In short
- Demurrage — the container sits inside the terminal past free time. Detention — the container is out but not returned. Storage — the cargo itself sits, in terminal or CFS.
- Each clock has its own free time, starts on its own trigger, and bills per day — often on rising day-bands.
- They are not alternatives: one stuck container can run two or three clocks at once.
- The cure is always the same and always upstream: documents ready, funds ready, D/O collected fast. See Customs Clearance Service.
The three clocks, separated
Importers who conflate these three cannot forecast them. The table is the mental model; actual free time and rates vary by carrier and terminal and are subject to the prevailing tariff.
- FCL cargo normally faces demurrage + detention; LCL cargo faces storage at the CFS while the consolidation is deconsolidated and cleared.
- Free time is negotiated per line and port — confirm yours in the quote, never assume it.
| Charge | Applies to | Clock starts | Billed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demurrage | The container, inside the port | When free time ends after discharge | Per day, usually in rising day-bands |
| Detention | The container, outside the port | When the container leaves the terminal, until empty return | Per day, often flat then escalating |
| Storage | The cargo | Cargo at terminal or CFS past free storage days | Per day (per CBM at CFS for LCL) |
What each clock is actually incentivizing
The charges are not punishment; they are pricing a scarce resource — terminal space and container fleet circulation.
- Demurrage pushes you to clear and pull the box out so the terminal slot can be reused.
- Detention pushes you to return the box so the carrier can reload it elsewhere.
- Storage pushes documents to move while goods wait, not the reverse.
- All three therefore reward exactly one behavior: preparing the import file before the vessel arrives.
A day-by-day accumulation example
Illustrative example: one 40HC discharged in Jakarta, 5 free demurrage days, 5 free detention days; an LCL alternative is shown in the note. Rates are illustrative and vary by carrier — subject to the prevailing tariff.
| Day after discharge | Demurrage (day-band, illustrative) | Cumulative demurrage | Detention if picked up late (illustrative) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–5 | Free time | 0 | Free if returned within 5 days of pickup |
| 6 | 50 | 50 | 60/day begins |
| 8 | 50/day | 150 | 180 (3 days) |
| 10 | 50/day ends band | 250 | 300 (5 days) |
| 11 | 75/day band begins | 325 | 360 (6 days) |
| 12 | 75/day | 400 | 420 (7 days) |
| 15 | 75/day band ends | 625 | 600 (10 days) |
| 16+ | 100/day | keeps climbing | keeps climbing |
Same story, LCL version: A 6 CBM LCL lot at the CFS with 3 free storage days and an illustrative USD 3/CBM/day afterwards: cleared on day 10 means 7 billable days × 6 CBM × 3 = USD 126 — plus the CFS handling you were always going to pay. Small boxes bleed slower, but they bleed.
Reading the example correctly
Three observations that generalize to every real bill.
- Bands accelerate. Day 12 costs more than day 6 not by a little but structurally — the day 11–15 band is 50% above the first band in the example.
- Clocks overlap. If the container is picked up on day 12 and returned on day 19, detention runs those 7 days while demurrage stopped at pickup — but if pickup was late, demurrage already billed days 6–12.
- Storage can ride on top when cargo is moved to a warehouse or bonded store pending documents — a third invoice for the same waiting time. See Warehousing Options.
The prevention stack
Every long demurrage bill we have seen reduces to one of five upstream failures. All five are fixable before sailing.
- Documents incomplete at sailing — invoice, packing list, B/L consistency checked pre-departure. See Documents Checklist.
- Permits not applied for — Lartas cargo needs the licence before the goods. See Lartas & Restricted Goods.
- FORM E problems — certificate issues take days to fix that you do not have after arrival. See FORM E & ACFTA.
- Duty funds not ready — the payment channel will not release on an IOU.
- D/O handled slowly — the step between release and pickup; direct handling buys back free days. See Choosing a Forwarder.
If the clock is already running
When cargo is already sitting past free time, sequence matters more than effort.
- Fix the binding constraint first — usually the missing permit or document, not the payment.
- Ask the terminal about free-time extension requests — sometimes granted with cause, sometimes cheaper than the alternative.
- If the box cannot be cleared soon, moving cargo to a bonded store can stop the worst clock — compare rates before moving. See Warehousing Options.
- Track the running total daily so decisions are made on numbers, not anxiety. See Detained Cargo Costs.
Related pages
This page summarizes field practice and publicly available Indonesian import rules for general business reference only—it is not legal, customs, or pricing advice. Customs provisions, tariff rates, and licensing requirements keep changing, so the rules in force at the time and the official processing result always prevail. Wuhan Freedom International Logistics Co., Ltd. · Licensed PPJK in Indonesia · Jakarta / Semarang / Wuhan.