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Does detention pay cover the wait?

Sitting unpaid is not the same as a cheap loaded rate. Detention is a settlement line. A lumper is cash out unless someone reimburses it. Treating both as “part of the $2.00” hides whether the wait actually paid.

On the calculator’s starting week — 1,800 loaded / 450 empty, $2.00 after 3% factoring — the miles-only settlement loses $32.96. That is the hole detention has to fill before the wait is even free.

Six hours at $50, same 3% factor, plus a $75 lumper you paid. Detention settles $291. Subtract the lumper and the accessorials add $216. The same $2.00 week keeps $183.04. The miles-only hole closes after 0.68 hours at that detention rate. Past that, extra hours are profit — until the next load you missed is worth more than sitting.

The conversion that keeps the units honest:

  1. Score the offer on miles and the note only. That is the miles-only profit.
  2. Add detention hours × pay, plus layover, after the same factor if they settle with the load.
  3. Subtract lumper paid minus lumper reimbursed. That is extra weekly cost.

Unpaid detention is just more unpaid time. A lumper the broker never repays is a rate cut you already accepted. Open the calculator and replace the starting hours with the ones on your bills. Nothing is uploaded.