Container Detention (Per Diem) Calculator
Calculate detention / per-diem owed on containers gated out but not yet returned empty to the depot.
Set a tier's days to 0 to mean “all remaining days”.
Detention free time starts at gate-out and stops when the empty is received at the carrier's depot — keep the interchange receipt (EIR) as proof of the stop date.
With your numbers: 10 days − 4 free = 6 chargeable days = 3×$125 + 3×$185 = $930 per container.
Sources & references
- FMC — Interpretive Rule on Demurrage & Detention (Docket 19-05)
- IICL — Equipment Interchange and Per Diem practices
Demurrage, detention and storage tariffs are set by each carrier, terminal and contract and change frequently. The preloaded figures are editable industry-typical examples, not quotes — always verify against the current published tariff or your service contract before paying or disputing an invoice.
Detention — often billed as per diem in North America — is what the shipping line charges for keeping its container outside the terminal after the equipment free time runs out. Unlike demurrage (which punishes a box sitting on the dock), detention punishes slow unloading and slow empty returns: the clock starts the day you gate out and only stops when the depot scans the empty back in.
About Container Detention (Per Diem) Calculator
The calculator applies your detention free days and tiered rates to days since gate-out. The default models a common import scenario: 4 free days, then brackets stepping from $125 to $260 — typical of trans-Pacific equipment tariffs. If you run a drop-and-hook operation where containers wait days at the warehouse, this number is effectively part of your real freight cost. The most disputed detention scenario is the one outside your control: you try to return the empty and the depot won't take it (no appointments, depot full, chassis restrictions). Document every failed return attempt with timestamps and turn-away screenshots — under the FMC rule and most carriers' own tariffs, days you provably could not return the box should not be billable.
How to use Container Detention (Per Diem) Calculator
- 1Enter days since gate-out and how many containers are affected.
- 2Set your free days and edit the tariff tiers to match the published tariff or your contract — every figure is editable.
- 3Read the per-tier breakdown and the worked example showing exactly how the total is built, day by day.
- 4Change the inputs to compare scenarios (pick up now vs later) before the charges harden into an invoice.
Why use Container Detention (Per Diem) Calculator?
- ✓Per-tier breakdown mirrors how carrier and terminal billing systems itemise invoices
- ✓Every figure — free time, tier days, rates — is editable to match any published tariff
- ✓Instant what-if comparisons before charges harden into an invoice
- ✓Free and private — all math runs in your browser
Frequently asked questions
When does the detention clock start and stop?+
It starts the day the full container leaves the terminal (gate-out on the interchange record) and stops when the empty is returned to the carrier's nominated depot. The equipment interchange receipt (EIR) at both ends is your evidence — never return a box without one.
How much detention would 10 days out cost?+
With the preloaded tariff (4 free days, then $125/$185/$260), 10 days out means 6 chargeable days = 3 × $125 + 3 × $185 = $930. Carriers' published per-diem rates on premium equipment (reefers, flat racks) can run two to three times higher.
What if the depot refuses my empty return?+
Log it. Failed return attempts — no appointment slots, depot cut-offs, full yards — are the single strongest detention dispute ground. Keep appointment-system screenshots with dates, trucker turn-away records and emails to the carrier. Most carriers will waive days where you can prove return was impossible; regulators in the US explicitly frown on charging for them.
Is detention negotiable in contracts?+
Very. Free time of 7–10 days and capped or flat per-diem rates are routine asks in BCO service contracts, especially for shippers in markets with chronic chassis or depot congestion. If you pay detention more than occasionally, negotiating equipment free time is almost always cheaper than the invoices.
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<iframe src="https://tooljolt.com/tools/container-detention-calculator" width="100%" height="640" style="border:1px solid #e5e7eb;border-radius:12px;max-width:680px" title="Container Detention (Per Diem) Calculator — ToolJolt" loading="lazy"></iframe>Related Logistics tools
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