Penalties
The charges most forwarders bury in the small print
Every penalty we can pass on is published here with its free-time allowance, unit and escalation tier. Tariff Rev. 2026.3, effective 1 July 2026.
Published penalty schedule
Free time, unit rate and escalation for every penalty
If a penalty is not on this schedule, we cannot invoice it without a written explanation and the carrier's supporting evidence.
Penalties, detention & demurrage
Time-based penalties begin the calendar day after free time expires. Weekends and public holidays count unless stated otherwise.
| Charge | Applies to | Unit | Amount (USD) | Free time / grace | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demurrage (container in terminal) | Ocean FCL | per container per day | Day 1-3 USD 145 · Day 4-6 USD 175 · Day 7+ USD 260 | 5–7 days by trade | Charged by the terminal and carrier; billed at cost plus 5%. |
| Detention (container outside terminal) | Ocean FCL | per container per day | Day 1-4 USD 110 · Day 5+ USD 185 | 4 days | Runs until the empty is returned to the nominated depot. |
| Per-diem equipment charge | Intermodal rail | per container per day | USD 95 | 4 days at ramp | Applies in addition to ramp storage. |
| Warehouse / CFS storage | LCL, air, parcel, 3PL | per cbm or pallet per day | USD 6.50 cbm · USD 3.20 pallet | 5 days LCL · 2 days air | Minimum charge USD 35 per day per shipment. |
| Airport storage | Air freight | per 100 kg per day | USD 14 (min USD 40) | 2 days after available-for-delivery | Handling agent tariff, passed through at cost plus 5%. |
| Driver waiting time | Road FTL / LTL | per hour or part thereof | USD 80 | 2 h load · 2 h unload | Recorded by telematics and countersigned on the POD. |
| Truck order not used (TONU) | Road | per booking | USD 350 (FTL) · USD 120 (LTL) | Cancellation before 16:00 previous day | Charged when equipment is dispatched and not loaded. |
| Dry run / failed collection | Road, parcel | per attempt | USD 240 (FTL) · USD 65 (parcel) | n/a | Site closed, cargo not ready, or documents unavailable. |
| Redelivery attempt | Road, parcel | per attempt | USD 55 | First attempt free | Third failed attempt returns the shipment to origin at cost. |
| Reconsignment / diversion | All modes | per shipment | USD 175 + rate difference | n/a | Requested change of consignee or delivery address in transit. |
| Chassis split | US drayage | per move | USD 165 | n/a | Container and chassis located at different facilities. |
| Misdeclared weight | All modes | per shipment | USD 250 + reweigh + rate difference | ±3% tolerance | VGM corrections at origin also incur a terminal amendment fee. |
| Misdeclared or undeclared commodity | All modes | per shipment | USD 1,500 minimum | n/a | Plus all carrier, terminal and authority penalties at cost. |
| Undeclared dangerous goods | All modes | per shipment | USD 12,000 minimum | n/a | Non-negotiable. Reported to the relevant authority. |
| Booking cancellation — ocean | Ocean FCL / LCL | per container / shipment | 0–72 h before ETD: USD 450 · after cut-off: USD 900 | Free until 7 days before ETD | Carrier no-show fees are passed through in full. |
| Booking cancellation — air | Air freight | per shipment | USD 200 or 25% of freight, whichever is higher | Free until 24 h before tender | Charter cancellations follow the charter agreement. |
| No-show at cut-off | Ocean, air | per container / shipment | USD 600 / USD 250 | n/a | Applies when confirmed cargo is not tendered. |
| Late payment charge | All invoices | per month on overdue balance | 1.5% | Net 30 days | Credit facilities are suspended after 45 days overdue. |
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.