Getting Paid: Detention, Accessorials, and What to Do About Slow Brokers

Carriers lose more money to unclaimed accessorials than to bad rate negotiation. The load pays what it pays, but the detention, the extra stop, the lumper, and the layover often simply evaporate, because nobody recorded them properly at the time and nobody chased them afterwards.

This covers how to actually get paid for the work around the freight, how to avoid brokers who will not pay, and what to do when payment is late.

Why detention goes unpaid

Detention is rarely refused because the carrier was not entitled to it. It is refused on procedure.

Almost every rate confirmation sets conditions: free time before detention starts, a documented arrival and departure, sometimes confirmation from the facility, and notification to the broker within a set window. Miss any of those and the entitlement is gone regardless of how long the driver actually sat.

What to record, every time

• Arrival time at the gate, not at the dock
• Departure time
• Who you spoke to at the facility, and when
• Confirmation on the bill of lading where the rate con requires it
• Notification to the broker within whatever window the rate con specifies

The driver has to do this in the moment. Reconstructed later, from memory, it is not evidence, and brokers know it.

Accessorials carriers routinely fail to claim

• Detention at pickup and delivery
• Layover when a load strands the truck overnight
• Extra stops beyond those on the original rate confirmation
• Lumper fees, which need the receipt
• Driver assist, loading or unloading
• Tarping on flatbed
• TONU, truck ordered not used, when a load cancels after dispatch
• Reconsignment when the delivery location changes

Each of these has a procedure in the rate confirmation. The pattern is the same: document at the time, notify within the window, invoice with the supporting paperwork attached.

Vetting the broker before you haul

The cheapest way to solve a payment problem is not to take the load.

Check the authority

Confirm the broker’s MC number is active and the entity on the rate confirmation matches the one you vetted.

Check days to pay

Broker credit services and load boards publish average days to pay. A broker who averages 45 days is not a problem if you know it in advance and price accordingly. One who averages 90 is a working capital decision.

Check the bond

Brokers carry a surety bond. It is a limited pool shared across all claimants, so it is protection of last resort rather than a guarantee, but an unbonded or lapsed broker is a clear signal.

Watch for double brokering

Freight priced well above market for the lane, pressure to accept quickly, an entity that does not match the paperwork, or instructions to send documents somewhere unexpected. If a load is double brokered, you may have no contractual relationship with the party actually holding the money.

When payment is late

1. Check your own paperwork first. A missing proof of delivery or a mismatched invoice is the most common reason, and it is the one you can fix immediately.
2. Follow up in writing, with the load number and the documents attached, so there is a record.
3. Escalate inside the brokerage rather than repeating the same request to the same person.
4. Know your terms. Some agreements have dispute windows after which a claim is harder to pursue.
5. Decide whether to keep hauling for them. Continuing to run freight for a broker who is not paying increases your exposure rather than your chances.

For anything significant or genuinely disputed, talk to an attorney. Collections and lien questions are specific to your contract and your state, and they are not something to work out from an article.

The part you control

Most of the above comes down to documentation, produced at the right moment, in a form somebody else will accept.

Hey Bubba! is an AI back-office automation platform for fleets. Rate confirmations, bills of lading, proofs of delivery, and accessorial evidence are parsed as they arrive, matched to the load, and assembled into an invoice that has its supporting documents attached the first time. Accessorials are captured against the load rather than remembered at month-end.

Get started with Hey Bubba!, or read what to check on a rate confirmation before you sign.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How long does a broker have to pay?
Whatever your agreement says, commonly net 30, sometimes longer. The terms are in the broker-carrier agreement and the rate confirmation. There is no universal rule, so read yours.

2. Can I refuse to release freight if I have not been paid?
This is a legal question with real consequences, and the answer depends on your contract and your state. Do not act on general advice. Speak to an attorney before withholding freight.

3. How do I claim detention I was not paid for?
Invoice it with the documentation and the rate confirmation required, attached. If it was refused for missing documentation, the claim is usually weak. If it was refused despite complete documentation, escalate in writing inside the brokerage.

4. What is TONU?
Truck ordered not used. Compensation when a load is cancelled after you have been dispatched to it. Whether it is payable and at what rate depends on the agreement, so check before you deadhead somewhere.

5. Should I factor invoices from slow-paying brokers?
Factoring converts slow payment into immediate cash at a cost. It does not fix a broker who does not pay at all, and non-recourse protection usually covers insolvency rather than a refusal to pay. See freight factoring companies.

6. How do I avoid double brokered loads?
Verify the authority of whoever you contract with, confirm the entity on the rate confirmation matches, be cautious about rates well above market for the lane, and be wary of instructions to send paperwork to an address that does not match the broker of record.

Published 09/24/26. Payment terms, contract rights and remedies vary by agreement and by state. This article is general information, not legal advice. Consult a qualified attorney about any specific dispute. If something here is out of date, tell us at [email protected], and we will correct it.