Drayage explained: how to cut demurrage and detention costs

Drayage is the short road move between a port or rail terminal and a nearby facility. It is a small part of the total journey and a disproportionate part of the total cost, because it is where clock-based penalties accumulate.

Demurrage versus detention

Demurrage is charged by the terminal for a container that stays on their property beyond the agreed free days. Detention is charged by the ocean carrier for their equipment — the container and sometimes the chassis — being kept outside the terminal too long. They are different clocks and different invoices, and it is common to be paying both simultaneously without realising.

Fix one: know when the container is actually available

Free days start ticking on discharge, not on when you found out. Automated vessel and terminal feeds tell you the moment a container is released and holds are cleared, which often recovers a full day or two of free time.

Fix two: automate the appointment

Terminal appointment slots at busy gateways are scarce and released unpredictably. Manual booking means checking the portal periodically and taking whatever is left. Automated booking claims a slot within seconds of availability.

Fix three: plan the chassis

A driver with no chassis is an appointment wasted. Pooling arrangements and pre-assignment stop the most common cause of a missed slot.

Fix four: use street turns

A street turn matches your outbound empty directly with another shipper’s inbound import instead of returning it to the terminal. It removes a whole road leg, stops the detention clock sooner, and cuts emissions and port congestion at the same time.