Quick answer
Agree the notice, evidence, authorization and billing process before an exception. Preserve a factual timeline and controlling load terms, then track requested, approved, invoiced and collected amounts separately. There is no universal detention rate or automatic payment established by this checklist. The example terms are hypothetical.
A load can be physically delivered while its paperwork and payment questions remain open. Detention, an unloading receipt, a cancelled assignment or an added stop can become weeks of follow-up when nobody recorded the terms, evidence or next action clearly.
This guide gives U.S. carriers a practical rate-confirmation and accessorial workflow. It does not establish a universal entitlement, rate, free-time allowance or payment deadline. Your agreements and the facts of the shipment determine the actual process; obtain appropriate advice for a disputed claim.
Separate the words before calculating the amount
Detention generally concerns waiting beyond the allowance defined in the relevant arrangement. A lumper charge concerns unloading services. TONU means truck ordered not used, often discussed when an assignment is cancelled or not performed under specified circumstances. Layover and extra stops raise different questions again.
The label alone does not establish who owes payment or what evidence is sufficient. A broker saying it will “look into detention” is different from written approval of a specific amount. Keep requested, approved, invoiced and collected figures separate.
Use the load-selection guide to compare the original assignment. Do not make a load appear profitable by assuming every delay will produce an additional collected charge.
Read the confirmation as an operating record
Before approval, reconcile the carrier identity, load reference, route, equipment, stops, appointments and compensation basis. Identify the instructions for reporting a delay, cancellation or changed requirement. Resolve a conflict between the call and document through the authorized process before relying on it.
Ask where revisions will appear and who can approve them. Keep the controlling version with the carrier's booking approval. An old attachment in one person's inbox should not compete with the revised instruction sent to another person.
If the company or load details do not line up, use the scam-prevention checklist. A request for an additional charge does not make an unclear contracting party less important.
Write down the process before the exception
| Issue | Question to confirm | Record to retain |
|---|---|---|
| Waiting | What starts the clock, what allowance applies, and when must notice be given? | Appointment, actual event times and the required acknowledgment. |
| Unloading service | Who authorizes the service and how are payment and reimbursement handled? | The approved instruction and required receipt. |
| Cancellation | What circumstances qualify for a TONU request under this arrangement? | Booking, dispatch status, cancellation time and the authorized response. |
| Changed route or stop | Who approves the revised work and compensation? | Written revision, carrier approval and driver acknowledgment. |
Use the actual agreement's requirements. This table is a question sheet, not a substitute set of terms to apply to every broker.
Build a factual waiting-time record
Record the scheduled appointment, arrival, check-in, start of work, release and departure as applicable. Identify the time zone and information source. Keep the distinction between arriving near a facility and completing the required check-in; the arrangement may define the relevant event differently.
If a timestamp is missing, label it rather than inventing precision. Preserve available records through the approved process and ask the responsible party for the needed confirmation. A consistent record is more useful than a screenshot without a load reference or date.
Send notices through the agreed channel and retain the message and response. Document when nobody answers and the next escalation step. The driver should know who owns the follow-up so the task does not remain an informal promise.
Calculate a request without turning it into guaranteed revenue
For an entirely hypothetical agreement, assume an accepted arrival event at 8:00 a.m., release at 1:30 p.m., two hours of allowance and a stated $50 hourly rate applied proportionally. Elapsed time is 5.5 hours; the arithmetic request is 3.5 hours × $50 = $175, before any other conditions in that made-up agreement.
Actual terms may define qualifying events, notice, increments, caps and exclusions differently. The example does not establish a standard two-hour rule or a market detention rate. A request can be disputed even when the arithmetic is correct.
If the desk reports this load, show base revenue and the $175 request in separate fields until approval and collection are known. This prevents an owner from budgeting money that has not been accepted or received.
Handle lumper and reimbursement instructions carefully
Clarify authorization, the payment method, the required receipt and the party responsible for reimbursement before the expense is incurred where the process requires that approval. Check that the document names the correct load and amount.
A changed payment instruction should be verified through an established independent contact. Do not follow an unfamiliar link or send banking information merely because a message includes the correct load number. Keep sensitive financial details out of public marketing forms and public help posts.
Reconcile the receipt with the submitted request and eventual payment. A legitimate charge can remain unpaid because its evidence was sent to the wrong place or nobody followed the rejection. Assign an owner to resolve the missing step.
Document a cancellation as a timeline
For a TONU discussion, retain the booking time, carrier approval, the truck's relevant status, the cancellation instruction and the response. Ask which agreed condition applies. Do not assume that every cancelled posting, discussed load or tentative assignment qualifies for payment.
If someone offers a replacement load, evaluate its actual terms rather than treating it as automatically equivalent. The pickup, route, timing and equipment needs may change. Obtain the required approval and preserve the revised record.
Use the negotiation guide for calm, specific wording. The goal is a documented resolution, not a threat that creates another problem.
Follow up with a complete request
A useful follow-up names the load, relevant events, agreed basis, amount requested and attached evidence. Ask what remains missing and who is handling the decision. Keep the response with the same file instead of creating several disconnected conversations.
For example: “For load DEMO-204, we are requesting review of the waiting charge under the attached terms. The event timeline and supporting record are included. Please confirm whether any additional evidence is required and who owns the decision.” This is an original template, not a legal demand or a promise of approval.
If there is an actual contractual or payment dispute, obtain appropriate professional guidance. FMCSA's Complaint Center describes its reporting role, but filing a complaint is not the same as collecting an invoice. Do not invent a universal recovery process that applies to every circumstance.
Close the file with an honest status
Keep four states visible: requested, approved, invoiced and collected. Add a reason for a denial or unresolved item and the next action. Review aged requests separately from completed delivery paperwork.
Then improve the process that caused avoidable follow-up. Was the term never clarified, notice delayed, a receipt missing or ownership unclear? Changing that step can be more useful than simply sending another reminder.
Want help with the follow-through?
Discuss truck dispatch and paperwork support with TruCore. We can scope the recording, broker communication and follow-up your operation needs. You retain the agreed approvals; TruCore does not guarantee approval of additional charges or payment recovery.
Sources and review date
Reviewed October 16, 2026: FMCSA Complaint Center instructions and DAT's discussion of rate confirmations and settlement data. The checklist, example terms, calculations and message template are original illustrations. Your actual written arrangement governs the request.
Frequently asked questions
Is detention automatically paid after two hours?
This guide does not establish a universal allowance or entitlement. Check the actual agreement’s qualifying events, notice, evidence, rates, increments and approval requirements. The two-hour allowance in the calculation is hypothetical.
Is an approved charge the same as collected revenue?
No. Track requested, approved, invoiced and collected amounts separately. Confirm the required documents and payment process, then assign an owner to unresolved follow-up.