New Report Reveals the High Costs and Dangers of Truck Driver Detention
The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has released a new report showing the serious financial and safety issues caused by truck driver detention. Detention happens when drivers have to wait at customer facilities for more than two hours before they can load or unload their trucks. This delay hurts both the trucking industry and the drivers themselves.
Financial Costs of Driver Detention
According to ATRI, truck drivers in 2023 were detained at 39.3% of stops. Detention rates were even higher for certain groups. Women truck drivers faced detention at 49.1% of stops, refrigerated trailer drivers at 56.2%, and drivers in the spot market at 42.5%.
This extra waiting time adds up quickly. Drivers lose between 117 and 209 hours per year depending on their sector. For for-hire trucking companies, this led to more than 135 million hours of lost time in 2023 alone.
These delays cost the trucking industry a lot of money. In 2023, the industry lost $3.6 billion in unpaid detention fees. Even though nearly 95% of trucking companies charge detention fees, fewer than half of those fees get paid. In addition to the direct financial losses, there was also $11.5 billion in lost productivity. The result is billions of dollars lost across the supply chain.
Safety Risks Linked to Driver Detention
ATRI’s report also highlights the safety risks caused by driver detention. After being detained, drivers tend to drive faster, which increases the risk of accidents. Based on GPS data from large trucks, ATRI found that trucks leaving detention sites drove 14.6% faster than those that weren’t detained.
Even before getting to these sites, drivers sped up, likely because they knew they were going to be detained. This pattern of rushing puts everyone on the road at greater risk and adds to the challenges truckers face every day.
How Detention Affects the Supply Chain
Truck driver detention doesn’t just affect drivers—it disrupts the entire supply chain. Late deliveries, wasted time, and unhappy drivers all contribute to inefficiencies. Drivers lose hours they could spend earning money, which reduces their pay and job satisfaction. In turn, this leads to higher driver turnover, adding more stress to an already tight labor market.
“Detention is so common that many industry professionals have accepted it as inevitable without realizing the true extent of its costs,” said Chad England, CEO of C.R. England. His comment reflects the growing concern that detention is doing more harm than many people realize.
Looking for Solutions
ATRI’s findings make it clear that something needs to be done to fix the problem of detention. While many trucking companies charge detention fees, the fact that less than 50% of those fees are paid shows there’s room for improvement. Customers need to be held more accountable for the delays they cause.
Better communication between truckers, customers, and carriers could also help speed up loading and unloading times. By making their operations more efficient, customer facilities could reduce wait times and help drivers avoid the frustration and risks that come with detention.
