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Detention claim email builder

Detention is billed on the time from check-in to departure, minus the free time, at the rate on your rate confirmation. Put in your times and that rate, and this page writes the claim email for you to copy and send yourself.

By Aditya Jain, Aditya EnterprisesUpdated October 24, 2026A planning aid, not financial, tax or legal advice

The stop

Load number

Date

FacilityShipper or receiver, and the city.

Check-in timeFrom the gate log, the BOL or the ELD. Not when loading started.

Departure timeEarlier than check-in counts as the next day.

Your rate confirmation

Free time

Usually two hours from check-in. Use what yours says.

Detention rate

The rate on your rate confirmation; it varies by broker. Example: $50.

Enter the check-in and departure times.

The email

Subject: Detention claim, load (load number), (billable time) billable

Hello,

I am claiming detention on load (load number) under the detention clause of the rate confirmation.

Facility: (shipper or receiver, city)
Date: (date)
Check-in: (check-in time)
Departure: (departure time)
Time from check-in: (departure minus check-in)
Free time: 2 h
Billable: (billable time)
Rate: (the hourly rate on your rate confirmation)
Amount: (billable time at your rate)

Attached: the BOL with in and out times, the ELD log and the gate photos.

Please confirm you have received this claim and when it will be paid.

Thank you,
(your name)
(company and MC number)

Fill in the fields above to finish it.

Attach the BOL with in and out times, the ELD log and photos, and send it inside the claim window on your rate confirmation.

Runs in your browser. Nothing you type is stored or sent.

How the math works

Step by step.

01Take the check-in time from the gate log, the BOL or the ELD, not the time loading started.
02Count from check-in to departure. A departure earlier than check-in counts as the next day.
03Take away the free time on your rate confirmation, usually two hours from check-in.
04Multiply the minutes left by the hourly rate on your rate confirmation, divided by 60. Bill the exact time, never rounded up.
05Copy the email, attach the BOL with in and out times, the ELD log and photos, and send it inside the claim window on your rate confirmation.

Example: check-in 06:05 and departure 10:35 is a 4.5 h wait. Minus two free hours, 2.5 hours are billable, and at an example $50 an hour that is $125.00. Rates vary by broker: bill the one on your own rate confirmation.

Good to know

Before you use the number.

Nothing is sent from this page. You copy the email into your own and send it to the broker yourself.
If the detention clause needs approval before the truck sits, get it in writing first. The detention guide covers the rest.