By: Kevin Hopson,
Conyers, GA
I ask for and charge $90/hour. This rate is based from this calculation: 60 miles per hour average x $1.50 per mile. I seldom get paid that rate for detention. 98% of my loads are broker loads. Most brokers pay between $25-$50/hour. I give two hours free at the shipper, and two hours free at the receiver. Based on a 24 hour day, that formula leaves one hour of unaccountable time. I base these times on the following formula. 24 hour day, 11 hours legal driving time, 10 hours mandated sleeper berth time, 3 hours left for loading and unloading. That really doesn’t leave time for on duty not driving requirements, such as pre-trip and post-trip inspections, and fueling the truck.
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Response from Vicki:
Hi, Kevin.
Thank you for your input, which you may have submitted in response to this page on our site: Drivers Delayed and Detained at the Docks Should Be Paid for Waiting Time.
From the $1.50 per mile rate you earn, it is obvious that you are an owner-operator — so we really appreciate your input. All of Mike’s and my experience has been as company drivers.
I was really surprised to see that you charge $90 per hour for detention pay, but I can see based on your calculation why you do. Mike’s most recent OTR trucking company also had a policy that the first two hours at a shipper or receiver when there was a firm appointment was on the driver. After that, the wait time pay (or detention pay) was $10 per hour. We thought that was pretty good until we saw that you wrote most brokers pay between $25-$50 per hour. The difference could be that many loads obtained by companies are generated internally and don’t go through a broker. Still, it makes us wonder if trucking companies are skimming a little off the top for themselves. Hmmm…
As CSA 2010 takes effect and there will be more pressure on shippers and receivers to get drivers in and out more quickly — and if a new Hours of Service proposal goes into effect that reduces the number of hours a driver can drive each day — I think that there may be a move toward increasing the hourly detention pay rate.
Drivers, whether you’re a company driver or owner-operator, what do you think? To submit your feedback on this topic, visit our Employee Benefits and Bonuses page.
We wish you safe travels and lots of money saving opportunities on the road!
Best regards,
Vicki Simons
https://truck-drivers-money-saving-tips.com/
—– Comment —–
Detention by Anonymous
Date: Mar 26, 2013
Here’s the thing Vicki, $90 detention is NOT too much to ask for. We are not only looking at a driver being compensated, what about the equipment sitting and not being used?
Detention is not just for the driver, but for the tractor and trailer not generating revenue. And, let’s not forget, the outlay of insurance costs, fuel,ancillary staff as dispatch, maintenance ,etc.
I could go on and on, but your thinking $10/hr to be sufficient, leads me to think you are smoking something! I would surmise that you do not give 2 free hours of your workday and that you would not submit to $10/hour after giving 2 free hours.
Apparently, you have no trucking experience or else you would know that $10/hour detention after the 1st 2 hours being free is a slap in the face.
Trucking companies filling their pockets? I guess that is why so many are going out of business! I’ll tell you who is filling their pockets; it’s the brokers who have taken over the freight from the trucking companies who actually HAVE the ASSETS!
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Response from Vicki:
Thank you for your comment. Yes, my husband Mike and I have professional truck driving experience.
I wrote this response on detention pay: “… Mike’s most recent OTR trucking company also had a policy that the first two hours at a shipper or receiver when there was a firm appointment was on the driver. After that, the wait time pay (or detention pay) was $10 per hour. We thought that was pretty good until we saw that you wrote most brokers pay between $25-$50 per hour. …”
The verb used is in the past tense. At the time, we thought “something was better than nothing.” It doesn’t mean that we continue to think $10 per hour is fair.
We addressed the difference in income between driving versus layover pay here. The same calculation can also be made regarding wait time pay or being delayed in the docks.
We have also addressed utilization repeatedly on our website.
Since we have only ever been company drivers professionally, there is much that we do not know about how to bill companies or brokers for waiting time.
We’d like to know:
* how owner-operators and independents calculate a fair hourly rate;
* how any company drivers have successfully gotten a larger amount of money for waiting; and
* how any trucker has successfully negotiated with a freight broker.
We are continually learning, which is the point of this website.
Thanks again for your comment.
Best regards,
Vicki Simons
