High costs and safety risks of truck detention

A new report published by the American Transportation Research Institute highlights the impact of truck detention

A new report published by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) highlights the impact of truck detention at customer facilities on productivity and safety in the sector. ATRI’s research quantifies the direct costs and supports previous findings of increased truck speeds both before and after a detained trip, which poses a risk to road safety.

Truck detention refers to the additional time commercial drivers must wait at customer facilities to pick up or deliver a load, causing delays to their scheduled hours. In 2023, drivers reported experiencing detentions at 39.3% of all their stops. Although there has been a slight decrease in the frequency of these detentions in recent years, they remain a persistent issue that affects supply chain efficiency.

This ongoing problem is one of the major issues in the road freight industry. Chad England, CEO of C.R. England, points out that driver detention is so common in the sector that it is considered almost inevitable, without fully recognizing the magnitude of its costs. According to England, the ATRI report reveals the true impact these detentions have on both road transport and the broader economy.

The reality behind truck driver detention: ATRI analysis findings

The analysis revealed that the road transport industry lost $3.6 million in direct expenses and $11.5 million in productivity due to detentions. While 94.5% of fleets charge detention fees, less than 50% of those invoices are paid. Additionally, ATRI’s impact assessments suggest that driver detention can lead to measurable inefficiencies in the supply chain, resulting in lower compensation for drivers and higher turnover rates.

Among other findings, the analysis shows that female drivers, refrigerated trailer drivers, and fleets operating in the spot market experience high detention rates, with 49.1%, 56.2%, and 42.5% respectively. Furthermore, each truck driver is detained between 117 and 209 hours per year, and in the truckload rental sector alone, the total time lost due to detentions exceeded 135 million hours in 2023.

ATRI’s GPS data analysis shows that detention contributes to higher truck speeds; those that were detained traveled an average of 14.6% faster than those that were not. This suggests that truckers adjust their speed based on facilities where they are likely to experience detentions.

The causes of detentions include customer scheduling issues, lack of parking and dock space, insufficient staff at facilities, and production delays. Delays may also be caused by driver-related factors or external elements such as weather. To mitigate these issues, strategies such as arriving early, implementing trailer-based approaches, improving communication with customers, and, in some cases, declining the service are recommended.