Layover differs from detention in duration and cause. Detention covers hours of waiting within a day. Layover covers multi-day waits — situations where a driver cannot complete a pickup or delivery and cannot legally or practically drive to another load or back to their terminal.
Common layover scenarios include: freight not ready at the scheduled pickup date, delivery facilities closed for weekends or holidays with no weekend receiving, appointment scheduling failures where no slot is available until the next business day, and weather or access issues that close a facility.
A layover creates a complex situation for the carrier. The driver is parked, burning available hours but not driving, and the truck is tied up on one shipper's business. The driver still needs to eat, rest, and maintain compliance with Hours of Service. Carriers expect compensation for the driver's time and the opportunity cost of the truck.
Layover charges typically are flat per-day rates published in the carrier's tariff. They begin after the first day of waiting and accrue for each additional day. The rates reflect driver pay, equipment cost, and the revenue that would otherwise have been generated.
For shippers, preventing layover requires accurate freight availability dates and times, realistic appointment scheduling at receiving facilities, and communication with carriers when plans change. A carrier notified 24 hours in advance that a pickup window has shifted can often reposition the driver and return for the load without incurring layover — but a driver already en route to a location that isn't ready has no practical alternative.