Compare container return deadlines and detention penalties across Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, ONE, Evergreen, Yang Ming, and ZIM — before your free time runs out.
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While most shippers focus on freight rates when choosing a carrier, detention charges represent one of the largest hidden costs in container shipping. Detention fees apply from the moment you pick up the container at the port until you return the empty container to the designated depot. In 2026, with supply chain disruptions causing chassis shortages and warehouse backlogs, detention costs have surged to record levels across many trade lanes.
The difference between carriers on a single route can be staggering. One carrier might offer 7 free days for detention while another offers only 4. With daily rates of $100 or more after free time expires, choosing the wrong carrier can add $300 to $700 in unnecessary fees per container — money that goes straight to the bottom line.
These two charges are frequently confused, but they cover different stages of the container journey:
Both charges can stack on the same shipment. If you are late picking up your container (demurrage) and then late returning it (detention), you could face penalties at both ends. Our demurrage calculator covers the port-side charges, while this page focuses on the post-pickup detention side.
Detention policies vary dramatically by region, and understanding these differences is critical when routing cargo through unfamiliar ports:
Detention is just one component of the total landed cost of a container shipment. To get the full picture, you need to factor in the freight rate, demurrage risk, detention risk, local charges, inland haulage, and any surcharges like the EU ETS carbon levy. Our True Cost of Shipping a Container guide breaks down all of these components with real 2026 numbers.
Detention is a charge applied by the shipping line when an importer or consignee holds a container outside the port terminal beyond the allowed free period for return. Once you pick up the container from the port, the clock starts. If you do not return the empty container to the designated depot before the free time expires, daily detention fees begin to accrue. Detention charges are separate from demurrage and apply to the period the container is in your possession.
The key distinction is location. Demurrage is charged while the container sits at the port terminal before you pick it up. Detention is charged after the container leaves the terminal and is in your possession. Think of demurrage as a port storage fee and detention as an equipment usage fee. Both have separate free-day allowances and separate rate schedules, and they can overlap on the same shipment if you are slow at both ends.
Standard tariff detention free days typically range from 4 to 7 days in most regions, though contracted shippers may negotiate 10 to 14 days. After free time expires, rates usually start at $50 to $100 per day for dry containers and escalate to $150 to $250 per day after the first week. Reefer containers have significantly higher detention rates, often starting at $150 per day, because the carrier loses revenue while the refrigerated unit is out of service.
Under FMC Interpretive Rule 545, detention charges in the US must serve as an incentive to return containers promptly, not as a revenue-generating mechanism. Carriers must provide a clear, accessible schedule of charges. Detention cannot accrue when the delay is caused by factors outside the shipper's control, such as when the designated return depot is closed or full. The FMC also requires carriers to offer a reasonable dispute resolution process for contested detention invoices.
Plan your unloading and container return schedule before the container arrives. Key strategies include: arranging a chassis and driver in advance, scheduling warehouse receiving windows to match container pickup, stripping the container as quickly as possible (ideally same day or next day), confirming the return depot location and operating hours before dispatching, and using our detention calculator to compare carrier policies and choose the one with the most generous terms for your route.