Demurrage Accrual Forecaster
Project what a container will owe by a future pickup date — see tomorrow's invoice today and decide faster.
Set a tier's days to 0 to mean “all remaining days”.
Enter the dwell you EXPECT at pickup, not today's count — the output is the invoice you're choosing by waiting, which is the number that should drive the decision.
With your numbers: 16 days − 5 free = 11 chargeable days = 3×$150 + 3×$225 + 5×$315 = $2,700 per container.
Sources & references
- Carrier tariff day-counting provisions (working vs calendar days)
- OCEMA best-practice — free time and availability standards
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.
Disclaimer: This tool is for general informational and estimation purposes only and is not professional financial, tax, accounting or legal advice. All figures are estimates — verify with a qualified professional before making decisions. Read the full disclaimer.
Demurrage decisions are made looking backward — 'what do we owe so far?' — when the only number that matters is forward: what will this box owe on the day we can actually take it? This forecaster runs the tariff against a projected pickup date, so the choice between waiting, pre-pulling, transloading or paying premium dray is made against the real future invoice.
About Demurrage Accrual Forecaster
Enter the total days the container will have dwelled by your realistic pickup date (today's count plus the days your warehouse, paperwork or trucking still needs). The tier breakdown shows where the projection lands in the tariff — and because tiers escalate, the marginal cost of each additional waiting day rises: day 9 might cost $150 while day 16 costs $315. Use it as a decision gate: forecast the wait-it-out cost, price the alternatives (pre-pull at $150 + yard days; premium dray at +$200; weekend receiving crew), and pick the cheapest line. Teams that forecast at the arrival notice — before free time even starts — turn demurrage from a monthly surprise into a priced choice they occasionally make on purpose.
How to use Demurrage Accrual Forecaster
- 1Enter projected total days at pickup 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 Demurrage Accrual Forecaster?
- ✓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
Why forecast demurrage instead of just tracking it?+
Because accrued demurrage is sunk cost — only future days are decidable. The forecast prices the decision you're actually making ('hold until Friday' = $945, 'pre-pull today' = $290) while tracking only tells you what already happened. The escalating tiers make this asymmetry sharp: the days you can still avoid are the expensive ones.
What goes in the projected-days field?+
Days since discharge so far, plus every day still needed: customs release if pending, the next available warehouse receiving slot, dray scheduling lead time, weekends the terminal counts. Be pessimistic — forecasts that assume the first appointment holds are how 'two more days' becomes five. The tariff's calendar-vs-working-day rules matter here too.
How do I price the alternatives against the forecast?+
Each alternative has a knowable cost: pre-pull = fee + yard days + redelivery; transload = handling + second truck; premium/weekend dray = the surcharge; extra receiving shift = labor. The forecast gives the do-nothing baseline; whichever alternative beats it by the widest margin wins. Below roughly $300 of forecast exposure, the alternatives rarely pay.
Should the forecast use calendar or working days?+
Whatever your tariff uses — and this is exactly where invoices surprise people. Many demurrage tariffs count calendar days including weekends and holidays once free time (which may be working-day-based) expires. A Friday LFD with a Monday pickup can be three chargeable days. Read the tariff's day-counting clause and project on its rules, not yours.
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