Layover pay is the pay a truck driver receives while they’re waiting on a new load assignment. For example, if you deliver a load on Friday, it might take until Monday to find a new load to haul. Freight demands fluctuate throughout the year, so drivers will find themselves waiting for a new load at least a few times in their career.

The standard for layover pay is between $20-$80 per day, depending on the company. The clock for layover pay usually starts once a driver has been waiting for at least 24 hours and will continue to pay out for every subsequent day a driver isn’t moving. At Melton, we pay $75 for the first 24 hours a driver is without a load, and then $75 for each 24 period after that.

Detention pay is the pay a driver receives while they wait on a customer to load/unload their truck for an extended amount of time. For example, if your scheduled arrival time to a shipper/consignee was 8 AM and it takes them until 1 PM to get to you, the time you spent waiting is detention time. Depending on the customer, this may or may not be a frequent issue. However, if the driver is at fault for the time spent waiting, they might not qualify for detention pay.

The standard for detention pay varies depending on the company and the time spent waiting. The standard for most companies to qualify for detention pay is 2 hours.

While layover pay is mostly out of a driver’s hands, being detained can be either the shipper/consignee or the driver’s fault. Delays can occur during the loading or unloading process that a driver can’t control, such as the customer running behind schedule or not having the proper equipment available for the job. However, if a driver arrives too early or late, they could be stuck waiting around until the shipper/consignee is ready for them.

Fortunately, avoiding detention from the driver’s end can be simple! If it looks like you’ll be early to a delivery, be sure to call ahead and see if the shipper/consignee has the capacity to load/unload early. The same thing applies when you’re on track to arrive after your stated time: communicate with the customer! Ideally, you’ll want to avoid being early or late by mapping out routes in advance, including scheduled break time. When calculating your route timing, make sure to allow 15-20 minutes of leeway to account for any unexpected delays!

Been letting trash pile up in your cab? Now’s a great time to find a trash can and some cleaning supplies and make your truck look good as new.

If you’ve been waiting for the right time to catch up with friends and family, now’s that time! Check in with your loved ones through a voice or video call and let them know that you’re thinking about them.

Now that we’ve defined layover and detention pay, it’s time to make the most of your down time. It’s hard to guarantee that you’re loaded 100% of the time, but companies like Melton know that your time is valuable and will compensate you for it. If you’re interested in learning more about how Melton pays our drivers, you can visit our page about driver pay here.