Detention invoice template for truckers (free PDF)

Download the free detention invoice template

This is a working layout for owner-operators, not an official FMCSA or government form. There is no official detention form; detention is contractual, and your rate confirmation controls.

Why the invoice matters more than the dollar amount

ATRI found carriers bill detention only 75% of the time, and only 55% of those invoices get paid. A thin bill makes a no easy: missing times, no notice, a rate-con mismatch, a late bill, the wrong remit-to or no BOL. Your invoice has to read like a claim packet, not a one-line accessorial buried under the linehaul.

Common terms: 2 hours free (67% of carriers that charge detention start there), then the hourly rate on the rate con; median fees in 2023 ran $50 to $80 an hour depending on the freight (ATRI). Worked example used across this site: 5 hours at the dock, 2 free, at $75/h = $225. On a brokered load you invoice the broker on the rate con. Full procedure: how to get paid for detention time.

What to put on a detention invoice (line items)

Build a separate detention invoice, its own document or a clear accessorial section, that mirrors the rate confirmation:

• Header: your legal name / DBA, MC and DOT, remit-to (or your factor's, if your agreement requires it), invoice number and date.
• Load identifiers: load #, rate-con #, BOL #, facility name and city, appointment date and time.
• Clock: gate arrival, check-in (if different), departure / release; say which clock the rate con uses (appointment, arrival or check-in). See when detention starts.
• Math: free time (hours), detention rate ($/hr or increments), total time counted, billable hours, amount due. Use the rate on the rate con, not a guess. Rates and examples: average detention pay per hour.
• Notice: if the rate con requires notice before free time expires, the time and method you notified, with the thread attached.
• Payment: amount due, due date or "net per rate con", and the remit-to again in the footer.

Proof attachments checklist

AP rejects incomplete packets. Attach, in one email or PDF:

• Signed BOL with in/out times visible (a clear photo).
• Gate / check-in photos (gate sign, kiosk screen, window ticket).
• Your notice to the broker before free time ended (screenshot or email), when required.
• The rate confirmation page showing free time, rate and who pays (or quote the clause on the invoice).
• Optional but strong: GPS-stamped Arrived / Departed times, a map of the stop, and the day's ELD log (a PDF export or screenshot from your ELD app).

Some shippers name the proof they accept. Campbell's, for example, pays detention only against an EDI 214 status update or a signed BOL with the check-in and check-out times on it. Check your rate con for the same kind of line.

How to bill the broker for detention

• When: the same day if you can. FreightWaves reports most brokers want detention claims within 24 to 48 hours; Uber Freight's limit is 24 hours after delivery.
• How: email (or text, if that is how the broker takes accessorials) with the PDF and attachments; keep a sent copy.
• Then: follow up on day 3, 7 and 14 if it isn't paid, and save every message with its date. If it stays unpaid: broker not paying detention?

What a GetDockPay invoice contains

A GetDockPay invoice is one PDF with the parts above: your carrier details and remit-to, the load, BOL and rate-con numbers, a time record from arrival to departure stamped in the app when you tap (the arrival with your phone's GPS), the free time and billable time to the minute, the charges, a map of the stop and links to your BOL photos and, on Pro, your ELD log. It also shows the time your Notify broker email went out, if you sent one. Want to see a real one? Email info@getdockpay.com and we'll send a sample.

GetDockPay builds the invoice PDF from the stop and, on Pro, emails it to the broker, then sends the Second, Third and Fourth Notice on day 3, 7 and 14 when their email is on file. On Free you can export the same PDF and send it yourself. What the broker receives: see the packet.

Also useful: detention calculator · claim denied? · compare apps

FAQ

Is there a free detention invoice template?

Yes: download the fillable PDF. Page 2 is a filled-in example.

What should be on a detention invoice?

Identifiers (load, rate con, BOL), times, free time, rate, billable hours, amount and remit-to, plus proof. Match the rate con exactly.

Is there an official detention invoice template?

No. There is no official government detention form for owner-operators. Use a layout that mirrors your contract and attaches proof.

Can I put detention on the same invoice as linehaul?

Better as a separate accessorial invoice. Buried lines get missed or rejected as an "unauthorized accessorial."

What if AP asks for a different format?

Ask once what fields they need, then rebuild. Don't change the free time or rate to "make it easier"; that creates a mismatch denial.