Why detention claims get denied (and how to fix each one)

Why denials happen more than you think

Detention is contractual. Brokers and AP teams do not pay on a story; they pay on a packet that matches the rate confirmation. ATRI found carriers bill detention only 75% of the time, and only 55% of those invoices get paid. A thin packet makes the no easy: no timestamps, no BOL, no notice, wrong numbers, a late bill.

Common terms on a rate con: 2 hours free (67% of carriers that charge detention start there), then an hourly rate; median fees in 2023 were $50 an hour for truckload, $60 refrigerated and $80 specialized (ATRI). Example math: 5 hours at the dock, 2 free, at $75/h = $225. On a brokered load the party who pays is the broker named on your rate con — not the dock that made you wait. For the full collect procedure, see the detention pay guide. Packet layout: detention invoice template. For what a clean packet looks like to AP, see how brokers get paid.

The top reasons a detention claim gets denied

AP language varies ("insufficient documentation", "accessorial not authorized", "past filing window"), but it almost always maps to one of these:

1. Missing arrival or departure stamps — no clear gate-in / check-in / out times that match the BOL.
2. No notice while you were waiting — rate con required written notice before free time expired and you have no message saved.
3. Rate-con mismatch — rate, free time, load number, rate-con number, or hours billed do not match the confirmation.
4. Late bill — invoice sent after the rate con's deadline (FreightWaves reports most brokers want detention claims within 24 to 48 hours).
5. Wrong remit-to — payment instructions do not match your agreement or your factor.
6. No signed BOL with in/out times — or the BOL photo is missing / unreadable.

Fix checklist for each denial reason

1. Missing stamps / timestamps

What AP wants: gate arrival, check-in, release, departure — with times that line up with the BOL.

• Pull every photo or screenshot you still have (gate, check-in screen, BOL).
• Rebuild the invoice with each time listed; if a time is approximate, say so and point to the BOL in/out.
• Resubmit with the photos attached. Next load: stamp Arrived at the gate and Departed when you roll so GPS covers you.

2. No notice at the dock

What AP wants: proof you told the broker before free time expired.

• Search email/text for anything you sent while waiting. If you have it, attach the thread and resubmit.
• If you have nothing, a one-time goodwill ask sometimes works; do not count on it. Quote the rate-con notice clause and ask what they need for an exception.
• Next load: message before free time ends ("still at dock, arrived __, free time ends __, detention at $__/h") and save it.

3. Rate-con mismatch

What AP wants: every number on the invoice to match the rate confirmation.

• Open the rate con. Copy free time, hourly rate (or increments), load #, rate-con #, and who pays.
• Rebuild a separate detention invoice — not a line buried in linehaul — with those exact figures. Example: 5h dock / 2 free / $75 = $225.
• Use the detention calculator or detention pay rates if you want a quick hours × rate check before you send.

4. Late bill

What AP wants: invoice inside the filing window (often 24–48 hours after delivery).

• Send it anyway, same day you notice, with the full proof packet and a short note asking them to accept it as an exception.
• Do not pad hours to "make up" for being late — that creates a mismatch denial on top of the late one.
• Next load: bill the same day. A complete packet sent late still beats a thin packet sent on time, but on-time wins more often.

5. Wrong remit-to

What AP wants: payee and remittance details that match your carrier agreement or factor setup.

• Confirm whether payment goes to you or your factor. Put that remit-to on the invoice and in the email signature.
• Include MC/DOT and W-9 or factor instructions if AP asked for them.
• Resubmit the same claim with corrected remit-to; do not open a duplicate invoice number if AP already logged one.

6. No BOL (or unreadable BOL)

What AP wants: signed bill of lading with in and out times visible.

• If you still have the paper or a better photo, attach a clear image of the signed BOL with in/out times.
• If the facility never wrote times, add gate/check-in photos and your own stamped times and ask AP what substitute they accept.
• Next load: do not leave without a signed BOL photo with times on it.

Following up after a denial

Fix the reason and resubmit once with a complete packet. Then run the same schedule as any unpaid detention claim:

• Day 3: professional reminder, invoice + proof attached again.
• Day 7: firm notice citing the rate-con clause and due date.
• Day 14: last reminder, restating the amount and the due date.

Follow-up without a fixed packet usually fails. A packet with timestamps, notice, matching numbers and a BOL is what makes ignoring you expensive. GetDockPay Pro emails the broker its own Second, Third and Fourth Notice on day 3, 7 and 14 (they restate the invoice number, load, BOL number and amount; re-sending the fixed packet is up to you); after day 14 the claim stays open until you mark it paid or denied. Full operating procedure: how to collect detention pay.

FAQ

Why was my detention claim denied?

Usually one of: missing stamps, no notice, rate-con mismatch, late bill, wrong remit-to, or no BOL. Match the AP note to that list, repair that gap, and resubmit.

The broker said the shipper has to pay — is that right?

On a brokered load, your contract is with the broker on the rate con. The facility that delayed you is not your customer unless you have a direct shipper contract. Stay with the party named on the rate confirmation.

They rejected me but never said why. Now what?

Reply once asking for the specific deficiency. In parallel, rebuild the strongest packet you can (times, BOL, notice, matching rate con) and resend. Then start the day 3 / 7 / 14 clock.

Should I lower the amount to get it paid?

Only if you billed above the rate con. Do not invent a lower free time or a higher rate to "negotiate" — that creates a mismatch. Bill what the rate con allows; if free time was 2h and rate $75/h, 3 billable hours is $225, not a guess.

Will an app stop denials?

No app can force a broker to pay. What helps is a complete, dated proof packet and scheduled follow-ups so AP has fewer easy outs. That is what GetDockPay is built for compared with spreadsheets and scattered photos.

Prevent the next denial

Before the load: detention on the rate con (free time, rate, notice, deadline). At the dock: Arrived / Departed stamps, broker notice before free time ends, BOL photo with in/out. After: separate invoice the same day that matches the rate con, then reminders if they go quiet.

GetDockPay turns the stop into one invoice PDF (GPS-stamped times, a map of the stop, links to your BOL photos, load and rate-con numbers), and on Pro it emails the broker the Second, Third and Fourth Notice on day 3, 7 and 14 until you mark the claim paid or denied. With Pro, your phone also reminds you to tap Arrived and Departed, a timer on your free time runs from your Arrived tap (live on Android), and you can attach your ELD log to back up the times. Not a miracle: fewer paperwork denials, and a clearer, dated trail.

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Numbers cited here: ATRI, Costs and Consequences of Truck Driver Detention (2024); FreightWaves, Understanding detention pay clauses (May 2025). If the broker just isn't answering, see broker not paying detention? This page is operating guidance, not legal advice; your contract controls.