Fees explained
Every line on a BluePeak invoice, in plain language
We publish the whole charge structure rather than quoting a single number and adding to it later. Tariff Rev. 2026.3, effective 1 July 2026.
How a rate is built
Five layers, always shown separately
Your quote lists each layer with its unit and basis so you can audit it against the invoice.
1 · Base freight rate
The carriage itself, priced per container, per chargeable kilo, per W/M or per trailer. Chargeable weight is the greater of actual and volumetric weight using the mode's ratio.
2 · Origin charges
Pickup, export customs entry, terminal handling, VGM filing, documentation and any origin security or congestion levies at the load port or airport.
3 · Surcharges & accessorials
Fuel (BAF/FSC), currency adjustment, peak season, low water, war risk, residential or limited-access delivery, tail-lift, inside delivery and re-delivery attempts.
4 · Destination charges
Import entry, terminal handling, delivery order, port service charge, drayage, unpacking and any bonded storage before release.
5 · Duties, taxes & government fees
Duty, VAT/GST, excise, merchandise processing and harbour maintenance fees, inspection and scanning charges. Collected at cost with the authority's receipt attached.
Published fee schedule
Rates, accessorials and documentation charges
Contract customers receive lane-specific rates that supersede these published bands.
Base freight rate bands
Indicative published bands per lane group. Contract customers receive lane-specific rates that supersede these bands.
| Charge | Applies to | Unit | Amount (USD) | Free time / grace | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean FCL — 20GP | Asia → North Europe | per container | USD 1,650 – 2,400 | 7 days destination | Excludes THC, BAF and destination haulage. |
| Ocean FCL — 40HC | Asia → US West Coast | per container | USD 2,250 – 3,300 | 5 days destination | Peak season surcharge applies Jul–Oct. |
| Ocean LCL | All trades | per W/M (1,000 kg or 1 cbm) | USD 68 – 124 | 5 days CFS | Minimum charge 1 W/M. Volumetric ratio 1:1000 kg/cbm. |
| Ocean reefer FCL | Temperature controlled | per container | USD 3,400 – 5,900 | 3 days destination | Includes 3 free genset plug days; monitoring billed separately. |
| Air freight — Standard | Global, 100 kg+ | per chargeable kg | USD 3.10 – 5.40 | 2 days airport storage | Dim factor 1:6000 cm³/kg. Minimum charge USD 145. |
| Air freight — Express | Global, next available flight | per chargeable kg | USD 5.90 – 9.80 | 2 days airport storage | Priority uplift, first-flight-out commitment. |
| Air charter | Project & AOG cargo | per rotation | Quoted (from USD 78,000) | By agreement | Includes positioning legs, permits and ground handling. |
| Road FTL | Domestic & cross-border | per loaded km | USD 1.65 – 2.85 | 2 h loading / 2 h unloading | Minimum charge 250 km. Border crossing billed separately. |
| Road LTL | Palletised, 100–10,000 kg | per 100 kg chargeable | USD 22 – 46 | 1 h per stop | Dim factor 1:3000 cm³/kg. Minimum charge USD 95. |
| Intermodal rail | Asia–Europe & domestic corridors | per container | USD 2,900 – 4,600 | 4 days at ramp | Includes first/last mile drayage within 60 km of ramp. |
| Express parcel | Up to 70 kg per piece | per shipment | USD 42 – 310 | n/a | Zone based. Dim factor 1:5000 cm³/kg. |
| 3PL pallet storage | Bonded & general warehousing | per pallet per week | USD 9.50 | First 7 days on inbound | Minimum 4 pallet weeks. Bonded storage +25%. |
Accessorial charges & surcharges
Applied automatically when the shipment characteristics or service selection trigger them. Shown as separate lines on every invoice.
| Charge | Applies to | Unit | Amount (USD) | Free time / grace | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bunker adjustment factor (BAF) | Ocean FCL / LCL | % of base freight | 14.5% | n/a | Reviewed monthly against average bunker index. |
| Fuel surcharge (FSC) — air | Air freight | per chargeable kg | USD 0.86 | n/a | Reviewed fortnightly. |
| Fuel surcharge (FSC) — road | Road FTL / LTL | % of linehaul | 11.8% | n/a | Indexed to national diesel average. |
| Peak season surcharge | All modes | per container / 100 kg | USD 300 / USD 6 | n/a | Applies 1 Jul – 31 Oct and 15 Nov – 5 Jan. |
| Terminal handling (THC/OTHC) | Ocean | per container | USD 185 – 420 | n/a | Set by the terminal; passed through at cost plus 5% admin. |
| Security & screening | Air, parcel | per chargeable kg | USD 0.19 (min USD 24) | n/a | Regulated air cargo screening. |
| Residential delivery | Road, parcel | per shipment | USD 38 | n/a | Non-commercial delivery address. |
| Liftgate / tail-lift | Road, parcel | per pickup or delivery | USD 65 | n/a | Required where no dock or forklift is available. |
| Inside delivery | Road, parcel | per shipment | USD 85 | n/a | Beyond the threshold; ground floor only. |
| Appointment / timed delivery | Road, parcel | per shipment | USD 45 | n/a | Two-hour window booked with the consignee. |
| Oversize piece | All modes | per piece | USD 120 | n/a | Any dimension over 240 cm or girth over 330 cm. |
| Overweight piece | All modes | per piece | USD 145 | n/a | Single piece over 1,000 kg (70 kg for parcel). |
| Out-of-gauge / flat rack | Ocean | per container | USD 640+ | n/a | Includes lashing, dunnage and slot loss where applicable. |
| Dangerous goods handling | All modes | per shipment | USD 190 (ocean USD 420) | n/a | IMDG / IATA DGR classification and documentation included. |
| Reefer monitoring | Temperature controlled | per container per day | USD 34 | 3 plug days | Includes 4-hourly temperature logging and alerting. |
| Cargo insurance | All modes | % of insured value | 0.42% (min USD 45) | n/a | All-risk cover, commercial invoice value plus freight. |
| Congestion surcharge | Named ports & ramps | per container | USD 150 – 375 | n/a | Published 14 days before the effective date. |
| Chassis usage | US drayage | per day | USD 38 | 2 days | Tri-axle and specialised chassis quoted separately. |
Documentation, customs & compliance fees
Charges for producing, amending and filing transport and customs documents, plus authority-driven inspections.
| Charge | Applies to | Unit | Amount (USD) | Free time / grace | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill of lading / AWB issuance | Ocean, air | per document | USD 75 / USD 45 | First original included | Additional originals USD 30 each. |
| B/L amendment | Ocean | per amendment | USD 120 (after manifest close USD 350) | Free before documentation cut-off | Carrier amendment fees passed through at cost. |
| Telex release / express release | Ocean | per B/L | USD 60 | n/a | Requires written release instruction from the shipper. |
| Switch B/L | Ocean | per set | USD 185 | n/a | Subject to compliance review and carrier approval. |
| ISF / AMS / ENS filing | Ocean, air | per filing | USD 45 | n/a | One filing per shipment included in door-to-door services. |
| Late ISF filing penalty | US imports | per shipment | USD 150 + authority penalty at cost | 24 h before vessel loading | Authority penalties can reach USD 5,000 per violation. |
| Manifest correction | All modes | per correction | USD 95 | n/a | Excludes authority fines resulting from the error. |
| Customs entry — standard | Import / export | per entry (up to 5 HS lines) | USD 135 | n/a | Additional HS lines USD 12 each. |
| Customs exam (VACIS / X-ray / tailgate) | Import | per exam | USD 260 – 1,150 | n/a | Includes drayage to and from the exam site. |
| Intensive / devanning exam | Import | per container | USD 1,400+ | n/a | Storage and detention continue to accrue during the exam. |
| Duty & tax advancement | Import | % of amount advanced | 2.5% (min USD 45) | n/a | Waived where the importer uses its own deferment account. |
| Bonded transfer / T1 movement | Import | per movement | USD 165 | n/a | Includes bond and seal; guarantee fees at cost. |
| Certificate of origin / legalisation | Export | per certificate | USD 90 + chamber fees | n/a | Consular legalisation quoted per destination. |
| Fumigation / phytosanitary | Regulated cargo | per container / shipment | USD 275 / USD 120 | n/a | Includes ISPM 15 certification where applicable. |
| VGM submission | Ocean FCL | per container | USD 25 | n/a | Weighbridge certificate provided on request. |
| Compliance / denied-party screening | All modes | per shipment | Included | n/a | Escalated licence reviews quoted at USD 150 per hour. |
Penalties and fees explained
Demurrage, detention, waiting time and misdeclaration — in plain English
These four charges cause almost every invoice dispute in freight. Pick one to see what it is, what starts the clock, how it is calculated and a worked example with real numbers.
Demurrage
Demurrage is charged by the carrier when your loaded container stays inside the port or terminal beyond the agreed free days. You are paying for terminal space, not for the box itself.
- What starts the clock
- Starts the day after discharge free time ends and runs until the container is collected.
- How it is calculated
- Charged per container, per calendar day — including weekends and public holidays.
- Worked example
- A 40ft container is discharged in Rotterdam with 5 free days. Customs paperwork arrives late and it is collected on day 9. Four chargeable days at USD 165 per day = USD 660 demurrage.
- How to avoid it
- Send clearance documents before vessel arrival and pre-book the haulier for the first free day.
Amounts shown are illustrative. Any charge actually raised on your shipment appears on your tracking page with its charge code, basis and audit trail.