Truck detention and waiting-time log
Keep the time at a stop, the agreed charging terms and the invoice outcome in one place.
Download the free template
Use the workbook for the example and working sheet, or start with a blank CSV.
No account or email required. Downloads use English labels, CAD, kilometres and litres. Website language and unit controls do not convert the files. CSV files contain blank input columns, without workbook formulas or formatting.
Make the record useful
Waiting creates two separate questions: how much time did the stop take, and what amount can you support under the agreed terms? A useful record answers the first with timestamps and supports the second with the booking and evidence. It does not assume every hour on site is billable.
What to record
- Record the load or stop reference and location, then arrival and release timestamps in UTC. Convert local times using the correct offsets for each event.
- Enter agreed billable hours and the agreed charge manually. Keep a reference to the written agreement and its evidence.
- Enter the billed charge excluding tax and invoice reference when invoiced. Record the next action and follow-up date for unresolved items.
Keep the timestamp source: gate receipt, signed paperwork or an operational record. The workbook calculates waiting hours from arrival to release. It does not subtract free time or calculate a charge. Check the agreement separately for start points, free time, rates, rounding, exclusions and caps before entering the agreed figures.
Use the result
Review repeated delays by stop and appointment window. Use the history to plan future arrival times and discuss service arrangements. Follow each supported charge through approval, invoicing and payment; a waiting-time record on its own does not close that process. Compare like-for-like stops rather than treating every delay as the same problem.
Common mistakes
Do not subtract free time twice or apply a rate from another customer’s booking. Avoid replacing documented arrival with the scheduled appointment time. Do not add the estimated charge to collected revenue or treat a shorter stop as an automatic reduction in payroll.
What this log covers
This is a commercial waiting-time worksheet. It is not a driver’s hours-of-service log, an ELD record or a legal assessment of billing entitlement.
Save a separate working copy and keep original receipts and supporting documents. Keep private fleet records in your own files; the download does not send your entries to Truck University.