Get your detention approved instantly with Convoy

March 27, 2018Kristen Forecki

Detention is one of the biggest issues affecting the trucking industry today¹. DAT research shows that nearly 63% of drivers spend more than 3 hours at the shipper’s dock each time they’re loaded or unloaded. All that time adds up to more than 4 billion hours that truck drivers spend waiting at facilities each year². For drivers, time spent waiting means less time driving—reducing overall earnings. To compensate for lost time, drivers generally receive detention pay for extra time spent waiting at a facility, typically over two hours per stop. This is compensation for their time and lost opportunity. Yet, when they request detention, getting paid isn’t a sure thing. Only 3% of carriers report that they’re able to collect on all of their detention claims. Why just 3%? Because the process is complicated and parties often disagree about the exact amount of time that carriers spend waiting. Historically, truck drivers have had to follow a series of complicated, manual steps to confirm that they’re on time and waiting before they can request detention—all with no guarantee of payment. Michael Babak of Westland Trucking LLC told Convoy, “It’s just really frustrating. We work hard, and we have to be there on time. We should get paid if we’re waiting around.” At Convoy, we’ve been focused on the driver experience from day one. We’re constantly looking for ways to improve drivers’ lives. We created Hassle-Free Detention to give drivers the control and transparency that is missing in the industry today. With this feature, carriers know that they can trust Convoy to compensate them if they have to wait—especially because we’ll pay the carrier even if the shipper doesn’t pay us. If the truck is detained for more than two hours, the driver can request detention directly in the Convoy app and get approved instantly. With Automated Detention, Convoy uses GPS tracking to automatically calculate the time a truck has been at a facility.

Kevin Rutherford, Host of SiriusXM’s “Trucking Business and Beyond” said, “The thing the Convoy mobile app addresses, which has been a disaster, is detention time. The fact that Convoy is automating the process so drivers don’t have to fight for detention pay is huge!” New to Convoy? Sign up with Convoy for free! ¹Journal of Commerce ²Convoy research

Kristen Forecki

I’m the Vice President of Supply at Convoy. I joined Convoy because I believe carriers and drivers deserve the kinds of innovation that we’ve seen in industries like retail, travel, and communication. When I’m not working on trucking, I spend time with my dog, my garden, or listening to a great podcast.