Keep the Dock Moving: How to Minimize Unloading Delays and Detention Costs

One late load.  One poorly stacked pallet. One unexpected weather delay. That’s all it takes to disrupt your dock, push your labor into overtime, and trigger costly detention charges. You can’t control upstream disruptions—but you can control how your distribution center responds. The right unloading strategy, supported by visibility tools and proactive planning, can protect your operation from spiraling costs and lost productivity. Here are six proven ways to reduce detention fees, avoid overtime, and keep your inbound flow moving efficiently.

1. Use Dock Management Software to Prioritize in Real Time

A dock management system (DMS) gives your team real-time visibility into inbound shipments and unloading priorities. Rather than relying on fragmented updates or manual communication, a DMS automatically prioritizes loads based on service levels, lateness, or urgency. When a driver arrives late with a high-priority product, that shipment is automatically pushed to the top of the list—ensuring that everyone on the dock is aligned and ready to move. Eclipse Advantage installs a customizable DMS for our clients to give supervisors immediate access to key decisions. “The dock management system has greatly helped me combat detention charges and decreased the amount of time it takes to gather information to make a decision,” says Kim Mudrak, a client supervisor in the grocery sector. “All of that has been completely eliminated. Huge time savings.”

2. Prepare Paperwork Before the Truck Arrives

Detention doesn’t end when the truck is empty—it ends when the driver leaves. If paperwork isn’t ready, that clock keeps ticking. Ensure all necessary documents are completed, signed, and queued up before the truck pulls in. Delays caused by incomplete paperwork are completely preventable—and fixing this one process can significantly reduce dwell time.

3. Implement a Drop and Hook Trailer Program

If your facility has the space, a drop and hook strategy can streamline inbound operations. Drivers drop full trailers and hook up to preloaded empties from previous deliveries, allowing them to get back on the road while your team unloads at its own pace. This reduces dock congestion, eliminates live unload delays, and improves both carrier and warehouse efficiency. It’s a win-win.

4. Collaborate With Your Freight Broker

Not every detention situation is avoidable—but some can be mitigated with better communication. If you know your facility’s unload times regularly exceed two hours, discuss it with your freight broker. A good broker will help structure more realistic agreements and create flexible allowances for your unique conditions—especially if you’ve built a reliable partnership.

5. Maintain Unloading Equipment Proactively

Even the best unloading plan can collapse when equipment fails. A broken pallet jack or forklift can bring your dock to a halt and trigger detention charges immediately. Avoid these setbacks by enforcing regular equipment maintenance and investing in reliable backup options. Keep your tools as ready as your team.

6. Rethink Your Unloading Strategy

Your dock performance is only as strong as your unloading team. At Eclipse Advantage, we use a team-based productivity pay model that drives speed, quality, and accountability. In our pool pay model, each team member earns the same rate, and the team’s collective efficiency determines wage growth. That shared incentive creates a culture of collaboration, consistency, and continuous improvement. One client came to us after consistently failing to keep their yard clear of inbound freight. They had already seen the performance of our team in another role and asked us to take over their inbound dock. Since then, the yard stays clean—and the detention costs are down. Our Industrial Athletes know how to recover lost time, adapt to changing priorities, and deliver results where others fall short.

Let Eclipse Advantage Help You Cut Detention Costs for Good

You may not be able to prevent every delay upstream—but you can equip your operation to handle disruptions without breaking the schedule or the budget. Eclipse Advantage helps distribution centers reduce dwell times, recover productivity, and cut detention costs by thousands of dollars each month. Our industrial athletes, backed by real-time dock visibility and a performance-driven pay model, are built for exactly this challenge.

Let’s talk about how Eclipse Advantage can improve your inbound dock performance and protect your bottom line.

This article was also published in Logistics Tech Outlook.