Detention Fees Explained (2025) — Container Use Charges & How to Avoid Them Updated Dec 2025

Q: Is detention the same as demurrage?

No. Detention is a container use fee charged when a box stays too long outside the terminal after gate-out, while demurrage is a port storage fee for full containers that stay too long inside the terminal. Both can apply to the same shipment at different stages.

Q: How are detention fees calculated?

Detention fees are usually charged per container, per calendar day after the equipment Last Free Day (LFD) for empty return. Tariffs often use tiered pricing such as days 1–5 at a base rate, 6–10 at a higher rate, and 11+ at the highest rate. Exact amounts depend on carrier, equipment type, and contract terms.

Q: Who is responsible for paying detention?

Responsibility depends on Incoterms, service contracts, and who controls inland trucking. Under many CIF/CFR or DAP/DDP structures, the importer, seller, or logistics provider absorbs detention. Brands should define who owns detention risk in both sales contracts and freight agreements.

Q: Can detention charges be waived?

Sometimes. Carriers may partially waive detention for documented issues such as depot closures, chassis shortages, or system outages beyond the customer’s control. Waivers are discretionary and require fast documentation and tight coordination between the forwarder and carrier.

Q: How can we avoid detention on e-commerce shipments?

To avoid detention, importers should track empty-return LFD by container, plan unloading around weekends and holidays, align warehouse receiving hours with gate schedules, and transload quickly into pallets or racks. Many brands also set rules against using containers as overflow storage and route via 3PL hubs to free equipment quickly.

Source: Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP), major ocean carriers (Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM), North America and EU equipment tariffs, and WinsBS Research (2025).

What Is Detention in Shipping?

View Industry Definition

Detention is a daily container use fee charged by an ocean carrier or NVOCC when a full or empty container remains outside the terminal beyond its allowed equipment free time and Last Free Day (LFD) for empty return.

In practice, detention is a “container rental fee” for not returning the box on time. It is usually calculated per container, per calendar day, and often escalates in tiers (e.g., days 1–5, 6–10, 11+).

Where it applies: Outside the marine terminal — at a yard, warehouse, distribution center, or customer site — after the container has gated out.
Who charges it: The ocean carrier or NVOCC (sometimes billed via the forwarder to the importer or shipper).
Trigger: Full or empty container not returned to the designated depot or terminal before LFD for equipment free time.

“Demurrage is a port-side storage fee on a full container that stayed too long inside the terminal. Detention is a carrier-side container rental fee on boxes kept too long outside the terminal after gate-out.”
— WinsBS Research, Port Storage & Container Equipment Cost Benchmark 2025

How Detention Fees Work: Free Time, LFD (Empty Return) & Per Diem

Element	Carrier / Depot Context	Typical Practice / Range
Equipment Free Time	Number of days you can keep the container outside the terminal (for unloading, storage, or transload) without detention.	Commonly 5–10 days after gate-out, depending on trade lane, carrier contract, and equipment type.
Last Free Day (LFD)	The final calendar day of equipment free time before detention starts. After LFD, daily per diem fees apply.	Displayed on carrier invoices, release notes, and tracking portals; may differ from port-side LFD for demurrage.
Detention Start	First day after LFD when the container has not been returned to the designated depot or terminal.	Day 1 detention charges accrue if the box remains at the yard, warehouse, or customer site past LFD.
Daily Fee Tiers	Carriers often use escalating per diem rates based on how long the equipment is overdue.	Example: Days 1–5 base rate, 6–10 at 1.5×, 11+ at 2× or higher to incentivize faster returns.
Responsibility	Usually billed to the Importer of Record (IOR), shipper, or freight forwarder, depending on contracts.	Heavily shaped by Incoterms and who controls inland trucking and warehouse unloading.

For cross-border e-commerce brands, detention turns a delayed FCL or LCL delivery into an equipment cost problem: inventory may already be at the warehouse, but cash is being burned on container rental until empties are returned.

Demurrage vs Detention — Key Differences for Importers

Aspect	Demurrage	Detention
Where Fees Accrue	Inside the port or terminal while the container is still full.	Outside the terminal (yard, warehouse, customer site) after the container gates out.
What You Pay For	Using terminal space and equipment beyond free time.	Using the carrier’s container beyond equipment free time (per diem).
Typical Trigger	Customs delays, DO issues, or missed truck slots keeping the box inside the terminal past LFD.	Slow unloading, yard storage, lack of truck capacity, or delays returning empties to the depot.
Risk Owner	Usually the importer or forwarder responsible for clearing and picking up the container.	Typically the party controlling unloading, inland trucking, and empty return (IOR, 3PL, or BCO).
Impact on E-commerce	Inventory stuck at port; delayed inbound to FBA or 3PL warehouses.	Inventory already in the warehouse, but profits eroded by daily per diem and cash tied up in equipment charges.

Effective importers track demurrage and detention separately inside their landed cost models, with distinct KPIs and root causes.

Regional Patterns & Detention Practices (2025)

View Trade Lane Detention Characteristics

Trade Lane / Scenario	Key Actors	Detention Considerations
Asia → United States (Port to Warehouse)	Carriers, truckers, 3PLs, IORs	Equipment free time commonly 5–10 days; shorter windows on high-demand trades or contract renewals. Late inbound appointments at FBA or 3PL sites often cause longer yard storage and missed empty return LFD. WinsBS data shows that delayed unloading on Fridays can generate 2–3 extra detention days over a single weekend.
Asia → EU Gateways with Inland Distribution	EU hubs, forwarders, regional DCs	Carriers may offer different detention terms by equipment type (standard vs. reefer, special equipment). Multi-country distribution from one EU hub increases risk of keeping containers longer for pallet build and labeling. Many brands now transload into local pallets and return empties quickly to cap detention exposure.
US Inland Ramps & Rail Deliveries	Railroads, inland depots, truckers	Inland containers may have separate detention rules from their coastal discharge port, with distinct LFDs. Weekend / holiday calendars matter — missing a Thursday or Friday LFD can accumulate multiple chargeable days. Tight coordination between ramp availability, drayage capacity, and warehouse receiving shifts is essential.
Port to FBA / 3PL Warehouse Inbound	3PLs, drayage carriers, Amazon FCs	When inbound appointments are scarce, containers may be used as temporary storage in yards, eating into free time. Some carriers enforce strict return depots; long deadhead distances to return empties increase detention risk. WinsBS recommends early transload into warehouse pallets and fast empty return rather than “parking” inventory in boxes.
LCL & CFS-Based Shipments	CFS operators, NVOCCs, forwarders	For LCL, detention may apply to containers used by the consolidator; small shippers indirectly pay via storage and handling fees. Delays in CFS deconsolidation, customs exams, or truck scheduling can extend how long containers remain in use. Clean ASN data and pallet-ready shipments help shorten container dwell at CFS facilities.

Expert Insight — Why Detention Is a “Hidden Equipment Tax” on E-commerce

View Analyst Commentary

Maxwell Anderson, Editor-in-Chief & Data Director, WinsBS Research:

1. Detention burns cash even after inventory is “home”.
With demurrage, inventory is stuck at port. With detention, inventory often sits in your warehouse, but you are still paying daily rent on the box. That gap confuses many brands and hides real landed cost。

2. Most detention is caused by yard and receiving habits, not the carrier.
WinsBS case studies show detention spikes when teams use containers as short-term storage, delay unloading, or run warehouse shifts misaligned with gate hours。 Containers become rolling warehouses — at per diem rates。

3. Detention and demurrage should be separate P&L lines.
Leading brands track demurrage as a port storage KPI and detention as a container turn KPI。 When both are grouped under “misc. fees,” teams cannot see whether the problem is customs, port congestion, or warehouse unloading speed。

4. FBA and DTC brands need empty-return-aware routing.
For Amazon and Shopify sellers, a great promotion can still lose money if detention wipes out margin。 This often happens when inbound planning focuses only on ETA and FBA appointment dates but ignores empty-return LFDs。

5. The cheapest inland dray may be the most expensive once you add detention。
WinsBS benchmarks show that slightly higher drayage rates with reliable same- or next-day unloading and empty return often beat cheaper options once detention, overtime shifts, and extra yard moves are fully counted。

— WinsBS Research, Demurrage & Detention Impact on E-commerce Landed Cost 2025

Risk Radar — Detention-Related Risks (2025)

View Critical Risk Scenarios

Detention FAQ — Common Questions from Importers & E-commerce Brands

Is detention the same as demurrage?

No. Detention is a container use fee charged when a box stays too long outside the terminal after gate-out。 Demurrage is a port storage fee for full containers that stay too long inside the terminal。 Both fees can apply to the same shipment at different stages。

How are detention fees calculated?

Detention fees are usually charged per container, per calendar day, after the equipment Last Free Day for empty return。 Tariffs often use tiered pricing (e.g., days 1–5 base, 6–10 higher, 11+ highest)。 Exact rates depend on carrier, contract terms, equipment type, and trade lane。

Who is responsible for paying detention?

Responsibility depends on Incoterms, service contracts, and who controls inland trucking。 Under many CIF/CFR or DAP/DDP structures, the importer, seller, or logistics provider absorbs detention。 Brands should define who owns detention risk in both sales contracts and freight agreements。

Can detention charges be waived?

Sometimes. Carriers may partially waive detention for documented issues such as depot closures, chassis shortages, or system outages beyond the customer’s control。 Waivers are discretionary and require fast documentation, with the forwarder and carrier aligned early。

How can we avoid detention on e-commerce shipments?

Practical tactics include: tracking empty-return LFD by container, planning unloading around weekends and holidays, aligning warehouse receiving hours with gate schedules, and transloading quickly into pallets or racks。 Many brands also set internal rules like “no use of containers as overflow storage” and route via 3PL hubs to free equipment fast。

Turn Detention from a Per Diem Surprise into a Measurable KPI

For cross-border e-commerce, detention is where warehouse capacity, truck scheduling, and carrier rules collide。 A few extra days before empty return can erase margin on a promotion, force emergency shifts, and quietly raise your landed cost per SKU。

WinsBS helps brands bring detention and demurrage under control by:

Mapping equipment free time, LFD, and depot rules across your main carriers and integrating them into OMS and WMS task queues。
Coordinating drayage carriers, warehouses, and depots so that unloading, yard moves, and empty returns are planned before LFD。
Using U.S. transit hubs and cross-dock options to decouple FBA / 3PL appointment constraints from container return deadlines。
Feeding detention and demurrage data into your landed cost calculations, so high-cost routes and carriers are visible and fixable。
Designing routing and carrier selection that balances base freight with predictable equipment and storage cost exposure。

When detention is treated as an unavoidable “equipment tax,” brands end up paying more for the same inventory with no service upgrade。 WinsBS turns detention, demurrage, and container turn into one integrated workflow tied directly to your e-commerce SLAs。

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WinsBS Blog Insights

Container yard view showing stacked boxes and detention countdown dashboard — WinsBS visual reference

Detention 101: Container Per Diem for E-commerce Importers

A practical guide to how detention is billed, how it differs from demurrage, and how to set container return rules that protect margin。

Read Full Guide →

Cost breakdown chart comparing freight rates with detention and demurrage add-ons — WinsBS visual reference

When Cheap Drayage Turns into Expensive Detention

WinsBS Research case studies where low inland rates hid high detention charges — and how better planning reversed total landed cost。

View Analysis →

Workflow diagram linking ETA, LFD, detention, and FBA inbound planning — WinsBS visual reference

Designing FBA & 3PL Inbound Flows to Minimize Detention

How to connect ETA, unloading, yard moves, and empty return so brands cut per diem fees while stabilizing inventory flows。

View Benchmarks →

Content Attribution & License

General definitions and public references are shared under the CC BY-SA 4.0 License。

Analytical insights and commentary labeled “WinsBS Research” are © WinsBS Research (2025) and licensed exclusively to WinsBS Wiki。

Data sources include FMC guidance on demurrage and detention practices, CBP and DHS documentation on customs processes, major carrier equipment tariffs, and WinsBS Research datasets on e-commerce landed cost and container turn performance。

* Information verified as of December 2025. WinsBS Research assumes no liability for regulatory, tariff, or schedule changes after publication.