Steplane › Unbilled waiting time and extras
Updated 18 October 2026 · Steplane is built by a logistics process specialist with over 13 years in logistics, including at some of the biggest freight forwarders in the world.
Short answer: transport companies stop losing money on waiting time, storage and extras by doing four things. They put an exclusions block with rates on every quote. They log every extra the same day with proof. They check the extras log before each invoice. And they chase what was missed. Most extras are not lost because customers refuse to pay, but because nobody wrote them down in time.
The free Steplane check estimates how much your own company leaks on extras, from simple questions about your jobs and rates.
This is an example with made-up numbers to show the calculation. Use your own figures.
| Item | Example in Europe | Example in the US |
|---|---|---|
| Jobs per month | 200 | 200 |
| Share of jobs with waiting time | 15%, so 30 jobs | 15%, so 30 jobs |
| Chargeable hours per case | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Rate per hour | €45 | $75 |
| Share that never gets invoiced | 60% | 60% |
| Lost per month | 30 × 1.5 × €45 × 60% = €1,215 | 30 × 1.5 × $75 × 60% = $2,025 |
Storage, extra stops and failed pickups come on top. The calculation is the same: how often it happens × quantity × rate × the share that is never billed.
The Steplane quote-to-invoice kit includes all four as editable files: a quote template with exclusions block, an extras log in Excel, an invoice checklist and payment reminder emails. One-time €49 (about $55).
| Term | Where it is used | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Detention | US trucking | An hourly charge when the driver waits at pickup or delivery beyond the free time. Two hours of free time is common, but your contract decides. |
| Layover | US trucking | A flat charge when the driver has to wait so long, often until the next day, that the truck is out of use. |
| Lumper fee | US trucking | The cost of a third-party unloading service at the receiver, usually passed through to the customer at cost. |
| TONU | US trucking | Truck order not used: a charge when a truck is ordered and sent but the load is cancelled or not ready. |
| Waiting time | European road transport | Time the truck waits at loading or unloading beyond what was agreed. How it is charged depends on your agreement with the customer, so it belongs in the quote. |
| Demurrage | Containers, worldwide | A charge when a container stays at the port or terminal beyond the free days. Ocean lines also charge detention when their container is kept outside the terminal too long. |
| Storage | Warehousing, everywhere | Pallets or goods held longer than agreed, usually charged per pallet per day or week. |
General information, not legal advice. Check the current rules and your contracts for your own case.
Because the information is in the driver's head or a phone message, not in a record the billing team sees. If waiting time is not logged the same day with proof, it rarely reaches the invoice.
It is much harder. If the quote does not say how waiting time, storage and extra stops are charged, the customer can fairly dispute them. Put an exclusions block with your rates on every quote.
Arrival and departure times from the driver, the tracking system or a signed note, ideally with a photo or a time-stamped message. Note it the same day, against the job number.
In US trucking, detention is charged when a truck and driver wait too long at pickup or delivery. Demurrage is a container term: a charge when a container stays at the port or terminal beyond the free days. Ocean lines also use detention for keeping their container outside the terminal too long.
In US trucking, two hours of free time is a common industry practice, but it is set by your contract or rate confirmation. In Europe it depends on the agreement with the customer, so write it in the quote.
Take last month's jobs, count how often there was waiting, storage or an extra stop, and compare with what was invoiced. The free Steplane check gives you an estimate from simple questions.
Answer simple questions about how your company works today. You get the process map with owners, triggers and records, the money leaks with estimates and a written procedure. Free, no sign-up.
Start the free check