Demurrage and per diem are two different clocks on the same container. Here is how each one runs at the Seattle and Tacoma terminals and what dispatch needs from you to beat them.
Most avoidable container costs in the Pacific Northwest come from two clocks that importers often treat as one. Demurrage runs while the container sits inside the terminal. Per diem runs once the container is on the street and belongs to you until the empty is returned. They are billed by different parties, they stop for different reasons, and the way you plan the pickup determines both.
The demurrage clock: last free day
Last free day (LFD) is the final day a container can leave the marine terminal without demurrage. It is set after vessel discharge and it can move — a hold or unavailable stack does not automatically extend free time; confirm any revision with the terminal or ocean carrier. Watching the LFD on the original arrival notice alone is how importers get surprised.
What actually delays a pull
- Customs or line hold not yet cleared, so no appointment can be booked
- Appointment windows sold out for the terminal on the days before LFD
- Chassis availability at the terminal when the carrier does not own equipment
- Container not grounded or in an unavailable position in the stack
This is where owning equipment matters. D&G runs 15 trucks and 25+ chassis, so a pull does not stall waiting on a pool chassis to free up. Our dispatch team books and re-books terminal appointments in-house and flags LFD exposure to you before the charge lands.
The per diem clock: the empty return
Once the container is out the gate, the steamship line charges per diem for every day past the free time allowance until the empty is returned and receipted. Live unloads stop the clock fastest but require a dock, labor and a window. Drop-and-hook is more flexible for the consignee but every extra day on the ground is billable.
Where empties get stuck
- The line restricts empty returns to specific terminals or days
- The return terminal stops receiving that equipment type mid-week
- The empty sits at the consignee because nobody scheduled the retrieval
Yard storage solves the middle case. Staging the empty at our secured Tacoma yard gets it off your dock immediately and lets us return it the moment the line opens a window, instead of waiting for a truck to be available on a restricted day.
What dispatch needs from you
- Container number, steamship line and bill of lading
- Current LFD and whether customs release is complete
- Delivery address, receiving hours and whether it is live unload or drop
- Weight and commodity, plus hazmat, reefer or overweight flags
- ERD and cutoff if the move is an export
Send those details early and the appointment gets booked while windows still exist. Send them the day before LFD and you are paying for the terminal's calendar, not for transportation.
Frequently asked
- Is demurrage the same as per diem?
- No. Demurrage accrues while the container remains inside the marine terminal past the last free day. Per diem accrues after the container leaves the terminal, until the empty is returned to the line.
- Can a last free day change after the arrival notice?
- Yes, but an extension is not automatic. Confirm the current LFD and any hold-related adjustment with the terminal or ocean carrier.
- Does using an asset-based carrier reduce these charges?
- It removes one common delay: waiting on chassis or third-party capacity. Appointment availability and customs release still drive the timeline, which is why dispatch needs container details as early as possible.
Need this container moved?
Send the container details and our dispatch team will price the move. Dispatch runs 24/7 to discuss pickup availability in Seattle and Tacoma.