Demurrage
The charge for keeping a container inside the port terminal longer than the free time the carrier allows.
When a vessel arrives, the carrier gives a few free days to pick up the container. After that, demurrage runs per day and it adds up fast. The fix is boring: paperwork ready before arrival, customs broker booked, truck scheduled. The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission now regulates how carriers and terminals must bill it.
See it in the tool: Watch arrival dates before free time runs out. ›