Driver Detention: Understanding the Effects on a Business

Driver detention can increase your transportation costs significantly, especially if it occurs on a regular basis. If a business has trouble managing driver detention times, they can work with 3PLs that offer freight transportation services to lower their costs and make their processes more efficient. Before a business can begin lowering its driver detention costs, it’s helpful to learn more about the effects that driver detention has on a business.

What Is Driver Detention

Before you can lower your driver detention costs, you must know what driver detention is. Driver detention is when a driver runs into delays while transporting freight. These delays can occur at the origin of pickup or the destination. For freight transportation, there is generally a two-hour window for pickup and delivery free of detention costs. After that two-hour window passes, driver detention costs come into play.

The Costs of Driver Detention

The purpose of driver detention costs is to compensate the freight carrier and the driver for their time. Unfortunately, driver detention not only affects one shipment but also all following shipments, so it’s easy to see how detention can cause shipments to fall behind schedule. There are many other effects that driver detention has on a business besides detention costs, such as dissatisfied customers, overtime pay, and reduced capacity. Over time, these costs can take a serious toll on your business.

How To Reduce Detention Times

There are many ways that businesses can reduce their detention times. One of the best ways is to work with an experienced 3PL, such as Diversified Transportation Services, who can help you lower not only your driver detention costs but also your transportation costs overall. A few other helpful tips that businesses can use to reduce driver detention time are to increase warehouse staff, adjust your scheduling, and prepare your shipments early.