Detention, Layover and TONU: What to Confirm Before Dispatch

Detention generally refers to waiting time at a pickup or delivery. Layover commonly describes a longer delay that pushes work to another day. TONU means “truck ordered not used,” a term commonly used when a requested truck is no longer needed. Your agreement determines how these terms apply to a particular shipment.

Do not assume every load includes the same free time, fee, notice requirement, or right to payment. Settle those questions before dispatch whenever possible.

Detention: confirm how waiting time is measured

Ask when any free-time allowance starts and ends, whether an appointment affects eligibility, and how arrival and release times must be recorded. Clarify who must be notified when a delay begins and whether written approval is needed before a charge is accepted.

For your operational record, note the appointment, actual arrival, check-in, loading or unloading activity, and release time. Identify the time zone. Keep available supporting records and the messages you sent. A timestamp helps explain what happened, but it does not override the agreed payment conditions.

Layover: get the revised plan in writing

If a shipment moves to another day, ask for the revised appointment and the agreed compensation, if any. Confirm whether the truck must stay on site, whether the freight remains on the trailer, and who will provide the next instruction. Coordinate a feasible plan with the driver.

Clarify whether the proposed payment replaces or adds to any other delay charge. Do not bill the same period under multiple labels unless that treatment was agreed.

TONU: confirm cancellation and truck status

When a truck is no longer needed, ask the verified load contact to confirm the cancellation and release instruction. Record when the truck was requested, dispatched, and canceled, and where it was when the instruction arrived. Ask what cancellation payment applies and what documentation is requested.

A canceled listing or an unanswered application is not automatically a TONU event. Establish what the parties actually committed to before treating a change as a payable cancellation.

Five questions to settle before the move

• Which additional charges can apply to this shipment?
• What starts the clock, and what exceptions or limits apply?
• Who can approve the charge?
• When and how must the carrier give notice?
• What records must accompany the invoice?

Use the rate confirmation checklist and read the broader agreement too. Jetro’s published transportation terms, for example, include their own documentation and approval provisions. That is an example of one company’s terms, not an industry-wide fee schedule.

After a delay or cancellation

Save the original load instructions, the revised plan, the approval messages, and the supporting records in one shipment folder. Send a clear invoice through the agreed channel. If the other party disputes a charge, compare the facts and the written agreement rather than assuming a customary rate controls the outcome.

Sources and further reading

• Jetro: Published transportation service provider terms (company-specific example)
• Truckstop: Rate and charge definitions

Sources reviewed October 24, 2026.