The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued a request for information (RFI) to improve their understanding of commercial motor vehicle (CMV) driver detention times during loading and unloading and the associated impacts of the delays. While the FMCSA is aware of available data regarding overall wait times drivers experience, they do not have information that separates normal loading and unloading times from detention time.

IWLA has submitted comments on the detention issue, along with responses to a number of the specific questions the FMCSA sought answers on. Loading/unloading and detention times are subjects 3PL warehouses study and monitor very closely, as they are key performance indicators for customers. The issue of detention time is typically addressed in every contract a warehouse enters into, and consistent enforcement of hour of service and electronic logging requirements by FMCSA would be the best route to take for the agency to tackle the issue.