New survey to document ‘widespread negative consequences’ of detention time

A research group is turning to truckers to gain insight into the issues surrounding detention time and its effects on the trucking industry.

On Wednesday, March 26, the American Transportation Research Institute launched a new survey for drivers to provide information on their detention experiences at customer facilities. The group said the new survey is part of a larger study being conducted that examines the effects of detention time.

“Driver detention … is a longstanding issue in the trucking industry,” the research group said in a said in a statement. “Accordingly, ATRI’s Research Advisory Committee identified the need for new research to document the widespread negative consequences of driver detention for carriers, truck drivers, shippers and the economy as a whole.”

The confidential 23-question survey asks drivers for demographic data as well as “details on their experience with driver detention and how it impacts their day-to-day life, professional livelihood and perceptions of the industry.”

“Drivers routinely rank detention/delay at customer facilities among their top industry concerns,” ATRI President Rebecca Brewster said. “This research will update our 2019 analysis on detention to see how and if things have changed post-pandemic.”

According to ATRI, over 250 truckers already have completed the survey in-person during the Mid-American Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky. The online version can be completed here and will be available to drivers through April 26.

OOIDA Foundation 2023 Detention Time Survey

While the survey launched by ATRI is the most recent attempt to gather data on the impacts of detention time on the industry, the OOIDA Foundation released the findings from its 2023 Detention Time Survey in February.

According to the Foundation’s survey – which compiled responses from over 250 OOIDA members – the average respondent spent a combined 14.3 hours per week loading and unloading.

“Which is quite considerable when you think of the hours-of-service regulations,” Andrew King, a researcher with the OOIDA Foundation, told Land Line Now. “When you only have 60 or 70 hours of driving time, and you’re losing driving time being stuck, that can trickle down and just affect everything.”

While the Foundation’s recent survey did find that detention times had seen a slight decline from recent years – around two hours – King said it’s something that is still a “major issue” for the industry.

According to the survey, around half of respondents said they request compensation for detention time. King said around 11% of those who did request detention pay never saw remuneration – and those who did rarely were compensated for all the loads they requested and were not given “nearly what they should be getting paid.”

King added that while it is nice to get detention pay, the bigger impact – like losing out on possible loads – isn’t being addressed by shippers and receivers.

“It not really compensating for all that they’re losing,” he said. LL