Demurrage and Detention Charge Tracking
Demurrage (a container sitting at port past free time) and detention (equipment held past free time at a shipper or consignee's dock) charges accumulate silently against a free-time clock that starts the moment a container is discharged or delivered, and most shippers only find out the clock ran out when the invoice arrives weeks later. Free time varies by port, carrier and contract, and tracking dozens of containers in motion against dozens of different free-time deadlines by checking a spreadsheet or calling the terminal isn't something anyone reliably does at scale, so avoidable charges accumulate simply because nobody was watching the clock in real time.
STARTING PRICE
From €299
Standard tier · Multi-step workflow with AI extraction/decisioning and 2-3 integrations.
Get a quote →Saves roughly 3-5 hrs/week for an import/export coordinator, plus avoided demurrage spend.
How the automation works
We track free-time deadlines for every container against its actual discharge or delivery timestamp, using the specific free-time allowance for that port, carrier and contract rather than a generic default, and alert the team managing pickup or return with enough lead time to act before the clock runs out. When a charge does accrue anyway — because a customs hold or documentation issue outside the team's control delayed pickup — the system flags it as a likely valid dispute case with the underlying cause attached, since demurrage caused by a carrier or terminal delay is often waivable if disputed with the right evidence.
Process flow
- 01
Container discharge or delivery event trigger
A container discharge at port or delivery to a shipper/consignee dock triggers the free-time clock to start automatically.
- 02
Apply port/carrier-specific free time integration
The applicable free-time allowance for that specific port, carrier and contract is applied, since standard free time varies meaningfully by these factors rather than being a flat default.
- 03
Monitor clock against pickup/return status ai
Time remaining before free time expires is tracked continuously against actual container pickup, unloading or empty-return status.
- 04
Alert before charges accrue output
Alerts go out to whoever manages pickup or return with enough lead time, typically 24-48 hours before expiry, to act before charges start accruing.
- 05
Flag disputable accrued charges ai
When a charge does accrue, the cause (customs hold, terminal congestion, documentation delay) is checked against known dispute-worthy causes and flagged if the delay wasn't within the shipper's control.
- 06
Compile dispute evidence output
Disputable charges are compiled with the underlying delay cause and timeline evidence, ready to submit to the carrier or terminal for a waiver.
Inputs
- Container discharge and delivery timestamps
- Port and carrier free-time terms by contract
- Container pickup and empty-return status
- Delay cause records (customs holds, terminal notices)
Outputs
- Free-time countdown dashboard per container
- Pre-expiry alert queue
- Accrued charge log with cause classification
- Dispute-ready waiver request packet
Works with
Prefer a fully custom build instead of an off-the-shelf integration? We scope both options during your free consultation — most jobs like this one work fine on standard connectors, but higher-volume or non-standard systems sometimes need bespoke API work, reflected in the complex tier.
Where this goes wrong if you get it wrong
- Free time isn't a flat number — it varies by port, carrier, contract and sometimes container type, and applying a generic default instead of the actual contracted allowance produces both false alarms and missed deadlines depending on which direction the default is wrong.
- Demurrage and detention clocks can be paused or reset by events like a carrier-caused delay or an official holiday at the port, and treating the clock as a simple linear countdown without accounting for these adjustments produces inaccurate alerts that the team eventually learns to ignore.
- Not every accrued charge is worth disputing — chasing a waiver for a delay that was genuinely the shipper's fault wastes the carrier relationship and the team's time, so the flagging logic needs to distinguish delays outside the shipper's control from ones that aren't.
- Alerting too early, before there's anything actionable to do about a container, trains the team to ignore alerts by the time a deadline is actually close — lead time needs to be tuned to when someone can realistically act, not just as early as technically possible.
Frequently asked questions
How does it know the correct free-time allowance for a specific container?
It applies the free-time terms specific to that port, carrier and contract rather than a generic industry default, since actual allowances vary enough that a wrong default causes real errors in either direction.
Can it help recover charges that already accrued?
Yes — when a charge accrues due to a delay outside the shipper's control, it's flagged with the underlying cause and timeline, which is the evidence needed to request a waiver from the carrier or terminal.
Does this cover both ocean and rail/inland detention?
It tracks free-time clocks across container movements at port and at inland rail or shipper/consignee locations, since detention can accrue at multiple points in a container's journey.
How far in advance does it alert before a charge accrues?
Lead time is configurable, typically set so the team managing pickup or return has enough time to act, usually 24-48 hours before the deadline rather than same-day.