How to Bill Detention and Lumper Fees (and Actually Get Paid)

Detention and lumper fees are the two most commonly under-billed accessorials in trucking — not because brokers refuse to pay them, but because the documentation wasn’t there when it mattered. Both are real money, both are protected by terms already sitting in your rate confirmation, and both get denied for the same handful of avoidable reasons every time.

Detention: what counts, and when the clock starts

The industry standard is two hours of free time at a facility before detention pay kicks in, and that clock starts when you check in at the gate — not when you’re finally assigned a dock door. After free time expires, typical detention rates run $25–$75 per hour, and the exact rate should already be spelled out in your rate confirmation alongside your base rate and fuel surcharge. If it isn’t written down before the load moves, you’re negotiating from a much weaker position after the fact.

The documentation that actually gets detention paid

The number one reason detention claims get denied isn’t a stubborn broker — it’s missing paperwork. What you actually need: a timestamped photo at check-in (the guard shack or kiosk works fine), in and out times written on the BOL and signed by a facility representative, and written notice sent during the delay itself if you can manage it, not just after the fact. Submit the claim quickly, with everything attached the first time — the same rule that governs invoicing applies here too.

Lumper fees: you pay first, then get reimbursed

Most truckload lumper fees work the same way: you pay the lumper crew at the dock, then invoice the broker or shipper for reimbursement. That means the receipt you walk away with is the entire claim — a valid one needs the date and time of service, the name of the lumper service, the facility location, the amount paid, your name or truck number, and a signature from the crew or dock supervisor. A handwritten scrap without those details is the single most common reason a lumper reimbursement gets kicked back.

Your rate confirmation should state, before the load moves, whether lumper fees are reimbursable, what the cap is, and what the submission deadline looks like — commonly 48–72 hours after delivery. Miss that window and the broker has legitimate grounds to deny the charge, documentation or not.

Why these claims actually get denied

Almost every denial traces back to one of a few things: the rate confirmation never mentioned lumper reimbursement in the first place, the receipt is missing or handwritten without the required detail, the fee came in over a stated cap without pre-approval, or — for detention — the BOL never got signed in/out times. None of these are the broker acting in bad faith. They’re a claim that doesn’t match what was agreed to in writing, sitting in a queue.

You can’t be forced to pay for unwanted lumper service

Under 49 U.S.C. § 14103, carriers are protected from being forced to use and pay for loading or unloading services they didn’t agree to. If a receiver requires a lumper, that cost should be approved and documented — not just assumed.

The one-sentence version

Get the rate and terms in writing before the load moves, document check-in time and every signature the moment it happens, and submit the claim the same day — the accessorials most fleets write off as “brokers don’t pay for this stuff” are usually just claims that never had a chance.

SAI Trucks captures detention and lumper documentation as part of the same packet it assembles for every invoice — nothing left waiting on a driver’s phone camera roll. See also: How to Invoice a Broker Correctly and Rate Confirmation Red Flags.