WASHINGTON – The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) released a new report that quantifies the major consequences that truck driver detention at customer facilities has on industry productivity and safety. According to a release, the research quantifies the direct costs for fleets, truck drivers and supply chains in general. It also corroborates previous research that detained trucks drive faster both after, and before, a detained trip occurs.
While driver detention has decreased slightly in the last few years, the overall costs of being detained at customer facilities for more than two hours is substantial. In 2023, drivers reported being detained in 39.3 percent of all stops. The frequency of detention was even higher among women drivers (49.1%), refrigerated trailer drivers (56.2%), and among fleets that operate in the spot market (42.5%).
ATRI’s report said based on industry-reported data, truck drivers were detained between 117 and 209 hours per year, depending on the sector. In for-hire trucking alone, the total time lost to truck driver detention exceeded 135 million hours in 2023.
While 94.5 percent of fleets charge detention fees, they are paid for fewer than 50 percent of those invoices. As a result, the trucking industry lost $3.6 billion in direct expenses and $11.5 billion in lost productivity from driver detention in 2023. Additional ATRI impact assessments quantified supply chain inefficiencies, lost driver pay and driver turnover resulting from detention.
In an analysis of ATRI’s large truck GPS data at different customer facility types found that detention contributes to higher truck speeds. Trucks that were detained drove 14.6 percent faster on average than trucks that were not detained. Interestingly, trucks also drove faster on trips to facilities where they were detained, indicating that truck drivers know which firms and facilities will likely detain them.
“Detention is so common that many industry professionals have accepted it as inevitable without realizing the true extent of its costs,” said Chad England, C.R. England CEO. “ATRI’s report puts real-world numbers to the true impact that truck driver detention has on trucking and the broader economy.”
A full copy of the report is available through ATRI’s website.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
Detention is a problem. Creates a parking problem as well as financial loss.