A lumper fee is what a receiver charges to unload your trailer, typically $150 to $400 for a full truckload in the Miami market, paid by the driver at the dock and reimbursed by the shipper. Warehouse detention is what the carrier charges you when the facility holds the truck past the free time in the rate confirmation, usually two hours, at $50 to $100 per hour after that.
Both show up as accessorial line items on the invoice, both are negotiable before the load moves, and both are much harder to argue about after the fact. Here is how they work in South Florida.
What a lumper actually is
Lumpers are third-party unloading crews, common at grocery, food service and big-box distribution centers. The receiver does not want its own staff breaking down mixed pallets, so it contracts the work out and passes the cost to the inbound truck. The driver pays at the dock, gets a receipt, and the carrier bills it back.
Three things determine the amount:
- Floor-loaded versus palletized. A floor-loaded trailer of cases costs far more to unload than 24 pallets that come off with a forklift. Loading your freight on pallets is the cheapest lumper reduction available — see how to palletize freight properly.
- Restacking. If pallets arrive out of spec, the crew rebuilds them and charges for it.
- Case count. Many crews price per case or per pallet rather than flat.
Getting reimbursed
Lumper receipts must be legible, dated, and match the BOL number. Most brokers and shippers require the original receipt with the invoice; a photo of a faded thermal slip is the most common reason a lumper charge gets disputed. Have the driver photograph it at the dock, immediately.
Detention: where the clock actually starts
Detention normally begins after two hours of free time measured from the scheduled appointment time, not from arrival. That distinction matters. A driver who arrives 90 minutes early does not start accruing detention early. Conversely, a driver who arrives an hour late and then waits three hours may only be owed detention for part of it.
To collect detention you generally need:
- The appointment time in writing.
- Documented in and out times, signed by the facility or captured by GPS geofence.
- A rate confirmation that states the free time and the detention rate.
- An invoice submitted within the contractual window, often 30 days.
Detention at a warehouse is a different charge from demurrage and per diem at a marine terminal. If your freight originates in a container, read demurrage and detention at PortMiami — those clocks run on port rules, not warehouse rules.
Why Miami runs hotter than the national average
Three local factors push accessorials up in Miami-Dade:
- Density of import consolidation. Mixed, multi-supplier freight arriving through a CFS is more likely to be floor-loaded and to need restacking.
- Appointment scarcity. Warehouses in Medley, Doral and Hialeah run tight dock schedules, so a missed appointment can mean a same-day rebook or a next-day return trip.
- Reefer handling. Temperature-controlled receiving takes longer and is more likely to spill past free time.
Where you warehouse changes your exposure. Our comparison of Medley vs. Doral vs. Hialeah is a useful starting point, as is our checklist of 3PL warehouse receiving requirements.
How to reduce both charges
- Palletize and shrink-wrap to the receiver’s spec before the truck loads.
- Confirm the appointment in writing and send the driver with the confirmation number.
- Negotiate free time and the detention rate into the rate confirmation, not after.
- Ask the receiver up front whether lumpers are used and roughly what they charge.
- Use drop-trailer where volume justifies it, which removes the driver from the clock entirely. See drop trailer vs. live load.
- Audit your freight bills. Duplicate and mis-rated accessorials are common; see common freight bill overcharges.
Frequently asked questions
Who pays the lumper fee?
The driver typically pays the lumper at the dock and the carrier bills it back to the shipper or broker, who reimburses on presentation of the receipt. Responsibility should be stated in the rate confirmation before the load moves, and the original legible receipt matching the BOL number is normally required for reimbursement.
When does detention start at a warehouse?
Detention usually begins after two hours of free time measured from the scheduled appointment time rather than from arrival. The exact free time and hourly rate should be written into the rate confirmation, and documented in and out times are needed to collect.
Is detention the same as demurrage?
No. Detention at a warehouse is a charge for holding a truck and driver past free time. Demurrage is charged by a marine terminal for leaving a container on terminal past its free days, and per diem is charged by the steamship line for keeping their container out too long. They run on different clocks and different rules.
Want fewer surprise accessorials?
Go Freight runs asset-based trucking and warehousing from 3300 NW 110 St, Miami, FL 33167, with free time and accessorials quoted up front. Get a freight quote or call (786) 445-0150.