Shipping Line Detention Charges
Detention is what a shipping line charges when its container stays outside the terminal past free time. We help you check the invoice, find the days that should not count, and ask for relief where it is fair.
What is shipping line detention?
Detention is the fee a shipping line charges for the time its container is used outside the port or terminal, beyond the free days allowed. The count normally begins when the loaded container leaves the terminal and ends when the empty container is returned to the depot the line has named.
It is easy to confuse with demurrage, which applies while the container is still inside the terminal. Some lines combine both into a single tariff, so the wording on your invoice matters.
Detention depends on things that happen after the container leaves the port: unloading at your premises, transporter timing and whether the depot will take the empty box. Many disputed days come from exactly those points.
How detention days are counted
The basic formula is simple: billable days = days the container was out, minus free days. If your free time is 7 days and the empty container is returned on day 12, you are billed for 5 days at the per-day rate. Rates usually step up in slabs, so later days cost more than earlier ones.
Which day counts as day one, and whether holidays are counted, depends on the line’s tariff. Many tariffs count calendar days. Always check yours before accepting a figure.
Estimate your detention charge
Use the dates and rate from your booking or invoice. This is an estimate for planning, not a replacement for the line’s tariff.
Estimate only. Day-count rules, holidays and slab rates are set by your line’s tariff, and the invoice is the final figure.
Why detention builds up
Slow unloading
Cargo waits at the factory or warehouse for space, labour or inspection.
Customs or regulatory hold
The container is out but cannot be opened or moved. See customs detention.
Transporter delays
No truck, no driver or no slot for the return trip.
Depot refuses the empty
The depot is closed, full or not accepting that line’s containers.
Damage disputes
Remarks on the container condition delay acceptance.
Unclear return instructions
A wrong or late depot instruction from the line costs days you did not choose.
Seven checks before you pay a detention invoice
Most disputes begin with one of these.
- Are the free days the same as in your booking or contract?
- Is the start date the real gate-out date?
- Does the end date match the empty return receipt?
- Are holiday and weekend days counted as the tariff says?
- Is the rate right for your container type and size?
- Was the depot closed or refusing returns on any charged day?
- Is the currency and exchange rate correct?
How we help with detention
Audit the invoice
We run the seven checks above and flag any error in dates, rates or free days.
Mark the days that should not count
We identify days lost to depot refusal, Customs holds, closures or line-side errors.
Send a documented request
A dated, evidence-backed request goes to the line.
Negotiate and confirm
We seek a revised invoice or written waiver before payment.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between detention and demurrage?
Demurrage is charged while the container is inside the port or terminal. Detention is charged once the container is outside and until the empty box is returned. See shipping line demurrage.
Is detention negotiable?
Often it is, particularly where the delay was outside your control and you have proof. The shipping line decides, and there is no guaranteed result.
Can I request more free time before it expires?
Yes, and it is the best moment to ask. Write to the line before free time ends, state the reason and attach supporting records.
Who pays if the depot would not take the empty container?
The line bills you first, but a time-stamped record of the refusal is a strong ground to ask that those days be removed.
Are Sundays and holidays counted?
Many tariffs count calendar days, including holidays, unless the tariff says otherwise. Check the wording that applies to your line and port.
How do I dispute a detention invoice?
Collect your dates, receipts and messages, compare them to the invoice, and send a written query to the line. Share the details with us and we can handle the process.
Share your invoice. Get a straight answer.
Send the charges, container numbers and a short note on what caused the delay. We will tell you whether the bill looks contestable and what we would do next.
- +91-9004826348
- info@demurrageanddetentionconsultant.in
- 18/E, 2nd Floor, Rajabahadur Mansion, Ambalal Doshi Marg, Near BSE, Fort, Mumbai - 400001, India
