Proof

What the broker receives, and what happens when they don't pay

A detention invoice has its best shot at getting paid when it is complete, on time and hard to lose in an inbox. This page shows the packet GetDockPay sends, the numbered notices that follow, what happens after day 14, and the honest limits of any app.

1. The packet the broker gets

When you send a claim, the broker's AP inbox receives one PDF invoice with everything they usually ask for before they'll pay:

Your identity and remit-to: carrier name, MC/DOT, where to pay
The load: load number, rate confirmation number, BOL number, facility, appointment time
The times: arrival and departure stamped by your phone's GPS when you tapped Arrived and Departed, with a map of the stop. If you use Auto-detect arrival (Pro), the phone only reminds you to tap; it never creates a time on its own
The math: free time from your rate con, your hourly rate, billable hours, amount due (for example 5 hours at the dock, 2 free, 3 × $75 = $225)
The proof: links to your BOL photos (with the in/out times) and, if you attached it (Pro), a link to your ELD log for the day, listed as "ELD log"
Notice: when you emailed the broker from the dock with Notify broker, if you did

It goes out by email as a separate accessorial invoice, which is what factors and AP teams expect. Want a sample packet? Email info@getdockpay.com and we'll send one.

Why this is what AP looks for

The four things brokers use to reject detention are a missing arrival or departure stamp, no signed BOL, no notice while you were waiting, and a bill that doesn't match the rate con. The packet covers all four, and the app nags you for the ones only you can supply (the BOL photo, the rate-con number).

GetDockPay Log Stop screen with facility, broker, load number, rate con number, detention clause and broker-notified time

2. The follow-ups (automatic, Pro)

A bill nobody follows up on is easy to ignore. So the notices don't depend on you remembering:

Day 0 · Invoice sent (notice 1)the packet above, by email
Day 3 · Second Noticea polite note that the claim is still outstanding, restating the invoice number, load, BOL number and amount
Day 7 · Third Noticesays no payment update has come in, restates the amount and asks the broker to release payment
Day 14 · Fourth Noticethe last automatic notice: asks the broker to release payment or reply with the payment status

The notices go by email, so the claim needs the broker's email address. The claim screen counts every notice sent and shows the date of the next one. Mark the claim paid or denied and the notices stop, so nobody gets chased after they've paid.

What each notice carries

The invoice number, the load and BOL numbers, the amount outstanding and the date the invoice first went out. The notices don't re-attach the invoice PDF. They come from "GetDockPay Claims", and replies go straight to the driver.

3. If they still don't pay after day 14

The Fourth Notice on day 14 is the last automatic one. The claim stays open in My Claims until you mark it paid or denied, and GetDockPay takes no further steps for you. What you keep is the record: the invoice PDF with the GPS-stamped times, the map of the stop and links to your BOL photos, plus the date each notice went out.

Straight talk: GetDockPay does not collect the money and cannot guarantee payment; we won't tell you otherwise. What the app does is turn "we never got it" into a dated, documented trail you can put in front of the broker. If a broker still won't pay, here is what to do next.

4. What no app can do

Detention is a contract term, not a right. Before the app can help, your rate confirmation or carrier agreement has to say:

how much free time you get (two hours is common, not universal)
the rate and whether it's hourly or in increments
when the clock starts (appointment time, arrival, or check-in)
whether you must notify the broker while you're waiting
the deadline and documents required to bill it

If detention isn't on the paperwork, the invoice is a request, however good the proof. The detention pay guide has the rate-con checklist to read before you accept the load. For line items and attachments, see the detention invoice template. The Broker Pay Score in the app tells you, from real claims, whether the broker on that rate con tends to pay at all (for the brokers you work with on Free; any rated broker with Pro).