Dwell Time

Dwell time measures how long a driver and truck are tied up at a pickup or delivery location. It starts when the driver arrives at the facility and ends when they depart with a loaded or empty trailer. The industry average for warehouse dwell time hovers around two to two and a half hours, but poorly managed facilities can keep drivers waiting four hours or more – time that directly translates into detention charges, reduced carrier willingness to service the lane, and higher rates on future bids.

Dwell time is composed of several segments: time waiting in a queue before check-in, check-in processing time, time waiting for a dock door assignment, actual loading or unloading time, and paperwork or checkout processing. Understanding which segment is driving excessive dwell helps identify the right fix. If drivers wait 90 minutes before even reaching a dock door, the problem is appointment scheduling or dock capacity. If loading itself takes two hours for a straightforward pallet load, the warehouse operation needs attention.

For shippers, dwell time has direct financial consequences. Most carrier contracts include a free time window – typically two hours – after which detention charges accrue, often $50–$100 per hour. But the indirect costs are larger. Carriers track facility dwell times and factor them into rate decisions. A facility known for four-hour average dwell will see higher bids, more tender rejections, and difficulty securing capacity during tight markets. Conversely, shippers whose facilities consistently turn trucks in under two hours become preferred customers in carrier networks.

Reducing dwell time requires better dock scheduling – staggering appointments to match actual unloading capacity – and visibility into driver arrivals so dock crews can prepare. Tracking dwell systematically, rather than anecdotally, is the first step toward improving it.