Demurrage and per-diem detention pile up fast when a container sits past its free time. Enter your free days, how long the box was held, and the carrier's tiered daily rates to estimate the total charge before it hits your invoice.
Most US ports escalate the daily charge the longer a box sits. Defaults are typical 2026 figures — edit to match your carrier's tariff.
Estimate only. Demurrage and per-diem tariffs vary widely by port, carrier, and contract. Free time may be calendar or business days. Confirm the exact tariff on your bill of lading.
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The two terms get used interchangeably, but they bill for different situations. Demurrage is charged by the ocean carrier or terminal when a loaded container sits inside the port or rail terminal past its free time — you didn't pick it up fast enough. Detention (also called per diem) is charged when the container is outside the terminal — you have the carrier's equipment and didn't return the empty (or the loaded export) within the free window.
Both work the same way: you get a set number of free days, and every day past that is a chargeable day billed at a daily rate — usually on an escalating tier. A common US port structure is a lower rate for the first few chargeable days, a higher rate for the next bracket, and the steepest rate after that, to pressure you to move the box. Multiply the per-container total by the number of containers, and a small delay across a full load gets expensive quickly.
Demurrage applies while a container is still inside the terminal past free time; detention (per diem) applies once the container is outside the terminal and you're holding the carrier's equipment past free time. Same clock concept, opposite side of the gate.
It varies by port and carrier and usually escalates. Typical US figures run roughly $150/day for the first few chargeable days, climbing to $275 and then $400+ per day per container as the box sits longer. Major gateway ports like LA/Long Beach can be higher.
Commonly 3–5 free days for demurrage and around 5 for per-diem detention, but it's set by your carrier contract and the terminal. Always confirm the exact free time and whether it's counted in calendar or business days.
Yes. In the US, the Ocean Shipping Reform Act requires carriers to issue detailed, accurate D&D invoices. You can dispute charges billed for days the terminal was closed, when an appointment or empty return slot wasn't available, or when the invoice is missing required information.
For demurrage it usually starts when the container is discharged and available (the "last free day"), not when you pick it up. For per-diem detention it starts when you take the container out. Track each container individually — clocks don't all start on the same day.