Why This Matters

Truck drivers move the nation.
Without us, shelves stay empty, plants stop running, and America stands still. Yet the very people keeping the country alive are being robbed — not of freight, but of time.

We’re held at docks for hours with no pay, fined for being late to the next stop, and ignored when we ask for detention.

Some brokers stop answering. Some carriers pocket the money. We get blamed for being “numbers,” but they forget we’re humans with families. This ends now.

The Problem

Every driver is legally required to record our hours using an ELD.

If we drive too long, we get fined. If we’re delayed, we lose pay.

But when facilities take six, eight, even ten hours to unload — nothing happens to them.

We lose money, miss family, and burn through our driving clocks.

Our time is monitored by the government, but stolen by the system.

That’s legalized time theft, and it’s killing the profession.

The Human Cost

While companies count profit, we count the moments we missed:

birthdays, funerals, anniversaries, graduations — the life we can’t get back.

We sit in the truck lot while dock workers drag their feet or lumpers take hours to unload six pallets. 

We’re treated like our time doesn’t matter, like our lives don’t matter. 
We’re fathers, mothers, veterans, business owners — not barcodes.
We follow every rule they give us. It’s time they follow one for us.

The Demand

We, the undersigned CDL drivers, owner-operators, and citizens, call on the FMCSA and U.S. Department of Transportation to adopt a Driver Time Protection Standard that applies to every freight lane — dry van, reefer, flatbed, step-deck, or specialized equipment.

Federal Detention Pay Standard

A two-hour grace period for loading/unloading.
After that, the driver earns $100 per hour minimum for every additional hour detained.

Direct-to-Driver Payment

Payment owed from detention start to driver release must be paid within 48 hours of departure using secure digital methods (Zelle, Cash App, Venmo, PayPal, Apple Pay, or direct deposit).

After 48 hours, 1.5 % daily interest accrues.
After 10 days, unpaid claims become detention violations subject to legal action.

Facility and Labor Accountability

The facility on the Bill of Lading is legally responsible for detention time — even if third-party lumpers or outside labor (such as Capstone Logistics) perform the work.
Inefficiency, understaffing, or “clock-riding” by dock workers does not excuse non-payment.
Repeated violators will be listed in a Driver Transparency Database accessible to all CDL holders.

Universal Lane Coverage & Anti-Loophole

Applies to all freight types — dry van, refrigerated, flatbed, or power-only.
No company may claim exemption due to freight type or handling method.
Temperature-controlled or hazardous shipments may request up to one extra documented hour for safety inspection, but it must be approved and timestamped before check-in.

Weather & Force Majeure Compensation

During weather shutdowns or emergency closures, lease operators must receive a per-diem rate to cover truck payments and fuel.
Drivers cannot be penalized for delays caused by declared emergencies.

Human Dignity & Anti-Retaliation

Drivers shall be treated as individuals, not numbers.

Any broker, carrier, or facility that retaliates against a driver for filing a detention claim — through blacklisting, reduced loads, or termination — shall face federal penalties.
Repeat offenders must post payment bonds or escrow funds to ensure timely compensation.

The Vision

We are building TIMEBACK — a driver-led digital system that:

Records check-in and checkout automatically,
Calculates owed pay in real time,
Sends direct payment requests to facilities,
Tracks late payments and interest,
And provides drivers with a legal record to enforce their rights.

If facilities can hold freight until they’re paid, drivers can hold facilities accountable for holding us.

The Call

Our time is monitored. Our pay is taxed. Our hours are controlled.
But our value has been ignored. 
It’s time to take that back. 
If they take our time, they pay our dime.

Sign, share, and stand up for every driver who’s ever waited in silence.

Share Your Story

After signing, upload your experience or evidence of unpaid detention to:

📧 timebackmovement@gmail.com

(Stories help build the data we’ll bring to FMCSA and Congress.)

Hashtags

#TimeBackForTruckers #TruckersTimeMatters #FairTimeFairLabor #PayForDelay #RespectTheClock #DriverRightsNow #TruckersUnited #FMCSAReform