How to Invoice a Shipper for Detention
UPDATED JUNE 2026
A detention invoice gets paid when it’s specific, evidenced, and sent fast. Here’s exactly what to put on it, where to send it, and how to follow up.
Step 1 — Confirm the terms
Pull the rate confirmation and confirm the free-time window (commonly two hours) and the detention rate. If the rate con doesn’t mention detention, you have no contractual basis to bill — which is why the detention pay rules matter before you ever accept the load.
Step 2 — Do the math
Billable detention = total dwell time at the stop − free time, multiplied by your hourly rate. Example: arrived 08:00, departed 12:30 → 4.5 hours dwell − 2.0 free = 2.5 billable hours. At $75/hour, that’s $187.50. Round to your rate con’s increment (some bill in 15- or 30-minute blocks).
Step 3 — Build the invoice
Put all of this on the invoice so there’s nothing to dispute:
- Load / reference number and the specific stop (facility + address)
- Arrival and departure timestamps
- Free-time window and detention rate, quoted from the rate confirmation
- Billable hours, the calculation, and the total
- Attachments: ELD timestamp evidence and the signed bill of lading
Timestamped evidence is the difference-maker — when the dwell comes straight from the ELD and ships with the invoice, there’s little left for AP to argue.
Step 4 — Send it to the right place, fast
Send to the broker or the shipper’s accounts-payable contact named on the rate con — their AP email or billing portal — and do it as soon as the load is done. Speed wins detention claims.
Step 5 — Follow up on a schedule
Don’t send once and hope. Work a cadence — for example reminders at 7, 30, and 45 days — escalating from polite to firm. If it’s still unpaid after that, move to a formal dispute or escalation; see what to do when a broker won’t pay.
If building, sending, and chasing every one of these isn’t realistic, that’s exactly the work Akru handles for you — for 20% of what it recovers, with nothing upfront.
FAQ
Who do I send a detention invoice to?
Send it to the party named on your rate confirmation — usually the broker, or the shipper’s accounts-payable contact on a direct customer. Use the AP email or billing portal they specify, and copy your dispatch contact if there is one.
What should a detention invoice include?
The load/reference number, the specific stop, arrival and departure timestamps, the free-time window and detention rate from the rate confirmation, the billable hours and the math, and the total. Attach your ELD timestamp evidence and the signed BOL.
How soon should I invoice detention?
As soon as the load is complete. Detention is far easier to collect while the load is fresh and the timestamps are uncontested; waiting weeks invites disputes and lost paperwork.
What follow-up schedule works for detention?
Send the invoice immediately, then follow up on a schedule — for example reminders at 7, 30, and 45 days — escalating the tone each time. Consistent, documented follow-up is what separates paid detention from written-off detention.