What is a good truck turnaround time at a warehouse?
Reviewed August 2026 · every figure sourced
Short answer: under two hours gate-in to gate-out, because two hours is the customary free window before carriers can bill detention (US DOT OIG, 2018). FMCSA puts average facility dwell at 3.4 hours, 1.4 hours past that window. Average, here, means late.
The benchmark: two hours is the line
A good turnaround gets the driver out inside the free window. The US DOT OIG's 2018 detention report (ST2018019) notes facilities customarily allow two hours of free time before detention charges begin, and FMCSA puts average facility dwell at 3.4 hours, 1.4 hours past the line. Beating the average by 30 minutes still leaves you in billing territory.
| Metric | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Customary free time before detention | 2 hours | US DOT OIG ST2018019, 2018 |
| Average dwell at a facility | 3.4 hours | FMCSA |
| Average time beyond the free window | 1.4 hours | FMCSA |
| Stops where detention occurs (all / refrigerated) | 39.3% / 56.2% | ATRI, 2024 |
| Typical contract detention rate | $50 to $125 per hour | Industry contract convention |
| Marginal cost of running a truck | $90.89 per hour | ATRI, 2025 update |
Turnaround is also a safety number
The OIG estimated that each 15-minute increase in average dwell raises the expected crash rate by 6.2%, and put drivers' lost income from detention at $1.1 to $1.3 billion a year. ATRI's 2024 survey adds: trucks leaving a detention event travel on average 14.6% faster than normal. A fast yard puts calmer drivers back on the road.
What running past the window costs
ATRI's 2025 update prices a truck's marginal cost at $90.89 per hour, a record high; its 2024 study puts industry detention losses near $15 billion a year ($3.6B direct fees, $11.5B lost productivity), roughly 135 million hours. Example scenario, not a measured average: 30 trucks a day at the FMCSA average 1.4 extra hours is 42 detention-exposed hours daily, about $3,570 at the commonly cited $85 per hour if every carrier billed.
How to actually get under two hours
You cannot manage what the gate does not timestamp. The OIG said it plainly: "accurate industrywide data on driver detention do not currently exist," largely because most gates still log arrivals on paper. The fixes are unglamorous: spread appointments, assign doors before arrival, and record gate-in and gate-out to the minute so disputes end with a record. Vantage does that last part with the gate clerk's phone and 5-stage AI validation on trailer numbers, no fixed hardware, from $149 a month with a 14-day trial.
FAQ
What is the average truck turnaround time at a warehouse?
FMCSA data puts average facility dwell at 3.4 hours, 1.4 of which fall beyond the customary two-hour free window. ATRI's 2024 survey found detention on 39.3% of stops, and 56.2% of refrigerated stops.
How long should a driver wait before detention pay starts?
Two hours of free time is the industry convention (US DOT OIG, 2018). After that, contract detention rates commonly run $50 to $125 per hour. ATRI found 94.5% of fleets bill for detention but less than half is recovered.
Does slow truck turnaround affect road safety?
Yes. The US DOT OIG estimated each 15-minute increase in average dwell raises expected crash rates by 6.2%, and ATRI's 2024 data shows trucks leaving detention travel on average 14.6% faster.
Free tools: 2026 yard & detention benchmarks · savings calculator
Related questions: how long a trailer can legally sit in a yard · cutting truck wait time at the gate · who actually pays truck detention
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