[ GUIDE ]
Demurrage and detention, in plain language
Free days, what the clock is counting, and why a late truck becomes an invoice.
Two clocks
Demurrage is usually the charge for a container that stays inside the terminal after the free days. Detention is usually the charge for keeping the carrier's container outside the terminal too long. The words vary by line. The effect is the same: a delay in documents, customs, or the truck turns into a daily rate.
What you can do before it starts
Have the invoice and packing list before the ship arrives. Know whether the warehouse can unload. If an inspection is likely because the cargo is food, wood, or the documents do not match, say that while there are still free days, not after the invoice arrives.
Does this dashboard count my free days?
No. Free days are in the line's tariff, and there is no free feed for that clock. The dashboard shows weather, port activity, and other signals that often sit behind a delay.