Detention free time

Detention free time is the period a shipper or consignee may keep a carrier’s container off the terminal, at its own premises for loading or unloading, before per-day detention charges begin. It runs from when the box leaves the terminal until it is returned empty (for an import) or returned loaded to the terminal (for an export), and is set in the carrier’s tariff or service contract, commonly three to five working days. It is distinct from demurrage free time, which covers a full container sitting inside the terminal. The US Federal Maritime Commission’s billing rule requires invoices to state the free-time basis on which any detention charge was calculated.