Every drayage dispatcher knows the feeling: a container sits at the terminal, the customer is not ready, and the clock quietly runs out. The last free day (LFD) passes, and demurrage or per-diem starts to build, day after day. None of it is on the rate confirmation. All of it comes out of your margin.
What a last free day actually costs
The terminal gives a container a set number of free days. After that, demurrage is charged by the terminal, and the ocean line charges per-diem for keeping its equipment out past the return window. Terms differ by terminal, line and contract, so always check the tariff. What does not change is the pattern: a few missed dates a month can erase the profit on a lot of good loads.
Why last free days get missed
- Dates live in the wrong place. A spreadsheet, an email or someone's memory is not a system. The person who knows the LFD is often not the person booking the truck.
- Availability and LFD get confused. A container can be "available" and still have two days left, or be on hold with the clock still running.
- Appointments slip. The customer pushes a delivery by a day and nobody checks the LFD again.
- Holds appear late. Customs, line or terminal holds stop a pickup, but the free time keeps burning.
A daily routine that catches nearly every LFD
- Start the day with a list sorted by LFD. Anything past or within two days goes to the top.
- Check availability for every container on that list. Available, on hold, or not yet released. Write the reason next to any hold.
- Match each container to a truck and an appointment. If there is no appointment, that is the first call of the day.
- Escalate the risky ones early. If a delivery will not fit before the LFD, decide now: pull it to the yard, re-book, or warn the customer about charges.
- Re-check after every change. A moved appointment or a late truck changes the math.
What to track on every container
- Container number, booking and steamship line
- Vessel ETA, availability and any holds
- Last free day for demurrage, and the per-diem return date
- Pickup and delivery appointments
- Assigned driver and current status
How LoadPilot helps
LoadPilot keeps those dates on the load itself. Terminal and port data can be fetched straight into the container record, availability and holds sit beside the order, and the dashboard shows what is past its last free day or due within two days. Dispatchers see the risky containers first, without opening five port sites.
The goal is simple: know about the problem while there is still time to move the box.