A detention claim is an argument about time. Whoever has the better record of that time usually wins. Here is what to collect on every load, ranked by how hard it is for a broker to dispute.
The evidence checklist
- ELD or GPS arrival and departure. Machine-generated, timestamped, and hard to argue with. Export the log excerpt for the stop, or a geofence report if your telematics provider offers one.
- Signed bill of lading with in and out times. Ask drivers to have the receiver write in and out times on the BOL before signing. It is the facility admitting how long the truck was there.
- The rate confirmation page with detention terms. Quote it in the claim and attach the page, so the terms are not up for debate.
- Your timestamped detention notice. Proves you met the notice clause. See detention notice windows.
- Gate or check-in records. Lumper receipts, gate tickets, and check-in slips back up the arrival time.
- Driver photos and messages. Useful support, especially timestamped photos at check-in, but weaker on their own.
Where claims fall apart
- No out time on the BOL. The receiver signs, the driver leaves, and nobody wrote down when.
- Proof scattered across systems. The ELD export is in one place, the BOL in a driver's camera roll, the notice in someone's inbox. By invoice time, part of it is gone.
- Times that don't match. ELD time zone versus facility time, or a driver note that contradicts the log. Check before sending.
Build the file per load
The fix is boring and effective: one folder per load, created at dispatch, with the rate con saved immediately and the ELD excerpt, BOL, and notice added as the load moves. When the truck leaves, the claim is already 90% assembled, and you can file it the same day with the detention invoice template.