recourse for collecting detention unless there is a definate contract saying they pay detention and terms are spelled out at what point they pay and how much. The only real contract on most loads is the Bill of Lading. That should spell out the rate for the haul, but detention is seldom a part of the deal.

Money is tight for everyone, and the odds of getting detention on your own is slim at best. You can charge detention, but whether you get it is another story. If you approach it right, a good customer will be understanding and may do something. But as we are all aware, there are many customers that really could give a rip about your personal problems, like sitting at their dock. It needs to be negotiated up front before the haul as part of the deal. Factoring it into what you will pull the load for is probably the easiest way to get it in the deal.

 

For those who have written in detention time in the contract with the broker or shipper, how have you worded it?

How long is too long to be sitting around waiting to get loaded or unloaded? An hour? Two? Four?

 

most places will not pay a penny untill after the 2hr mark. Walmart is 3 hr.

If you write it in your contract many brokers will want it taken out