Driver detention is usually discussed in terms of what happens after a driver is already stuck waiting.

How should the driver log the time? Does the carrier pay detention? What happens to the driver’s available hours? Can the appointment still be completed safely?

Those are important questions.

But there may be another question worth asking:

What if we had better information about where the waiting keeps happening in the first place?

Imagine if shippers and receivers had a documented detention history showing how long trucks typically spend at their facilities.

A facility that consistently gets trucks loaded and unloaded efficiently would have the data to show it.

A facility where drivers routinely spend three, four, or five hours waiting would have a record too.

And eventually, that information could become useful to drivers, carriers, brokers, shippers, and the facilities themselves.

Why This Conversation Matters Right Now

FMCSA is developing a Split Duty Period Pilot Program that would test giving participating property-carrying commercial drivers more flexibility with the 14-hour driving window.

Under current federal hours-of-service rules, a property-carrying driver may drive up to 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty, but that driving must generally occur within a 14-consecutive-hour window after coming on duty. Under the standard rule, off-duty time does not extend that 14-hour window.

The Split Duty Period Pilot Program is designed to test something different. Participating drivers would be able to exclude up to three hours of certain non-driving time from the 14-hour window. Qualifying time could include off-duty or sleeper-berth time, as well as on-duty, non-driving time at a pickup or delivery location. That means certain time spent waiting at a shipper or receiver could potentially qualify.

FMCSA completed a small pre-test of the program in 2026 involving nine drivers from three motor carriers. The agency says it is reviewing those results and plans to refine the program ahead of a larger launch in 2027. The full Split Duty Period pilot is expected to include 256 drivers.

FMCSA has also said it intends to monitor whether the added flexibility results in increased detention or exploitation of drivers.

Giving drivers more flexibility when unexpected delays occur could be useful.

But it raises a separate question:

What would actually give facilities an incentive to reduce the delay itself?

What If Detention Became Measurable?

One possibility is treating facility detention as something that can be consistently documented and compared.

Here’s what that could look like.

1. Establish a Reasonable Loading and Unloading Window

If a driver arrives on time for a scheduled appointment, the facility receives an agreed-upon amount of time to load or unload the truck.

The exact standard would need input from the people who actually operate these facilities. Different freight and facility types may require different expectations.

The goal isn’t to pretend every truck should be turned around in the same amount of time.

The goal is to establish what reasonable looks like.

2. Start Detention Automatically

Once that agreed window expires, detention begins automatically.

A driver shouldn’t have to spend additional time tracking down someone for a signature just to prove they’ve already spent hours waiting.

Verified arrival and departure information could establish how long the truck was actually at the facility.

That also raises an important question about what data should count. ELD records, GPS information, appointment systems, and facility records could potentially contribute, but any system would need clear standards both sides can trust.

3. Create a Facility Detention Record

This is where the idea gets more interesting.

Over time, verified detention information could create a history for individual shipping and receiving facilities.

For example:

Typical turnaround time: 1 hour 12 minutes
Percentage exceeding agreed detention window: 14%
Average detention when delayed: 2 hours 6 minutes

Now we’re no longer relying solely on individual stories about whether a particular facility is “good” or “bad.”

We’re looking at patterns.

And patterns create information people can actually use.

What Could That Information Change?

Imagine a carrier or broker evaluating freight from two facilities.

One routinely turns trucks around quickly.

The other routinely keeps equipment and drivers sitting for several hours.

Those loads don’t necessarily carry the same operational cost.

Reliable detention history could potentially become another piece of information considered when freight is priced, scheduled, or accepted.

Facilities with efficient operations would have something measurable to show for it.

Facilities with persistent detention problems would have a financial and operational reason to determine what’s causing them.

Maybe it’s scheduling.

Maybe it’s staffing.

Maybe too many trucks are being given the same appointment window.

Maybe trailers aren’t ready.

Maybe the problem isn’t entirely the facility at all.

The point isn’t to assign blame. It’s to make the problem visible enough to improve it.

This Shouldn’t Be About Punishing Shippers and Receivers

Plenty of facilities run efficient operations.

Those facilities should benefit from having that reflected in the data.

And not every delay means somebody did something wrong.

Weather happens. Equipment breaks. Freight isn’t always ready when expected. Drivers arrive late. Carriers miss appointments. Small facilities may be operating with fewer docks and fewer employees.

Any credible detention system would have to account for those realities.

The goal should be less wasted time throughout the freight system, not finding another party to punish.

If better detention information actually worked, there could be benefits across the industry:

• Drivers spend less of their workday waiting.
• Carriers get better utilization from trucks and trailers.
• Brokers have additional information when pricing and planning freight.
• Efficient facilities have data demonstrating their performance.
• Facilities experiencing recurring delays have information that may help identify operational problems.
• Shippers may ultimately benefit from more predictable and efficient freight movement.

Where This Idea Gets Complicated

There are some big questions that would have to be answered.

Who maintains the data?

Government? An industry organization? A private platform?

Whoever controls it would need to establish trust with multiple sides of the industry.

How do you verify arrival and departure times?

A system isn’t useful if facilities and carriers constantly dispute the underlying information.

What happens when the truck is late?

A facility shouldn’t receive a negative mark because a carrier missed its appointment.

How do you account for different types of facilities and freight?

Loading a dry van isn’t necessarily comparable to loading specialized freight.

What about smaller facilities?

A warehouse with one dock shouldn’t automatically be judged against a massive distribution center operating dozens of doors.

And how do you protect drivers?

Drivers shouldn’t have to worry that reporting legitimate detention will cost them future loads or create retaliation.

Those aren’t small problems.

But they’re exactly the kinds of questions worth discussing before deciding whether an idea like this could work.

What New CDL Drivers Should Know Right Now

A facility detention record is only an idea.

Detention, however, is something drivers are dealing with today.

If you’re early in your CDL career, there are a few things worth understanding.

Log your time accurately. Your duty status should reflect what you’re actually doing.

Document when you arrive. Keep track of your appointment time, check-in time, and departure time. Save paperwork when appropriate.

Communicate with dispatch early. Don’t wait until your available hours are nearly gone before letting someone know a delay is becoming a problem.

Ask about detention pay before accepting a job.

Good questions for a recruiter include:

• Does the company pay detention?
• How long do I have to wait before detention pay begins?
• What is the detention rate?
• Is detention paid automatically, or does the driver have to request it?
• What documentation is required?

Don’t assume the proposed flexibility applies to you. The standard hours-of-service rules remain in effect. FMCSA’s Split Duty Period program is a limited pilot initiative, not a nationwide change to the 14-hour rule.

The Bigger Question

The FMCSA pilot raises an important conversation about giving drivers more flexibility when unexpected delays consume their available hours.

That conversation should continue.

But there may also be value in looking farther upstream.

What if the industry could identify where detention repeatedly happens, measure it consistently, and make that information useful?

Maybe the answer isn’t choosing between giving drivers more flexibility or addressing detention.

Maybe we need both.

CDL First wants to hear from the people who actually deal with this:

Drivers, dispatchers, fleet managers, brokers, shippers, receivers, and safety professionals: Would a verified facility detention record actually be useful?

What would have to be included for you to trust it?

And most importantly:

Where would this idea fall apart in the real world?

That’s the conversation worth having.

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CDL First Note

The facility detention-record model discussed in this article is an idea presented for industry discussion. It is not an existing federal program or requirement.

Information about FMCSA’s Split Duty Period Pilot Program is current as of September 29, 2026. Federal regulations and pilot-program details can change. Drivers and motor carriers should consult current FMCSA guidance for applicable hours-of-service requirements.

Sources

FMCSA: Hours-of-Service Regulations

FMCSA: September 2026 Hours-of-Service Pilot Program Update⁠