Driver Detention Pay Calculator
Calculate truck driver detention pay from check-in, appointment and check-out times, free time, hourly rate and the billing increment.
Detention pay compensates a truck driver or carrier for time spent waiting at a shipper or receiver beyond the free time in the rate confirmation, which is commonly two hours. Enter when you checked in and left, the appointment, the free time and the hourly rate, and the calculator shows how much waiting time is billable and what it pays under the rounding rule your broker or company uses.
How to use this tool
- Enter the check-in date and time, and the appointment time if you had one.
- Enter the date and time you checked out. Overnight waits work; just use the later date.
- Enter the free time and the detention rate per hour from the rate confirmation or your pay sheet.
- Pick how billable time is rounded.
Formula
Detention pay = max(0, check-out − clock start − free time), rounded as chosen, × hourly rate
The clock starts at the later of check-in and the appointment time, because arriving early does not normally earn detention. Rounding is applied to the billable time after free time is taken off.
Example
A driver with an 08:00 appointment checks in at 07:40 and leaves at 12:25. The clock runs from 08:00, so 4 h 25 m count. After 2 hours of free time, 2 h 25 m remain; rounded up to the next 15 minutes that is 2 h 30 m, and at $50 an hour the detention is $125.00. Paid on exact minutes, the same wait would be worth $120.83.
Frequently asked questions
When does detention time start?
Rate confirmations usually start the clock at the appointment time or at check-in, whichever is later, and often only if the driver arrived on time. Read the terms on each load, because brokers word them differently.
Do company drivers get detention pay?
It depends on the employer. Some carriers pass on a flat hourly amount after a set wait, others pay nothing extra. The calculator works for any arrangement: enter your own hourly figure.
How do I make sure detention gets paid?
Tell the broker or dispatcher before free time runs out, record exact in and out times, and send them with the paperwork. Claims reported late or without proof are often refused.
Last updated: 2026-10-30