Dwell time
Dwell time is the duration freight sits idle in a facility — at a cross-dock, terminal, warehouse, or pickup/delivery location — without moving. Pickup dwell is the time from the carrier's arrival to when the freight is loaded. Drop dwell is the time from arrival at the destination to when the freight is unloaded. Cross-dock dwell is the time freight waits at a transfer facility between inbound and outbound trailers. Excessive dwell drives detention charges, missed appointments, and lost network capacity.
Why it matters
Dwell is one of the most under-monitored cost drivers in freight. Carriers bill detention (typically $50-$100 per hour after 2 free hours) when their truck is held at a shipper or receiver. For shippers with consistent dwell problems, those charges add up — a single 4-hour dwell on a daily pickup is $400-$800/day in extra cost. Network dwell at cross-docks is the bigger lever: 24+ hours of cross-dock dwell vs Warp's 4-12 hour target translates to days of compressed transit and lower inventory carrying costs.
When to use it
Track dwell on every facility your freight touches — pickup, cross-dock, delivery. Common triggers for action: detention charges showing up on multiple invoices per month, OTIF penalties from late deliveries that trace back to cross-dock dwell, or yard congestion at your own warehouse that is costing you carrier preference. Reducing dwell at receiving requires labor + dock door alignment, not just freight-carrier-side changes.
How Warp thinks about it
Warp monitors dwell at every Warp-operated cross-dock via scan events at every transfer. Orbit AI flags dwell anomalies — a pallet that sits past its expected hand-off window triggers an alert before it becomes a late delivery. Warp's target dock-to-dock dwell is 4-12 hours (vs 24-72 hours typical for legacy LTL terminal networks).
Frequently asked questions about dwell time
What is dwell time?
Dwell time is the duration freight sits idle in a facility — at a cross-dock, terminal, warehouse, or pickup/delivery location — without moving. Pickup dwell is the time from the carrier's arrival to when the freight is loaded. Drop dwell is the time from arrival at the destination to when the freight is unloaded. Cross-dock dwell is the time freight waits at a transfer facility between inbound and outbound trailers. Excessive dwell drives detention charges, missed appointments, and lost network capacity.
Why does dwell time matter in freight?
Dwell is one of the most under-monitored cost drivers in freight. Carriers bill detention (typically $50-$100 per hour after 2 free hours) when their truck is held at a shipper or receiver. For shippers with consistent dwell problems, those charges add up — a single 4-hour dwell on a daily pickup is $400-$800/day in extra cost. Network dwell at cross-docks is the bigger lever: 24+ hours of cross-dock dwell vs Warp's 4-12 hour target translates to days of compressed transit and lower inventory carrying costs.
When should you use dwell time?
Track dwell on every facility your freight touches — pickup, cross-dock, delivery. Common triggers for action: detention charges showing up on multiple invoices per month, OTIF penalties from late deliveries that trace back to cross-dock dwell, or yard congestion at your own warehouse that is costing you carrier preference. Reducing dwell at receiving requires labor + dock door alignment, not just freight-carrier-side changes.
How does Warp handle dwell time?
Warp monitors dwell at every Warp-operated cross-dock via scan events at every transfer. Orbit AI flags dwell anomalies — a pallet that sits past its expected hand-off window triggers an alert before it becomes a late delivery. Warp's target dock-to-dock dwell is 4-12 hours (vs 24-72 hours typical for legacy LTL terminal networks).