Demurrage calculator: container D&D free days and cost
Demurrage is what the carrier charges once a full container stays in the terminal beyond its free days; detention is charged once you keep the box outside the terminal beyond its free days, until the empty is returned. Under a combined tariff one free-time clock runs from discharge to empty return, and terminal storage can be billed on top. Each clock counts calendar days including both end days, and every chargeable day costs the rate of the tier it falls in. Example with Maersk's UK tariff from 1 August 2026: a 40' dry discharged on 5 October, collected on 14 October and returned empty on 23 October runs 19 combined days, 7 of them free, costing £1,245, plus 10 storage days, 5 of them free, costing £255 — £1,500 in total. Logistivo shows the vessel's position and ETA on every sea shipment, so the discharge date in this calculation is no longer a guess.
Source: Maersk United Kingdom · Maersk Netherlands · Maersk Germany · Maersk France · Maersk · Arkas Line · Evergreen Shipping Agency (Europe) · Evergreen Poland · Maersk Romania · ONE · US Federal Maritime Commission (eCFR).
Data last updated:
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Your containers, day by day
Your containers, day by day — Enter the discharge, gate-out and empty-return dates to see which days are free, which tier each day falls in and what the carrier will charge.
Import containers of one size and type; calendar days, both end days included; tier rates applied day by day. Amounts are in the tariff's currency, before tax. The carrier's invoice and your own contract (spot terms or service contract) prevail over any published tariff.
Tariff example — Loads a real published tariff (carrier, place, date shown). Change any number and the calculator switches to your own tariff.
Discharge — Day the full container is discharged from the vessel — day 1 of demurrage, combined time and storage.
Full gate-out — Day the full container leaves the terminal for delivery — last day of demurrage and storage.
Empty return — Day the empty container is gated in at the depot agreed with the carrier — last day of detention and combined time.
Size — Tariffs price 20' and 40' separately; Maersk treats 40' high cube and 45' as 40'.
Type — Reefers usually get fewer free days and higher rates.
Containers — Identical boxes on the same dates; the result is multiplied by this number.
Tariff structure — Separate demurrage and detention, one combined period, or combined time plus terminal storage.
Tier days are numbered — Most tariffs count from day 1 of the period; some count chargeable days after the free days.
Detention starts — Maersk counts the gate-out day in both demurrage and detention; Evergreen Germany starts detention the day after pick-up.
Free days
Currency — Only changes the symbol — no exchange rate is applied.
Demurrage + detention — Two clocks: demurrage while the full box is in the terminal (it includes terminal storage), detention from gate-out until the empty is back. Each has its own free days and tiers. — Maersk in Germany, the Netherlands and Poland; Evergreen in Germany.
Combined (merged) free time — One clock from discharge to empty return, one pool of free days — you can spend them in the terminal or on the road. — Maersk in Türkiye; Arkas Line in Türkiye, Italy, France, Spain and Romania.
Combined + terminal storage — The combined clock runs to empty return, and a separate storage clock runs while the full box sits in the terminal. Maersk invoices the combined part as "detention" and storage as "demurrage". — Maersk in the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Spain and Romania.
Demurrage — Starts on and includes the day the full container is discharged. Ends on the day it is gated out full for delivery. — Maersk Netherlands and Germany import tariffs, 1 August 2026
Detention — Starts on and includes the day of full gate-out (Maersk). Ends on the day the empty is gated in at the agreed depot. — Maersk Netherlands and Germany import tariffs, 1 August 2026
Combined detention — Starts on and includes the day the container is discharged. Ends on the day the empty is gated in at the agreed terminal or depot. — Maersk United Kingdom import tariff, 1 August 2026
Terminal storage — Starts on and includes the day the full container is discharged. Ends on the day the full container is gated out from the last terminal or depot. — Maersk United Kingdom import tariff, 1 August 2026
Tariff examples used in the calculator — Real published import tariffs, quoted as the carrier publishes them. They show how one carrier charges in one place on one date — not a market rate.
Maersk · UK ports — Maersk United Kingdom, import, valid from 1 August 2026, GBP per container per day. Combined detention (discharge to empty return): days 1–7 free; days 8–12 £50 (20') / £80 (40'); days 13–17 £75 / £115; day 18 onwards £80 / £135; reefer days 1–7 free, then £115, £170 and £195. Terminal storage at London Gateway, Tilbury, Southampton, Felixstowe, Grangemouth, Immingham and inland terminals (discharge to full gate-out): days 1–5 free; days 6–10 £33 / £51; days 11–14 £65 / £97; day 15 onwards £76 / £113; reefer £125, £153 and £164.
Maersk · Rotterdam (truck) — Maersk Netherlands, import, valid from 1 August 2026, EUR per container per day. Demurrage (discharge to full gate-out): days 1–4 free; days 5–8 €85 (20') / €110 (40'); days 9–13 €130 / €210; day 14 onwards €190 / €250; reefer days 1–4 free, then €230, €320 and €385. Detention with truck pick-up (gate-out to empty return): days 1–3 free; days 4–10 €60 / €80; days 11–14 €90 / €110; day 15 onwards €110 / €150; reefer €150, €170 and €190.
Arkas Line · Türkiye — Arkas Line, import into Türkiye, tariff PDF dated 14 February 2026, USD per container per day. One combined period from discharge to the return of the empty: days 1–7 free; days 8–11 $40 (20') / $70 (40'); days 12–15 $70 / $110; days 16–20 $80 / $130; day 21 onwards $90 / $150. 40' reefer: days 1–3 free, days 4–13 $135, day 14 onwards $235; no 20' reefer rate is published.
How carriers count the days — The calculator applies these rules exactly as the tariffs state them. Where tariffs differ, the switch above the tariff cards lets you choose.
Calendar days, both ends included — Each period starts on and includes its first day and ends on its last day. Public holidays count as ordinary calendar days, and so do weekends. — Maersk import tariffs (UK, NL, DE): "Free time: Calendar days"; "Commences on and includes the day …"
Each day at its own tier — Once the free days are used up, every day is charged at the rate of the tier it falls in; earlier days are not re-priced at a higher tier. — Maersk France import tariff: "progressive calculation … invoiced according to the Tier-group where the days used fall"
Tier numbering — Maersk ("Day 5 to 8") and Arkas Line ("8th to 11th day") number tiers from the first day of the period, free days included. Evergreen Germany lists 3 free days and then a day range starting at 1, which can only mean chargeable days: day range 1–5 is day 4 to day 8 of the period. — Maersk, Arkas Line and Evergreen published tariffs
The gate-out day — Under Maersk's definitions the day of full gate-out is the last day of demurrage and the first day of detention, so it is counted in both. Evergreen Germany counts detention from the day after full pick-up (tariff from 1 October 2026). — Maersk NL/DE import tariffs; Evergreen Germany import D&D tariff
Per container, per day — Charges are invoiced per container, per calendar day, per container type; 40' high cube and 45' boxes are treated as 40'. Some tariffs quote dry rates per TEU instead — a 40' then counts twice. — Maersk NL/DE import tariffs; Evergreen Poland tariff (EUR per TEU)
Which place's tariff — Demurrage follows the tariff of the final full gate-out location; detention follows the tariff of the empty return location. — Maersk Netherlands import tariff
Which date's tariff — Maersk applies the free time and charges in force on the origin price calculation date (PCD), not on the date of discharge. — Maersk import tariffs: "Application"
Shipper-owned containers — Shipper's own containers (SOC) are not subject to detention or combined detention, but they are subject to demurrage or storage. — Maersk UK and NL import tariffs
Container number checker — Check the check digit and find the carrier behind the prefix before you look up the tariff.
Bill of lading example — Where the B/L number, the containers and the place of delivery are printed.
Container type codes (ISO 6346) — 22G1, 45G1, 45R1: which code is a dry box and which a reefer.
Know the discharge day before the free time starts — This result hangs on one date: discharge. In Logistivo you add the container numbers and the carrier to a sea shipment; the platform finds the vessel carrying them, keeps its position and AIS ETA on the shipment map and follows the new vessel after a transhipment.
Load management — Vessel, containers and truck on one shipment map; position updated every 12 hours. — /en/load-management
Shipper panel — Upload the bill of lading to the shipment chat: AI reads the B/L number, containers and carrier. — /en/customer
A planning estimate from published tariffs. Rates, free days and counting rules change; check the tariff that applies to your booking.
What is the difference between demurrage, detention and storage?
Demurrage is charged for keeping the carrier's full container inside the terminal after the free days; detention is charged for keeping it outside — from gate-out until the empty is returned. Storage is the terminal's charge for the space; some carriers include it in demurrage, others bill it separately. A combined tariff merges demurrage and detention into one period with one pool of free days.
Maersk's own definitions: detention is "compensation payable when the Merchant holds Carrier's Container outside the port, terminal or depot beyond the agreed amount of Free Time"; demurrage is the same "inside the terminal, port or depot" and "includes terminal storage costs" where demurrage and detention are separate. In the UK, Maersk runs combined detention plus a separate storage charge, and invoices storage as "demurrage" — so the word on the invoice does not always tell you which clock produced it.
In Logistivo — Every clock on this page starts at discharge. In a Logistivo sea shipment the vessel carrying your containers is on the shipment map with its AIS destination and ETA, so you can book the truck and the customs clearance before the free days start — see load management.
Where do carriers publish their demurrage and detention tariffs?
Where do carriers publish their demurrage and detention tariffs? — Each carrier publishes an import tariff per country, and the free days and rates differ by port, container type and date. These are the pages this calculator was built from.
Maersk — Country / ports: United Kingdom | Structure: Combined + storage | Free days (dry): 7 combined · 5 storage | Valid from: 1 Aug 2026 | Tariff page: Maersk UK import
Maersk — Country / ports: Germany (seaports) | Structure: Demurrage + detention | Free days (dry): 3 demurrage · 3 detention (truck) | Valid from: 1 Aug 2026 | Tariff page: Maersk DE import
Evergreen — Country / ports: Hamburg, Wilhelmshaven | Structure: Demurrage + detention | Free days (dry): 3 demurrage · 3 detention | Valid from: 1 Oct 2026 | Tariff page: Evergreen DE tariff (PDF)
Arkas Line — Country / ports: Türkiye (11 ports) | Structure: Combined | Free days (dry): 7 | Valid from: PDF of 14 Feb 2026 | Tariff page: Arkas Türkiye tariff (PDF)
ONE — Country / ports: United Kingdom | Structure: Per booking | Free days (dry): Basic Tariff Search | Valid from: — | Tariff page: ONE UK local charges
ONE publishes its demurrage and detention through the "Basic Tariff Search", "Charge Inquiry" and "Detention Status" tools on its local charges page rather than as a table. For any other carrier, take the free days and tiers from its tariff or your service contract and enter them as "My own tariff" — the calculator applies the same rules.
How are demurrage and detention charges calculated?
Count the calendar days in each period (both ends included), subtract the free days, then charge every remaining day at the rate of the tier it falls in and multiply by the number of containers.
Worked example with the Maersk UK tariff from 1 August 2026, one 40' dry container: discharged 5 October, gated out 14 October, empty returned 23 October.
Combined detention: 5 → 23 October = 19 days; storage: 5 → 14 October = 10 days. The last free day is 11 October for the combined clock and 9 October for storage.
In Logistivo — Logistivo tracks the vessel of each sea shipment and updates its position every 12 hours, so the discharge date you enter here comes from the shipment, not from memory.
How many free days do carriers give on import containers?
In the tariffs used on this page, dry containers get 3 to 7 free days per clock, and up to 14 combined days in Constanța; reefers get fewer.
Maersk notes that spot terms accepted at booking are not necessarily aligned with the standard tariff, and its import pages explain how to extend destination free time — ask at booking if you already know the cargo will wait.
Maersk UK — combined — Dry, 20' / 40': 7 days | Reefer: 7 days | Valid from: 1 Aug 2026
Maersk UK — storage — Dry, 20' / 40': 5 days | Reefer: 5 days | Valid from: 1 Aug 2026
Maersk Netherlands — demurrage — Dry, 20' / 40': 4 days | Reefer: 4 days | Valid from: 1 Aug 2026
Maersk Netherlands — detention (truck / rail or barge) — Dry, 20' / 40': 3 / 5 days | Reefer: 3 / 5 days | Valid from: 1 Aug 2026
Maersk Germany — demurrage / detention — Dry, 20' / 40': 3 / 3 days | Reefer: 3 / 3 days | Valid from: 1 Aug 2026
Maersk Romania (Constanța) — combined — Dry, 20' / 40': 14 days | Reefer: 4 days | Valid from: 1 Nov 2024
Arkas Line Türkiye — combined — Dry, 20' / 40': 7 days | Reefer: 3 days (40') | Valid from: PDF of 14 Feb 2026
Figures from the carriers' published tariffs; spot terms and service contracts can grant more.
Who pays demurrage — the shipper or the consignee?
The carrier invoices the "Merchant" under the bill of lading, and that term covers the shipper, the consignee, the holder of the B/L and the receiver, jointly and severally.
Maersk's Terms for Detention and Demurrage state that "Merchant is liable to pay the Compensation when the Free Time is exceeded". Its Terms for Carriage define Merchant as the Shipper, Holder, Consignee, Receiver of the Goods and anyone acting on their behalf, and make all of them "jointly and severally liable".
Arkas Line's tariff adds that if the cargo is not received, the shipper or the carrier's contractual counterparty is responsible for the demurrage and related costs.
In Logistivo — Shipper, forwarder and haulier work on the same shipment in Logistivo, with its documents in one shipment chat — the bill of lading that defines who the Merchant is stays attached to the container it covers.
How can I avoid demurrage and detention charges?
Plan the pick-up and the empty return around the last free day of each clock, and fix the free time before the container sails.
Know the last free day of every clock — the calculator shows it per clock. Weekends and public holidays count.
Ask for extended free time at booking: tariffs apply the terms in force on the price calculation date, not on the day the box lands.
Have customs and delivery ready before discharge, so the box can leave the terminal inside its demurrage or storage free days.
Return the empty to the depot on the B/L: Maersk Netherlands accepts another depot only after confirmation and against a drop-off fee, and detention follows the tariff of the return location.
Compare pick-up modes: Maersk Netherlands gives 5 detention free days for rail or barge pick-up against 3 for truck.
Check the invoice against the dates: the calculator's tier table shows the days and amount per tier.
In Logistivo — The vessel's AIS ETA and destination sit in the vessel card on the shipment map, and a transhipment moves tracking to the new vessel automatically — the first step of every item above is knowing when the box lands.
What happens if the container is never returned?
Charges keep running, and the tariff can add the value of the box.
Arkas Line's import tariffs state that if a dry container is not returned to the owner's depot within 70 days of pick-up, the value of the container — USD 5,500 for a 20' and USD 8,500 for a 40' — applies in addition to the demurrage up to day 70; for reefers the limit is 30 days and the values are USD 20,000 and USD 40,000. The same tariffs allow the carrier to strip undelivered cargo from the container 60 days after discharge (15 days for reefers).
What must a US demurrage or detention invoice contain?
For invoices issued by ocean carriers, marine terminal operators and NVOCCs under the US Federal Maritime Commission's rule (46 CFR Part 541), the invoice must identify the containers, the dates and the rates — or the billed party is not obliged to pay.
Part 541 governs demurrage and detention invoices in the FMC's jurisdiction; for UK and EU imports the free time and rates come from the carrier's tariff and your contract of carriage.
Bill of lading number(s), container number(s), for imports the port(s) of discharge, and why the billed party is liable.
Invoice date and due date, the allowed free time in days, the start and end date of free time, for imports the container availability date, and the specific dates charged.
Total amount, the tariff rule or contract on which the daily rate is based, and the rate(s).
A contact and a public web page explaining how to request mitigation, refund or waiver.
The invoice must be issued within 30 calendar days of the date the charge was last incurred; the billed party gets at least 30 calendar days to request mitigation, refund or waiver, and the billing party must try to resolve it within 30 days.
Six mistakes that make the invoice bigger than expected
Six mistakes that make the invoice bigger than expected — Each one comes straight from the way the published tariffs count.
Reading the first tier as free days — In Evergreen's German tariff "Free days 3 · Day range 1–5" means days 4 to 8 are charged, not free. Check which numbering your tariff uses.
Counting the gate-out day once — Under Maersk's definitions the gate-out day is the last demurrage day and the first detention day.
Skipping weekends and holidays — Maersk counts calendar days and public holidays as ordinary days: a container discharged on a Friday uses Saturday and Sunday as free days too.
Assuming storage is included — In the UK, Italy, France and Romania Maersk bills terminal storage separately on top of combined detention; in the Netherlands, Germany and Poland storage is inside demurrage.
Using today's tariff — Maersk applies the free time and charges in force on the origin price calculation date. A tariff change after booking does not change your free days.
Returning the empty elsewhere — Detention is invoiced on the tariff of the return location, and returning to a depot other than the agreed one needs the carrier's confirmation and a drop-off fee.
What Logistivo adds to every sea shipment
What Logistivo adds to every sea shipment — The calculator needs dates. Logistivo keeps the vessel, the containers and the documents of each shipment in one place.
Vessel on the shipment map — Add the container numbers and the carrier (Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, ONE, Evergreen, COSCO, ZIM, Yang Ming or HMM); Logistivo finds the vessel and updates its position every 12 hours.
ETA from the vessel's AIS — The vessel card shows the destination and ETA the vessel reports over AIS, so the discharge date — day 1 of every clock — is in view before arrival.
B/L read by AI — Upload the bill of lading to the shipment chat: Logistivo recognises it and reads the B/L number, the container numbers and the carrier.
Transhipment handled — When the containers move to another vessel, Logistivo switches the shipment's tracking to the new one.
Put every sea shipment on one map before the clock starts
Create a free Logistivo account, open a sea shipment and add your container numbers: the vessel, its ETA and your documents stay together until the empty is back.
Source
Maersk United Kingdom — Import — storage and combined detention, effective 1 August 2026 — https://www.maersk.com/local-information/europe/united-kingdom/import
Maersk Netherlands — Import — demurrage and detention, effective 1 August 2026 — https://www.maersk.com/local-information/europe/netherlands/import
Maersk Germany — Import — demurrage and detention, effective 1 August 2026 — https://www.maersk.com/local-information/europe/germany/import
Maersk France — Import — storage and combined DnD (progressive calculation) — https://www.maersk.com/local-information/europe/france/import
Maersk — Terms for Detention and Demurrage — https://terms.maersk.com/dnd
Maersk — Terms for Carriage — definition of Merchant, clause 15.1 — https://terms.maersk.com/carriage
Arkas Line — Import demurrage tariff — Türkiye — https://arkasline.com.tr/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/DEMURRAGE_IMPORT_TURKIYE-1.pdf
Maersk Romania — Import — combined D&D and storage, Constanța — https://www.maersk.com/local-information/europe/romania/import
ONE — Local charges — Demurrage & Detention — https://www.one-line.com/en/local-information/uk/local-charges
US Federal Maritime Commission (eCFR) — 46 CFR Part 541 — Demurrage and Detention — https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-46/chapter-IV/subchapter-B/part-541
Frequently asked questions
What is demurrage in shipping?
Demurrage is the charge for keeping the carrier's full container inside the terminal, port or depot beyond the agreed free time. In Maersk's split tariffs it includes terminal storage costs.
What is detention?
Detention is the charge for keeping the carrier's container outside the port, terminal or depot beyond the free time — on import from full gate-out until the empty is gated in at the agreed depot.
What is combined or merged free time?
One free-time period from discharge to empty return instead of two. Maersk calls it combined D&D or combined detention; Arkas Line's import tariffs run "from the date of discharging the container from the vessel up to the return of the empty container".
Does the day of discharge count as a free day?
Yes, in the tariffs used here: Maersk's periods "commence on and include" the day of discharge, and Arkas Line numbers the discharge date as day 1.
Do weekends and public holidays count?
Yes. Maersk counts calendar days and treats public holidays as standard calendar days; Arkas Line's Romanian tariff says free days include Sundays and holidays.
Is demurrage charged per container or per TEU?
Usually per container per calendar day (Maersk). Some tariffs quote dry rates per TEU — Evergreen Poland does — so a 40' costs twice the TEU rate.
What is the last free day?
The last calendar day of a period that costs nothing. From the next day the first tier applies; the calculator shows it for each clock.
Can Logistivo track my containers and the vessel?
Yes. In a Logistivo sea shipment you add the container numbers and the carrier; Logistivo finds the vessel, shows its position, destination and ETA on the shipment map, updates it every 12 hours and follows a transhipment to the new vessel.
Can Logistivo read container numbers from my bill of lading?
Yes. When a bill of lading is uploaded to the shipment chat, Logistivo's AI recognises the document, reads the B/L number, the container numbers and the carrier, and starts following the vessel.
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