--- title: "Demurrage and detention: trucks and containers · SSL" description: "The difference between demurrage and detention for shipping containers, what truck detention means in Indian road freight, how free time works…" url: https://safeandsecure.in/guides/demurrage-and-detention-explained/ canonical: https://safeandsecure.in/guides/demurrage-and-detention-explained/ updated: 2026-09-29 lang: en-IN publisher: Safe & Secure Logistics Private Limited --- Guide · Charges explained # Demurrage and detention explained: trucks and containers The difference between demurrage and detention for shipping containers, what truck detention means in Indian road freight, how free time works, and practical ways to avoid the charges. 4 min read Updated 29 Sept 2026 By the Safe & Secure desk Demurrage is charged when a container stays inside the port beyond its free days; detention when it stays outside with the shipper or consignee. In Indian road freight, detention also means a truck held at loading or unloading past the agreed free hours. Safe & Secure Logistics explains free time and how to avoid both charges. **On this page · 6 sections** 1. The short version 2. Container demurrage and detention 3. Truck detention in Indian road freight 4. Why vehicles and containers get held 5. How to keep the clock from running 6. Talk to us before the clock starts Short answer What is the difference between demurrage and detention? Demurrage is charged when a container stays inside the port or terminal beyond its free days. Detention is charged when the container stays outside the port, with the shipper or consignee, beyond its free days. In Indian road freight, detention also means a truck held at loading or unloading beyond the free hours agreed with the transporter. Freight is priced to move. When a container or a truck stands still beyond an agreed window, somebody pays for the time. That payment has two names, demurrage and detention, and the same words mean slightly different things for a shipping container at a port and for a truck at your dock. This guide separates them and sets out how to keep the clock from running. ## The short version | Charge | Where the equipment is waiting | Who usually charges | | --- | --- | --- | | Container demurrage | Inside the port or terminal, beyond the free days | The shipping line (the port or CFS may add storage) | | Container detention | Outside the port, with the shipper or consignee, beyond the free days | The shipping line | | Truck detention | At the loading or unloading site, beyond the free hours | The transporter | Some lines combine the two container charges into one figure for the days after free time ends. Read the line’s tariff or your forwarder’s quote to see which applies. ## Container demurrage and detention A container belongs to the shipping line, or is leased by it. The line gives each shipment a number of **free days**: days the box may stay in the port, and days it may stay out of the port, without charge. After that the line charges per container per day, and the daily amount usually rises the longer the box is held. For **imports**, demurrage builds up when the container sits in the port because the bill of entry is late, duty is unpaid, a document is missing or the consignee has no truck ready. Detention builds up after the container leaves the port and is not returned empty in time. For **exports**, detention builds up when an empty box is collected too early before stuffing, or a loaded box waits for the shipping bill or the vessel. Demurrage can arise if the loaded box reaches the terminal well before the vessel’s cut off. The port or container freight station may also charge **ground rent** or storage for the space the box occupies. That is a separate bill from the line’s charge. ## Truck detention in Indian road freight On a truck, the time that matters is the time at the two ends of the trip. A transporter prices a full truckload on the vehicle running, then loading at one end and unloading at the other within an agreed window. When a truck waits past that window, because the dock is full, the goods are not ready, the paperwork is missing or the consignee will not accept the load, the transporter bills **detention** for the extra days. Detention hurts both sides. The shipper pays for a truck that is not moving. The transporter loses the next load that truck would have carried. In refrigerated transport the cost is higher still, because the reefer unit runs the whole time the truck waits. We run a control tower for a national refrigerated fleet that records every truck’s arrival, loading and release against the plan. Most of the detention it sees comes from the same few causes, which is good news: they can be fixed. ## Why vehicles and containers get held - The dock has no free slot when the truck reports - Goods are not packed, labelled or weighed when the truck arrives - The e-way bill, invoice or customs declaration is not ready - A quality check or a signature is waiting for one person - The consignee is closed, full, or refuses part of the load - For containers: duty unpaid, documents incomplete, or no truck booked to collect the box ## How to keep the clock from running 1. **Agree the free time in writing.** Hours at loading, hours at unloading, days for the container, and when each starts. 2. **Record the times.** The truck’s reporting time and release time on the gate register or the LR. Both sides then agree on the hours without argument. See our guide to the [lorry receipt](https://safeandsecure.in/guides/lorry-receipt-lr-gr-explained/). 3. **Have the papers ready first.** The e-way bill, invoice and, for international cargo, the shipping bill or bill of entry, before the vehicle arrives. The [document checklist](https://safeandsecure.in/tools/export-import-document-checklist/) lists them. 4. **Plan the load before it comes.** Know how many pallets fit so nothing is left on the dock: the [pallet load planner](https://safeandsecure.in/tools/pallet-load-planner/) shows the floor plan for each truck and container. 5. **Book dock slots** for inbound trucks, so they arrive when a bay is free. 6. **Return empties on time.** Know the line’s empty return depot and the last free day. 7. **Review the pattern monthly.** Which sites hold trucks longest, on which days. The fix is usually a process, not a person. ## Talk to us before the clock starts If a load or a container is going to wait, tell the transporter as early as you can. A truck that is told the dock is full can be held back or redirected before it runs up a bill. Our desk plans placements against your dock hours for exactly this reason. Tools - [Export and import document checklist](https://safeandsecure.in/tools/export-import-document-checklist/) - [Pallet load planner](https://safeandsecure.in/tools/pallet-load-planner/) - [Container size guide](https://safeandsecure.in/tools/container-size-guide/) Services - [Port haulage](https://safeandsecure.in/services/port-haulage/) - [Control tower (4PL)](https://safeandsecure.in/services/4pl-control-tower/) - [Customs clearance](https://safeandsecure.in/services/customs-clearance/) Terms [Logistics glossary →](https://safeandsecure.in/glossary/) Sources ## Where these rules come from 1. [CBIC ICEGATE: bill of entry and shipping bill filing](https://www.icegate.gov.in/) 2. [Indian Ports Association](https://www.ipa.gov.in/) 3. [India Code: The Carriage by Road Act, 2007](https://www.indiacode.nic.in/) Rules change. Check the linked source before acting; this guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. ## Frequently asked questions **What is the difference between demurrage and detention?** Demurrage is charged when a container stays inside the port or terminal beyond its free days. Detention is charged when the container stays outside the port, with the shipper or consignee, beyond its free days. In Indian road freight, detention also means a truck held at loading or unloading beyond the free hours agreed with the transporter. **Who charges demurrage and detention on containers?** The shipping line charges for the use of its container beyond the free days. The port or container freight station can also charge ground rent or storage for the space. Your contract with the line or forwarder sets the free days. **What is truck detention?** A transporter's charge for keeping its truck waiting at a factory, warehouse or depot beyond the free time agreed for loading or unloading. The truck earns nothing while it waits, so the time is billed per day or part day, as agreed. **How do I avoid detention charges?** Book dock slots, keep documents and the e-way bill ready before the truck arrives, load or unload in the free window, and record the truck's arrival and release times. For containers, file the customs declaration early and return empties on time. **Does the free time start when the truck reaches the gate?** It starts when the contract says it starts, usually when the vehicle reports at the site. Write the reporting time and the release time on the paperwork so both sides agree on the hours. Ready to move it? Share the lane and load; our desk confirms the price, usually within minutes. 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