Holding shippers and receivers accountable

Detention time affects highway safety.

That was one of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association’s messages in formal comments to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

In response to a proposed study, OOIDA told the agency that detention time also devalues a truck driver’s time.

“In addition to lost hours and wages, excessive waiting times create other hidden costs throughout the supply chain that are detrimental to highway safety and the economics of the profession,” OOIDA wrote in its Oct. 23 comments signed by President Todd Spencer.

Detention time is referred to as the time truck drivers sit at shippers or receivers waiting to be loaded or unloaded. Truckers often are not compensated for any of that time, as most drivers are paid by the mile.

“Logistical uncertainties from detention time prevent drivers from accurately planning trips, finding safe places to park and making it in time to pick up their next load,” OOIDA wrote. “This contributes to increased driver dissatisfaction and turnover, which undermines the overall safety and efficiency of the industry.”

FMCSA study

In August, FMCSA published a notice in the Federal Register that asked the public to comment on a proposed study into the detention time issue.

“This research study will collect data on commercial motor vehicle driver detention time representative of the major segments of the motor carrier industry, analyze that data to determine the frequency and severity of detention time and assess the utility of existing intelligent transportation systems solutions to measure detention time,” the agency wrote in the notice.

About 80 motor carriers and 2,500 commercial motor vehicle drivers are expected to provide data for the study.

FMCSA gave the public through Oct. 23 to submit comments on it.

OOIDA’s comments

OOIDA cited a 2018 report from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General that found that a 15-minute increase in the time a truck spent at a facility increased the average expected crash rate by 6.2%. In addition, the report concluded that detention time costs truck drivers between $1.1 and $1.3 billion each year.

“As stated in the 2018 OIG report, detention time is both a safety and financial concern for small-business truckers and professional drivers,” OOIDA wrote. “Any forthcoming study analyzing detention periods must prioritize the driver’s time above all else and recognize the reality that eliminating delay time for drivers improves the safety and efficiency of the entire supply chain.”

Improving the detention problem in the trucking industry must start with defining it correctly, OOIDA said.

“The trucking industry has traditionally defined detention as any time spent waiting to load or unload in excess of two hours,” the Association wrote. “Meaning, if a driver spends five hours waiting to load at a dock, the first two hours would be considered free, while the remaining three would be classified as detention. This completely discounts the value of a driver’s time.”

While OOIDA applauded FMCSA for recalibrating its definition of detention time, the Association encouraged the agency to make sure that small carriers and owner-operators are included in its study.

OOIDA said the current model hinders the supply chain and leads to experienced truck drivers leaving the industry, which hinders safety.

“Ultimately, in order to address the issue of detention time, there must be more accountability on shippers and receivers who are not properly incentivized to move drivers through their facilities efficiently,” OOIDA wrote. “Shippers and receivers should not be awarded a complimentary two-hour grace period at the driver’s expense.” LL