The invoice nobody expected
The forwarder's invoice arrives with extra lines for port storage and container detention. Looking back, the container was discharged and cleared, but the haulier was not booked until someone in the warehouse asked where it was. Then the unload was delayed because the warehouse was full, and the empty went back to the depot late.
Each of those steps had a clock running, set by the port and the shipping line. Nobody on your side was watching any of them.
Why free time slips by
Free time is set by the terminal and the shipping line, and it differs between them, so the deadlines for a container are not obvious from the booking. Discharge, customs release, haulage availability and your own unload capacity all have to line up. The information arrives from different parties at different times, and the person booking the haulier is usually juggling other things.
| Clock | Starts | Who usually knows |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal free storage | Discharge at the port | Forwarder |
| Line free time for the container | Discharge or gate out | Forwarder or line |
| Customs release | Entry processed | Broker |
| Empty return deadline | Gate out from port | Haulier |
The exact free time on each container is in your shipping line and terminal terms, via your forwarder. We build around what they tell you, rather than assuming any standard.
What the missed deadlines cost
Storage and detention charges can add a noticeable amount to the landed cost of a container, and they are pure waste. Stock sits at the port instead of on your shelves. A container arriving at a busy time can be delivered when the warehouse cannot take it, leading to waiting charges. And the charges often arrive weeks later, after the shipment's cost has already been worked out.
They also tend to cluster. A busy week at the port, a warehouse short of space and a haulier with no slots can all line up at once, and then several containers run over together. Without a view of every deadline side by side, you cannot see which container to move first.
The free-day tracker we build
- Each container is linked to its shipment, with the free time terms for its line and terminal recorded from your forwarder's information.
- Discharge, release and gate-out dates are pulled from tracking data or forwarder updates, and each deadline is calculated as the dates arrive.
- When a container is discharged, the tool prompts whoever books haulage, with the deadline and the warehouse's available unload slots.
- Haulage bookings are made by email to your haulier from a template, or through their system if they have one, and the confirmation is recorded.
- The warehouse sees incoming containers by day and can push back or bring forward before a deadline is missed.
- After unloading, the empty return is tracked until the depot confirms, with a reminder before the deadline.
- A daily list of containers approaching a free-time deadline.
- Charges from the forwarder checked against the recorded dates.
- A record of which ports and routes cause most delays.
Afterwards
Every container has visible deadlines, and the person booking haulage is reminded in time. The warehouse plans unloads with the port's clock in view. When a storage charge does appear, you can check it against the recorded dates, and dispute it if the dates do not match. The landed cost of each container stops carrying surprise extras.
Is this happening to your containers?
- You receive storage or detention charges regularly.
- Haulage is booked after someone asks where the container is.
- Nobody tracks free days per container.
- Empties are returned late.
- Charges arrive after landed cost has been worked out.