_1777711377206.png)
Demurrage and Detention Calculator
Enter your carrier's free days and tiered daily rates, and the days your containers spent inside and outside the terminal, to see the demurrage, detention and total charge.
Your containers and tariff
Count the days as your tariff does — Hapag-Lloyd's US guide counts calendar days.
The rates shown are an example, not any carrier's. Enter the ones in your tariff, in its currency.
- Per container
- 1,300
- Demurrage per container
- 700
- Detention per container
- 600
- Demurrage days charged
- 4days
- Detention days charged
- 5days
A day lost to a terminal closure or a customs hold may not count — check your tariff's rules before you pay.
The two charges
| Demurrage | Detention | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the container is | Inside the terminal, full | Outside the terminal |
| Clock starts | Discharge from the vessel or train | Pickup, full |
| Clock stops | Gate-out | Return, empty, to the port or a depot |
Days charged = days used − free days · Charge = days in the first period × first rate + the days after it × the later rateWorked out separately for demurrage and detention, then multiplied by the number of containers. Some carriers give one combined free time instead — add the two clocks together and use one set of rates.
Worked example
Free time runs 2 to 5 March and the container is gated out on 9 March: 8 days in the terminal, 4 of them free, so 6, 7, 8 and 9 March are charged — 4 × USD 175 = USD 700. It then spends 9 days outside against 4 free: 4 days at USD 100 and 1 at USD 200, USD 600. Two containers cost USD 2,600.
How days are counted
- Hapag-Lloyd's US guide charges on a calendar, continuous-day basis once free time ends.
- Bank holidays and unplanned terminal closures do not use up free time — the free days are extended.
- After free time, closures still stop the charge, but bank holidays are charged, because they were announced in advance.
- In the US, an invoice must state the free time's start and end and be issued within 30 days, or it need not be paid.
When the answer misleads
When your tariff counts differently. Some tariffs start detention the day after pickup, give extra free time for a customs hold, or charge a third tier after a set number of days; this calculator takes two tiers and the days as you count them. Check the dates on the invoice against when the container was actually available — that is where most disputes are won.
FAQ
Demurrage and Detention Calculator: common questions
- How is demurrage calculated?
- Take the days the full container stayed in the terminal, subtract the free days your carrier gives, and multiply the days left by the daily rate — rates usually rise after a first period. Multiply by the number of containers.
- What is the difference between demurrage and detention?
- Demurrage is charged while a full container stays inside the terminal after free time; detention while the container is outside the terminal, from pickup until it is returned empty.
- Do weekends and holidays count towards demurrage?
- It depends on the tariff. Hapag-Lloyd's US guide counts calendar days, extends free time for bank holidays and unplanned closures, and after free time charges bank holidays but not unplanned closures.
Sources
- Hapag-Lloyd, Detention and Demurrage Guide USA, May 2026
- What is demurrage and detention in shipping — Maersk
- 46 CFR 545.5 — Interpretive rule on demurrage and detention (Cornell LII)
- 46 CFR 541.6 — Invoice contents (Cornell LII)
- 46 CFR 541.7 — Billing deadline (Cornell LII)
Related terms
On Traqo: EXIM & Container counts down each container's free time, so you act before the meter runs.