---
title: "Free Time"
description: "What free time means in road freight, when detention starts, and how to avoid paying for a truck kept waiting at loading or unloading."
url: https://dealtilogistics.com/en/insights/free-time
language: en
date_published: 2026-10-13
date_modified: 2026-10-13
author: "Dealti Insights"
publisher: "Dealti Logistics"
---

# Free Time

Free time is the period included in the freight rate for loading or unloading a truck. If the vehicle is held longer than the agreed free time, the carrier may charge for the extra waiting.

Free time is not fixed by any convention; it is agreed per shipment and should be stated in the quote. The charge that applies after it ends is [detention](/en/insights/detention-demurrage). On long international routes a delayed departure can also move the truck into a later border or ferry slot, so the cost of a slow loading is not only the waiting fee. Having goods and documents ready before the truck arrives keeps loading within free time.

---

Source: [Free Time](https://dealtilogistics.com/en/insights/free-time) - Dealti Logistics.