You sat at the dock, you invoiced, and the broker went quiet. Or worse, they replied "detention not approved." Before you write it off, know this: according to ATRI's 2023 detention research, fewer than half of detention invoices get paid. Many of the rest die from silence, not from a real dispute. Here is how to work through it.
First, find out which situation you are in
- Silence. The claim is sitting in someone's inbox. This is the most common case and the most fixable.
- "Need more info." Usually a missing BOL, missing times, or no proof of notice.
- "Shipper/receiver didn't approve." The broker is waiting on their customer to pay them first.
- A flat denial. The broker says the claim is not owed, often citing a late notice or the rate con terms.
If it is silence: follow up on a schedule
Do not send one angry email after six weeks. Send short, professional reminders at roughly day 7, day 14, and day 30, each with the full claim and evidence re-attached so nobody has to dig. The day-30 message should ask for one of two things: payment, or the reason for non-payment in writing. Templates are in detention follow-up emails.
If they need more information: send it the same day
Every day a "need more info" request sits, the claim gets older and easier to ignore. Reply with the specific document they asked for and the full claim again in one email.
If they are waiting on their customer
Your contract is with the broker, not the shipper. If the rate con promises detention, the broker owes it under those terms whether or not their customer reimburses them. Say so politely, quote the rate con, and ask for an expected payment date. Some brokers do pay once the shipper approves, so a firm but friendly nudge is usually enough.
If they deny it
Ask for the reason in writing, then check it against your file:
- "Notice was late." Check the rate con's notice clause and your timestamped notice. If you were inside the window, reply with both.
- "Times don't match." Send the ELD/GPS log and the BOL in and out times together.
- "Driver was late to the appointment." If true, many rate cons void detention. If not, show the arrival time against the appointment time.
- "We don't pay detention." If the rate con says otherwise, quote it. If it says nothing, that is a lesson for the next load: get it in writing first.
Escalation without burning the relationship
You likely want more loads from this broker. Stay factual, keep every message short, and escalate one step at a time: the carrier rep, then their manager, then their AP or claims department. Keep the tone of a good office manager. You are not making a threat, you are closing an open item.
If a broker regularly refuses valid claims, you have a few options: deduct the risk from your rate with them, require detention terms in writing before accepting their loads, or simply give your best trucks to brokers who pay. Factoring companies and payment-history tools can also help you see how a broker treats carriers before you book.
Prevent the next one
Most denials trace back to the same three gaps: no notice inside the window, missing proof, and no follow-up. Fix those and the number of claims you have to fight drops sharply. Start with our step-by-step guide to getting paid for detention.
Source: ATRI's 2023 driver detention study, as reported by SupplyChain247.