Akru vs. Detention Source
Pick Akru if you run an ELD and want detention auto-detected with GPS-verified evidence, live alerts, and a ready-to-send invoice — flat $39/mo, keep 100% — rather than logging dwell time by hand on a phone.
Pick Detention Source if you want the cheapest way to document dwell time by phone GPS and email a summary yourself, with no ELD.
Why: Both are flat-fee, self-serve tools where you keep 100%; Detention Source ($9.99/mo) logs dwell by phone GPS and emails a summary, while Akru ($39/mo) detects from your ELD with GPS-verified evidence, builds the invoice, and alerts you live.
Akru vs. the alternative, line by line
| Feature | Akru | Detention Source |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $39/mo (or $390/yr) | $9.99/mo (Lite) |
| You keep 100% of recovered dollars | Yes — no per-recovery cut | Yes |
| Detection method | ELD geofence (Samsara, Motive) | Phone GPS check-in/out vs. appointment (no ELD) |
| GPS-verified evidence on the invoice | Yes — geofence coordinates | Phone-GPS check-in/out times |
| Builds a send-ready invoice | Yes | Detention summary + pay calculator |
| Live "detention accruing now" alerts | Yes | No |
| You send & collect (stay the creditor) | Yes — built-in payment link | Yes — you settle directly |
| Needs an ELD | Yes (Samsara/Motive) | No — runs on the driver’s phone |
| Free trial | 14 days | 30 days |
| Target customer | 1–50-truck carriers | Drivers / small carriers (Lite) |
What each one actually costs
Flat self-serve subscription — keep 100% of what you recover
- $39/month or $390/year, 14-day free trial
- No per-recovery cut — every dollar you collect is yours
- Real ELD detection + GPS evidence + invoice, not just a phone log
Flat SaaS — keep 100%, phone-GPS documentation
- Detention Source Lite: $9.99/month after a free 30-day trial
- Enterprise platform pricing is not disclosed by the vendor; third-party comparisons report roughly $5,000–$50,000/yr by fleet size (unconfirmed — verify directly)
- Logs dwell by phone GPS and emails a summary; no payment processing
- You keep 100% of recovered detention (minus the subscription)
Both are flat subscriptions where you keep 100% and stay the creditor. Detention Source Lite is $9.99/mo (phone-GPS documentation); Akru is $39/mo with ELD detection, GPS-verified evidence, invoicing, and live alerts. Lite pricing from the vendor’s site (June 2026); enterprise pricing undisclosed.
Who each one is honestly right for
Driver who wants the cheapest dwell-time documentation
At $9.99/mo with a pay calculator and auto-email, Detention Source is the lowest-cost way to make the case — no ELD required.
You run Samsara or Motive
Akru detects off your ELD automatically with GPS-verified evidence and live alerts — no phone log for the driver to keep.
You want benchmarking / a neutral detention-data record
Detention Source positions an enterprise platform around facility benchmarking and a neutral detention-data record; confirm the exact tier and features on a demo.
You want a send-ready invoice, not just a summary
Akru builds an evidence-backed invoice with a payment link; Detention Source emails a summary you settle yourself.
Where Detention Source genuinely wins
- Cheapest option here at $9.99/mo (Lite) — and like Akru, you keep 100% of every recovered dollar.
- No ELD required — works on the driver’s phone, so a one-truck operator with no telematics can use it.
- Built-in pay calculator and auto-email to dispatchers, brokers, and customers in one step.
- Positions a larger detention-DATA platform, useful if you want benchmarking, not just billing.
- If basic documentation is all you need, the $9.99/mo Lite tier is hard to beat on price.
How hard is it to move?
Both keep you the creditor who keeps 100%. The difference is detection: Akru reads your ELD (no phone log to maintain), adds GPS-verified evidence and live accruing-detention alerts, and produces a send-ready invoice instead of a summary you settle by hand.
- 01
Connect your ELD
Link Samsara or Motive read-only — no phone app for the driver to remember to open.
- 02
Akru auto-detects and builds the invoice
Detention is caught from ELD geofence timestamps and turned into an invoice with GPS-verified evidence attached.
- 03
Send it and stay the creditor
Send the invoice with its built-in payment link; you keep 100% of what the shipper pays.
- 04
Get paid
Funds reach your bank by ACH, typically 2–3 business days after the shipper pays. Akru takes no cut.
Common questions
What’s the difference between Akru and Detention Source?
Both are flat-fee, self-serve tools where you keep 100% and stay the creditor. Detention Source ($9.99/mo) logs dwell time by phone GPS and emails a summary you settle yourself; Akru ($39/mo) detects from your ELD, attaches GPS-verified evidence, builds a send-ready invoice, and alerts you live while detention accrues.
Does Detention Source collect the detention payment for me?
No. It generates a detention summary and auto-emails it to dispatchers, brokers, and customers, but there’s no payment processing — the parties settle directly. Collecting from the shipper is the step Akru adds.
Does Detention Source work with my ELD?
No. It uses the driver’s phone GPS to log check-in and check-out against the appointment window; it does not integrate with Samsara or Motive. Akru reads your ELD directly.
Which is cheaper — Detention Source or Akru?
Detention Source Lite ($9.99/mo) is cheaper than Akru ($39/mo), but Akru adds real ELD detection, GPS-verified evidence, a send-ready invoice, and live accruing-detention alerts. Both are flat subscriptions and both let you keep 100% of what you recover.
What does the enterprise Detention Source platform cost?
Detention Source does not disclose its enterprise pricing publicly; third-party comparisons report roughly $5,000–$50,000/yr depending on fleet size. Treat that range as unconfirmed and verify directly. Its Lite app is $9.99/month.