The short answer
- Detention is for waiting past free time at a pickup or delivery, usually the same day. It is paid by the hour, sometimes in 15-minute steps, after free time ends (most often 2 hours).
- Layover is for being held overnight or for a full day, for example when the appointment gets pushed to tomorrow. It is usually a flat amount per day.
- TONU (truck ordered, not used) is a flat fee when the load is cancelled after you were dispatched.
All three are accessorial charges, and all three are paid only if your rate confirmation (or carrier agreement) includes them. No federal rule sets any of them.
Side by side, with published terms
These examples come from terms the companies publish for their carriers. They show how contracts handle each charge; your rate con is what counts.
| Detention | Layover | TONU | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it pays for | Waiting past free time at a pickup or delivery | Being held overnight or a full day | A truck that was dispatched, then the load was cancelled |
| How it is charged | By the hour (or minute) after free time | A flat amount per day or per 24 hours | A flat amount per cancelled load |
| J.B. Hunt (Dec 2020) | Starts 2 hours after the arrival check call; $50/h with automated updates, $40/h manual; 5-hour maximum, in 15-minute steps | Past the 5-hour detention maximum; $250/day automated, $150/day manual; no detention paid at the same stop | $200 with location services on, $150 off, only under the conditions J.B. Hunt lists |
| Campbell's (2024) | $1 a minute after the first 2 hours past the appointment, up to $360; only if the truck arrived on time | $360 per 24 hours, after the first 24-hour period; never with detention in the same 24 hours | Up to $150 when the shipper cancels with less than 12 hours' notice |
| Who pays | The party on your rate confirmation. On a brokered load, the broker. | ||
When detention turns into layover
It depends on the contract, and the published examples differ:
- J.B. Hunt caps detention at 5 hours. A stop that runs longer becomes a layover, and detention isn't paid at the same stop.
- Campbell's doesn't allow detention and layover in the same 24 hours. Layover can be charged for each 24-hour period after the first one, the carrier has to report the layover to the shipper when it first happens, and layover caused by the carrier's own scheduling errors isn't paid.
If your rate con lists detention but says nothing about layover, ask before you take a load with a real chance of sitting overnight.
Two meanings of "layover"
Trucking uses "layover" for two different things:
- A charge billed to the shipper or broker when the load holds you overnight. That is the layover covered on this page.
- Layover pay from a carrier to a company driver who waits between loads away from home. That is driver pay set by the carrier's own policy, not a charge to a customer. If you drive for a carrier, your pay package decides it.
TONU: truck ordered, not used
TONU is a flat fee when a load is cancelled after a truck was committed to it. Published terms attach conditions: J.B. Hunt pays it only under the conditions it lists, such as the driver having been dispatched and en route or on site. Campbell's pays up to $150 when the shipper cancels with less than 12 hours' notice, and pays no TONU if the carrier pulls its equipment without the shipper's approval.
How to bill detention and layover
- Put each charge on its own line: detention as hours × rate, layover per day, TONU as a flat fee.
- Match the rate con exactly: the rate, the free time, any caps and any rule against paying both.
- Attach the proof: signed BOL in and out times, the time you notified the broker, and any reschedule in writing.
- Bill inside the deadline. FreightWaves reports most brokers want detention claims within 24 to 48 hours.
A layout you can copy: free detention invoice template. Detention math for one stop: detention pay calculator.
FAQ
Is layover the same as detention?
No. Detention is hourly pay for waiting past free time, usually the same day. Layover is a flat daily charge when the load holds you overnight or longer.
Can you get detention and layover for the same stop?
Only if your contract allows it. In the published examples above, J.B. Hunt doesn't pay detention at a stop that became a layover, and Campbell's doesn't allow both in the same 24 hours.
How much is layover pay?
We couldn't find a reliable industry-wide average. Published examples range from $150 to $250 a day (J.B. Hunt) to $360 per 24 hours (Campbell's). Your rate con decides.
What is TONU in trucking?
Truck ordered, not used: a flat fee when a load is cancelled after the truck was dispatched, paid on the conditions in your contract.
Keep the times that decide it. GetDockPay stamps when you arrived and when you left with your phone's GPS, saves your BOL photo and builds the detention invoice from your rate and free time. Free to test on your next load. No credit card needed. iPhone and Android.
Sources
- J.B. Hunt, Standardized Accessorials in Carrier 360, December 11, 2020.
- Campbell's, motor carrier accessorial terms (Exhibit A-1), 2024.
- FreightWaves, Understanding detention pay clauses, May 22, 2025.
- ATRI, Costs and Consequences of Truck Driver Detention, September 2024 (free time).
Checked October 6, 2026. Published terms change; these are examples, not a standard. Operating guidance, not legal advice; your contract controls.