Detention

What Is Detention?

Detention is a fee charged by a carrier when a shipper or consignee keeps a container (or chassis) outside the port or terminal, for loading or unloading, longer than the agreed free time before returning it empty.

How Does Detention Work?

Once a container leaves the terminal, the clock starts on a free period, typically a few business days, during which it must be unloaded (or loaded, for exports) and returned. If it isn't returned by the deadline, the carrier charges a daily detention fee until the empty container is handed back. Congested warehouses, trucking capacity shortages, and slow unloading are the most common causes.

Detention vs. Demurrage

Detention happens outside the terminal, after pickup, while the container is with the shipper or their trucker/warehouse. Demurrage happens inside the terminal, before pickup. Both are driven by the same root cause: not moving fast enough within the free time window, so many contracts and disputes involve both charges on the same shipment.

Why Detention Matters

Detention fees are a direct, avoidable cost that scales with shipment volume, and they often result from a lack of coordination rather than an inevitable operational delay. When a warehouse doesn't know a container is on its way with enough lead time, it can't reserve a dock slot or trucking capacity in advance.