Detention vs. Demurrage in Trucking
UPDATED JUNE 2026
Detention, demurrage, and layover all describe “you waited too long,” but they’re billed on different equipment under different rules. Billing the wrong one — or calling detention “demurrage” on an invoice — is an easy way to get a claim bounced. Here’s the clean distinction.
Detention
Detention is the per-hour charge for holding a truck (and driver) at a shipper or receiver beyond the free-time window in your rate confirmation — most commonly two hours. It’s the charge that applies to standard over-the-road truckload freight. You bill it to the broker or shipper, calculated as dwell time minus free time, times your hourly rate. See the full walkthrough in how to get paid for detention.
Demurrage
Demurrage is a charge for keeping a railcar or an ocean container at a terminal or port past its allotted free days. It’s assessed by the ocean carrier, railroad, or terminal — not the truck driver — and it’s measured in days, not hours. Demurrage shows up in intermodal, rail, and ocean container moves; it does not apply to a dry van sitting at a grocery DC.
A related intermodal term is per diem (sometimes loosely called “container detention”): a daily charge for holding the container itself off-terminal too long. Drayage carriers deal with these; OTR truckload carriers generally don’t.
Layover
Layover is a flat charge — not per hour — for a longer, usually overnight, delay. If a receiver can’t take you until the next morning and holds the driver overnight, that’s layover, billed as a daily flat amount set by the contract.
Quick comparison
- Detention — truck/driver held at a dock · per hour · after ~2 hrs free · billed by the carrier to the shipper/broker.
- Demurrage — railcar/ocean container held at a terminal · per day · after free days · billed by the ocean/rail carrier or terminal.
- Layover — overnight/multi-day delay · flat per day · billed by the carrier per contract.
Bottom line for a truckload carrier: the charge you’re almost always trying to recover is detention. Get the wording right on the invoice and bill it to the free-time and rate on your rate confirmation.
FAQ
Is detention the same as demurrage?
No. Detention is the charge for holding a truck or its equipment beyond the agreed free time at a dock. Demurrage is the charge for holding a railcar or an ocean container past its free days at a terminal. They cover different equipment and are billed under different rules.
What is the difference between detention and layover?
Detention is a per-hour charge for waiting at a stop beyond free time. Layover is a flat charge for a longer, usually overnight, delay — for example when a driver is held until the next day to load or unload.
Who charges demurrage?
Demurrage is typically charged by the ocean carrier, railroad, or terminal to whoever controls the container or railcar past the free-time window. In drayage, the motor carrier may pass related per-diem/detention charges along per the contract.
Which one applies to over-the-road truckload freight?
For standard over-the-road truckload, the charge you bill for sitting too long at a shipper or receiver is detention. Demurrage comes up in intermodal, rail, and ocean container moves, not typical dry-van OTR.