Container detention

Container detention is the charge for holding a carrier’s container outside the terminal beyond the free time allowed, typically while a consignee unpacks an import box or a shipper stuffs an export box before return. It is the counterpart to demurrage, which covers time inside the terminal. Detention free time is negotiated in the service contract; once it expires, daily charges accrue until the empty is returned, which is why triangulation and street-turn matching matter to box utilization.