Detention Is a Trailer Problem, Not Just a Driver Problem

Driver detention gets the headlines, but for larger carriers, trailer detention is often the more expensive blind spot. It’s the cost of sending a driver to pick up a “ready” load that hasn’t even started moving. It’s losing a driver for hours because no empties are available on site. It’s being unable to bill detention time accurately because you don’t actually know how long your trailer was in a door. 

With real-time trailer visibility from Phillips Connect, those headaches go away. 

Before dispatching a truck, operations teams can now check whether the trailer is loaded, staged, or still in a dock. They can see if the doors are open or closed. That simple level of insight turns guesswork into informed planning. If a load isn’t ready, they can redirect that driver and avoid turning a hook into a live load. 

On the back end, drop-and-hook visibility prevents drivers from getting stranded without a return trailer. If all empties are in use, dispatch knows before the driver even arrives. That gives the carrier leverage. Instead of deadheading away, they can notify the shipper they won’t pick up until an empty is available, which is a smart use of capacity in a tight market. 

Just as importantly, trailer visibility delivers the kind of data carriers can bill against. Instead of relying on manual input or vague time stamps, you can track exactly how long each trailer sat idle, whether it was unloaded on time, and when it became available again. That means fewer disputes and more accurate detention charges, and directly improving revenue per trailer. 

In today’s freight market, knowing what’s happening inside the trailer and across the yard isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s a competitive advantage.