The ocean freight price is only one part of a containerised car shipment. A vehicle can arrive on time and still generate additional charges if the receiving documents, customs entry, delivery appointment or empty-container return are late.
To budget correctly, identify which clock is running, who invoices the charge and what event stops it. “Seven free days” is incomplete unless it specifies the charge, starting event, counting method and applicable tariff.
Separate the three charges
Maersk’s published terms distinguish use of the carrier’s container inside the terminal, use outside the terminal, and use of port or depot facilities. Local arrangements can apply separate demurrage and detention or a combined period; terminal storage may also be invoiced separately. These are carrier-specific terms to check against the actual booking. Read the definitions and application periods.
| Charge | Typical question for an import container | Event to establish |
|---|---|---|
| Demurrage | How long does the loaded container remain inside the relevant terminal? | Discharge or stated start, through loaded gate-out |
| Detention | How long is the container held outside the terminal? | Loaded gate-out, through accepted empty return |
| Storage | How long does cargo or equipment occupy terminal or depot space? | Facility’s own start, free period and release conditions |
| Combined demurrage and detention | Is one period used for both inside and outside time? | Booking’s combined start and empty-return event |
The exact counting rules matter. Calendar days, working days, public holidays and vessel-discharge dates should be resolved from the applicable tariff. A RoRo vehicle does not create a container detention charge, but may still incur vehicle storage or other terminal charges.
A hypothetical delay calculation
Assume an illustrative booking provides five free demurrage days after a defined discharge event. The full container leaves the terminal on day nine. If the stated tariff charges USD 80 for each of the four excess days, demurrage is USD 320.
Assume detention is separately allowed for three days after gate-out, with empty return on the fifth counted day and a USD 60 daily charge for the two excess days. Detention is USD 120. Combined, these invented charges total USD 440, before any separately applicable terminal storage or other fees.
These figures explain the arithmetic; they are not rates for any port. A stepped tariff, combined period or different counting convention would produce a different result. Apply the actual tariff once rather than adding separate charges to a booking that already combines them.
For four cars sharing the container, allocating USD 440 equally gives USD 110 per car. Equal allocation may be convenient for budgeting, but a delay caused by one vehicle’s unresolved documents should also be recorded so the underlying problem can be corrected.
Work backward from the last free day
Before sailing, the receiving agent should have the VIN list, invoice, shipping documents and applicable permits. Confirm when the carrier will release cargo, whether original documents or another authorised release process applies, and whether payment or document conditions are outstanding.
Before arrival, have the customs entry and payment arrangements ready where the procedure allows. Book the transporter, unloading location and qualified handling support. Check whether the receiving site can accept a container or whether terminal unloading is required.
After gate-out, plan the empty return immediately. A container with the cars removed is not yet returned. Confirm the designated return depot, appointment process, operating hours and proof of accepted gate-in. Keep the interchange receipt with the shipment file.
Assign responsibility for preventable delay
An export quotation should state which party provides documents and which party controls destination clearance and collection. The sales agreement and carriage contract should be reviewed together; an Incoterm alone may not settle every liability for a specific delay.
Record a short exception log: missing item, responsible party, date requested, date supplied and financial effect. It gives both sides a practical record when an invoice needs to be discussed, and helps a dealer improve the next shipment.
Do not rely on verbal promises that charges will be waived. Any extension or waiver should be confirmed by the party entitled to grant it. A forwarder’s own recommendation to wait is not necessarily a carrier-approved extension.
Ask for a quote with the arrival assumptions visible
For a vehicle logistics quotation, send the destination port, vehicle quantity and intended receiving arrangement. Request the applicable free-time conditions, destination charges, unloading scope and empty-return responsibilities. An itemised arrival plan makes the transport offer easier to compare with the full import sourcing scope.
Source review: 9 October 2026. The worked example is hypothetical; the actual carrier and terminal tariffs govern each booking.