What is layover?
A layover is an overnight delay where a driver has to wait until the next day to load or unload, and is paid a flat daily rate for it rather than an hourly detention rate.
Layover starts where detention stops. Once a delay passes the point where the driver has lost the day, hourly detention usually converts to a flat layover fee covering the whole night.
The rate is agreed in advance and stated on the rate confirmation. It is a fixed sum per night rather than a calculation.
What it means on a dispatch desk
Layover pay almost never covers what the day actually cost, because the real loss is the next load that was not run. Treat the fee as partial compensation and the schedule gap as the actual damage, and price the following load accordingly rather than acting as though the layover made the desk whole.
Related terms
- DetentionDetention is money owed to a carrier when a shipper or receiver holds the truck beyond the free time agreed for loading or unloading, usually two hours. It is billed by the hour after that window closes.
- AccessorialAn accessorial is any charge for work beyond moving the freight from origin to destination. Detention, layover, driver-assisted unloading, extra stops and tarping are all accessorials.
- Hours of serviceHours of service are the legal limits on how long a commercial driver may drive and work before taking mandated rest. They cap daily driving, total on-duty time and weekly hours.
- Dwell timeDwell time is how long a truck, trailer or container sits idle at a facility waiting to be handled. It is the underlying measure that detention charges are calculated from.
Put layover in context when researching carrier leads by state, including Texas, California and Illinois.
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