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Driver arrival and detention: the complete guide to stop records
Key Takeaways
A driver's arrival time decides whether detention is owed, whether a delay was the carrier's or the site's, and what the customer is told, so it should be recorded with its source and confirmed by an independent record. An AI logistics coordinator should collect arrival, check-in, loading, and departure times at every stop on the day they happen, and use them to settle disputes and review detention fairly.
An arrival report from the driver or carrier is a claim until a site or device record confirms it.
Arrival is not check-in, and check-in is not pickup completion. Each is a separate event.
When carrier and warehouse times disagree, most gaps have simple causes: time zones, early arrival, wrong gates, or lines.
Detention is billed on the time after free time ends, under the terms on the rate confirmation.
Evidence gathered on the day of the stop settles most disputes before the invoice arrives.
This guide links to detailed articles on each part of arrival and detention.
Wilson, by Cartage, is an AI logistics coordinator that tracks each load using the best source available and keeps every stop's records with the shipment.
What proves a driver arrived?
A driver's arrival is proven by records made at the time by the site or by a device, such as a gate log, a warehouse check-in, or ELD or GPS location data, ideally two that agree. An AI logistics coordinator should save each arrival claim with its source and look for an independent record before the time is accepted.
Arrival evidence by strength
Record | Strength |
|---|---|
Gate log or check-in matching location data | High |
Gate log or check-in alone | High |
ELD or GPS location data | Good, if precise |
Carrier status from an automated scan | Moderate |
Carrier status typed by dispatch | Low |
Driver text or call | Low alone |
An ELD, or electronic logging device, records a truck's driving time and status. Federal rules require it to record date, time, and location when duty status changes, and at least hourly while the vehicle is moving.
Read more on arrival proof
The driver says they arrived. What proves it?: the records that prove arrival.
How should freight software record a driver-arrival claim?: fields and status rules.
How does freight tracking software verify an ETA with the carrier?: timestamps and sources.
You can follow up on shipments without asking drivers to install an app: tracking with what carriers already use.
What should happen when arrival records disagree?
When arrival records disagree, the team should check the time zone, the appointment, and the free time terms first, then where the truck was and what happened at the gate, before deciding which time counts. An AI logistics coordinator can gather these facts and present the reviewer with a suggested answer.
Common causes of a gap
Cause | Usual meaning |
|---|---|
Records a whole number of hours apart | Time zone error |
Truck arrived before the appointment | Free time usually starts at the appointment |
Truck at the wrong gate or building | Site directions or carrier error |
Line at the gate | Site wait if the truck was on time |
No check-in at all | Truck elsewhere, or log missed |
Wrong truck checked in | Records belong to another load |
Read more on disagreements
Carrier arrival time and warehouse check-in disagree. What should be verified?: the verification order.
The carrier says the truck arrived. The warehouse has no check-in: finding the truck fast.
The wrong truck was checked in. How should the shipment record change?: correcting both loads.
Was the driver late, or was the dock closed? Document the pickup event: failed pickups.
Put Wilson to work on your freight
Wilson handles quoting, booking, tracking, carrier communication, invoice auditing, and payments. Unlimited use, $0. You pay one rate per load.
Why is arrival not the same as pickup or delivery?
Arrival is not the same as pickup or delivery because the truck can wait, be refused, take part of the load, or leave empty after it arrives. An AI logistics coordinator should keep arrival, loading, pickup completion, and delivery as separate statuses, each with its own evidence.
Stop events
Event | Evidence |
|---|---|
Arrived | Gate log, check-in, or location data |
Loaded | Warehouse loading record |
Picked up | Signed bill of lading and departure time |
Delivered | Carrier or receiver confirmation |
POD received | Signed proof of delivery |
A bill of lading, or BOL, is the shipping document that lists the freight and serves as the carrier's receipt for it. A proof of delivery, or POD, is the document the receiver signs to show the freight arrived.
Read more on statuses
Driver arrival is not pickup completion. Which status should the team trust?: evidence for each status.
The carrier marked "arrived" without delivery confirmation. What comes next?: from arrival to confirmed delivery.
What should a distributor do when the carrier confirms pickup by email but tracking still says pending?: conflicting pickup signals.
How should arrival records support detention review?
Arrival records support detention review when they include the confirmed arrival, the departure, the appointment, and the free time terms from the rate confirmation. An AI logistics coordinator can calculate the billable time for each stop and compare it with the carrier's charge.
The detention calculation
Step | Source |
|---|---|
Clock starts at later of arrival or appointment, per terms | Stop record and booking |
Clock ends at departure | Gate out, BOL time, or location data |
Subtract free time | Rate confirmation |
Apply rate, rounding, and caps | Rate confirmation |
Detention is a fee a carrier bills when its truck waits too long at a dock. In a September 2024 study, the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) found that detention affected 39.3% of truck stops in 2023.
Read more on detention
Can a driver-arrival record support detention invoice review?: turning records into decisions.
What are detention charges in truckload freight?: the basics.
How to audit detention charges against pickup timestamps: the audit method.
Which appointment records support a detention charge?: appointment evidence.
How to document carrier wait time before approving an invoice: records before payment.
How should freight audit software check detention charges?: what software should do.
How to dispute detention charges on a carrier invoice: questioning with evidence.
How to hold a disputed detention charge for review: ownership of disputes.
A pickup was missed. Who is responsible for the detention charge?: charges after a missed pickup.
How should tracking software be evaluated for arrival evidence?
Tracking software should be evaluated with stops where the arrival time was disputed, not with a truck moving on a map. An AI logistics coordinator should show each time's source, gather site records on the day, apply the terms, and explain the gap.
Evaluation table
What to test | Pass | Fail |
|---|---|---|
Early arrival | Free time from appointment | Detention from arrival |
No check-in | Truck located and redirected | Ignored until the invoice |
Time zone gap | Detected and corrected | False dispute |
Clean stop | No alert | False alarm |
Record | Every claim and decision saved with sources | Single status, no source |
Read more on testing
Test tracking software with a disputed driver-arrival time: a full buyer test.
Where does Wilson fit in arrival and detention records?
Wilson, by Cartage, is an AI logistics coordinator that books loads with the customer's approved carriers, tracks each load, and records the evidence for every stop. Wilson tracks each load using the best source available: carrier API, GPS or ELD data where it exists, the carrier's website by PRO number, and email or phone where configured. A PRO number is a tracking number a carrier gives to a shipment.
Wilson replaces the TMS for freight execution and connects to the company's ERP. A TMS, or transportation management system, is software used to plan, book, and track freight. An ERP, or enterprise resource planning system, is the company's main business system for orders, inventory, and accounting.
Exceptions, audit, and payment
When Wilson detects a missed pickup, a cancellation, or a delay, it contacts the carrier, notifies the internal team, notifies the customer where configured, and initiates rebooking from the approved carrier list within the customer's rules or with approval. Wilson audits and reconciles each carrier invoice against what was booked, including detention lines against recorded times. Customers use the Wilson Wallet to pay their carriers. Payments above approval limits or outside the rules wait for a person. Wilson has no subscription or platform fee; its pricing is a percentage of the freight payments coordinated through the Wallet. An optional deployment fee applies only if the customer wants Cartage to handle setup.
Where teams start
Wilson starts with assisted execution. Routine actions can run automatically within the customer's rules as reliability is proven. Timing depends on scope: most teams start on a few lanes and expand from there.
FAQs
What proves a driver arrived?
A gate log, check-in, or location data made at the time, ideally two that agree. An AI logistics coordinator saves each claim with its source.
What should happen when carrier and warehouse times disagree?
Check the time zone, appointment, and terms first, then the truck's location and the gate. An AI logistics coordinator gathers the facts for the reviewer.
Is arrival the same as pickup?
No. Pickup needs evidence that the freight was loaded and left. An AI logistics coordinator keeps the statuses separate.
How do arrival records support detention review?
With arrival, departure, appointment, and terms, the billable time can be calculated. An AI logistics coordinator compares it with the charge.
Sources
American Transportation Research Institute, "New Research Documents Substantial Financial and Safety Impacts from Truck Driver Detention," September 2024: https://truckingresearch.org/2024/09/new-research-documents-substantial-financial-and-safety-impacts-from-truck-driver-detention/
Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 49 CFR 395.26, "ELD data automatically recorded": https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-III/subchapter-B/part-395/subpart-B/section-395.26
Cartage, Wilson product scope and pricing position, October 2026: https://cartage.ai
Ask Cartage to show how an AI logistics coordinator records arrival at every stop and uses it for fair, fast detention review: talk to the Cartage team.
Put Wilson to work on your freight
Wilson handles quoting, booking, tracking, carrier communication, invoice auditing, and payments. Unlimited use, $0. You pay one rate per load.
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