Named measure · quarterly since 2021
Freight Benchmarks D&D Rate
How often US import ocean container shipments are billed demurrage or per diem (detention), quarter by quarter since 2021, from line-item forwarder invoices.
The Freight Benchmarks D&D Rate was 1.6% in Q2 2026, meaning 1.6% of US import ocean container shipments first invoiced April to June 2026 were billed demurrage or per diem (detention) at least once.
The 95% range is 0.9–2.7%, from 807 shipments and 20–49 importers. A year earlier, in Q2 2025, it was 3.7%; the two quarters' 95% ranges overlap, so the difference is within the margin of error. Over the 12 months from July 2025 to June 2026, it was 2.8%.
Cite this figure
Freight Benchmarks (2026). Freight Benchmarks D&D Rate, Q2 2026: 1.6%. US import ocean container shipments first invoiced April to June 2026; data version 2026-10-22. https://freightbenchmarks.com/benchmarks/dd-rate/#fig-dd-rate-latest (CC BY 4.0)
Cite this figure
Freight Benchmarks (2026). Freight Benchmarks D&D Rate, 12 months to June 2026: 2.8%. US import ocean container shipments first invoiced July 2025 to June 2026; data version 2026-10-22. https://freightbenchmarks.com/benchmarks/dd-rate/#fig-dd-rate-12-months (CC BY 4.0)
Cite this figure
Freight Benchmarks (2026). Freight Benchmarks D&D Rate, July 2024 to June 2026: 5.8%. US import ocean container shipments first invoiced July 2024 to June 2026; data version 2026-10-22. https://freightbenchmarks.com/benchmarks/dd-rate/#fig-dd-rate-24-months (CC BY 4.0)
Cite this figure
Freight Benchmarks (2026). Freight Benchmarks D&D Rate, Q3 2021 (highest quarter since Q1 2021): 19.9%. US import ocean container shipments first invoiced July to September 2021; data version 2026-10-22. https://freightbenchmarks.com/benchmarks/dd-rate/#fig-dd-rate-peak-quarter (CC BY 4.0)
Quarterly since 2021
Freight Benchmarks D&D Rate by quarter
Share of shipments billed demurrage or per diem at least once, by the quarter of their first invoice
Line: the D&D Rate. Shaded band: its 95% range.
| Quarter | D&D Rate | 95% range | Shipments | Importers | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q2 2026 | 1.6% | 0.9–2.7% | 807 | 20–49 | Final |
| Q1 2026 | 3.2% | 2.2–4.6% | 856 | 20–49 | Final |
| Q4 2025 | 5.0% | 3.8–6.6% | 977 | 20–49 | Final |
| Q3 2025 | 1.4% | 0.9–2.3% | 1,185 | 20–49 | Final |
| Q2 2025 | 3.7% | 2.7–5.1% | 997 | 20–49 | Final |
| Q1 2025 | 6.8% | 5.3–8.6% | 942 | 50+ | Final |
| Q4 2024 | 11.0% | 9.2–13.1% | 1,264 | 50+ | Final |
| Q3 2024 | 7.1% | 5.7–8.7% | 1,270 | 50+ | Final |
| Q2 2024 | 4.2% | 3.1–5.7% | 1,097 | 20–49 | Final |
| Q1 2024 | 3.1% | 2.1–4.6% | 914 | 20–49 | Final |
| Q4 2023 | 4.4% | 3.3–5.8% | 1,192 | 50+ | Final |
| Q3 2023 | 3.5% | 2.5–5% | 1,016 | 20–49 | Final |
| Q2 2023 | 3.3% | 2.3–4.6% | 973 | 20–49 | Final |
| Q1 2023 | 6.4% | 4.7–8.7% | 599 | 20–49 | Final |
| Q4 2022 | 2.5% | 1.3–4.5% | 406 | 20–49 | Final |
| Q3 2022 | 4.1% | 2.7–6.3% | 497 | 20–49 | Final |
| Q2 2022 | 8.6% | 6.3–11.5% | 460 | 20–49 | Final |
| Q1 2022 | 10.4% | 7.5–14.2% | 330 | 20–49 | Final |
| Q4 2021 | 14.8% | 11.3–19.2% | 322 | 20–49 | Final |
| Q3 2021 | 19.9% | 16.6–23.8% | 546 | 20–49 | Final |
| Q2 2021 | 6.6% | 4.5–9.4% | 419 | 20–49 | Final |
| Q1 2021 | 4.2% | 2.4–7.2% | 306 | 20–49 | Final |
By year
| Year | D&D Rate | 95% range | Shipments | Importers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 12.5% | 10.9–14.3% | 1,593 | 50+ |
| 2022 | 6.2% | 5.2–7.5% | 1,693 | 50+ |
| 2023 | 4.0% | 3.4–4.7% | 3,780 | 50+ |
| 2024 | 6.7% | 6–7.6% | 4,545 | 50+ |
| 2025 | 4.2% | 3.6–4.9% | 4,101 | 50+ |
| 2026* | 2.5% | 1.8–3.3% | 1,663 | 20–49 |
Download the yearly and quarterly series (CSV)
Exact definition
- What it counts
- Shipments billed demurrage or per diem (detention) at least once, on any of their invoices. A shipment billed both counts once. Demurrage is charged while a loaded container stays in the terminal past its free time; per diem while the carrier's container is out of the terminal past its free days.
- Out of
- All US import ocean container shipments in the data whose first invoice falls in the quarter or year: the same shipments, ports and rail hubs as the fee pages.
- Weighting
- Importer-capped: no importer carries more than 25% of the weight in any quarter or year, so one large importer cannot set the rate.
- Range
- A 95% Wilson interval on the importer-weighted effective sample.
- When a quarter is final
- 90 days after its last day. Demurrage and per diem are often invoiced weeks after delivery, so a younger quarter is marked provisional and can still rise.
- Publication rules
- Each quarter or year needs at least 50 shipments from at least 10 importers, with an effective sample of 50 after weighting. An exact rate needs at least 5 billed shipments from at least 3 importers; with fewer than 5, an upper bound is published instead.
Method notes
- Both billing codes, demurrage and per diem, stayed the same since 2021, so every quarter is measured the same way. Fees whose codes changed (chassis, pre-pull, yard storage) are left out.
- Demurrage and per diem are often billed weeks after delivery. A quarter is final once 90 days have passed since its last day; until then it is marked provisional.
- Charges an importer paid directly to a carrier or terminal are not on these invoices, so the rate is a floor for importers who pay through a forwarder.
- The rate counts demurrage and per diem only. A container pulled early to a trucker's yard (pre-pull) avoids terminal demurrage but pays pre-pull and yard storage instead, which this rate does not count.
- The importers in the data change over time, and their ports, goods and terminals shape the rate. Read quarter-to-quarter moves against the 95% ranges.
Cite the D&D Rate
Freight Benchmarks (2026). Freight Benchmarks D&D Rate, Q2 2026: 1.6%. Quarterly series Q1 2021 to Q2 2026, data version 2026-10-22. https://freightbenchmarks.com/benchmarks/dd-rate/. Licensed CC BY 4.0.
Credit “Freight Benchmarks (freightbenchmarks.com)” next to any chart or figure, and link to this page where you can. Each figure above has its own citation under Cite this figure. The full series is in the CSV.
Questions
What is the Freight Benchmarks D&D Rate?
The share of US import ocean container shipments billed demurrage or per diem (detention) at least once, grouped by the quarter or year of the shipment's first invoice and weighted so no importer counts for more than a quarter of any figure. For shipments first invoiced April 2026 to June 2026, it was 1.6%.
How is it different from the demurrage and per diem rates on the fee pages?
The fee pages count each fee separately over 24 months. The D&D Rate counts a shipment once if it was billed either fee, and it is published by quarter and by year back to 2021, because both billing codes stayed the same over that period. Over the same 24 months as the fee pages, July 2024 to June 2026, it was 5.8%.
Why can the newest quarter be marked provisional?
Demurrage and per diem are often invoiced weeks after delivery. A quarter counts as final once 90 days have passed since its last day; until then, late bills can still raise it, so it is shown as provisional.
Does a lower D&D Rate mean ports are less congested?
Not on its own. The rate counts only demurrage and per diem on forwarder invoices. Containers pulled early to a trucker's yard avoid terminal demurrage but pay pre-pull and storage instead, and charges an importer pays directly to a carrier or terminal never reach these invoices.
Can I use the D&D Rate in an article, report or product?
Yes. The series is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Credit Freight Benchmarks (freightbenchmarks.com) and link to this page; the CSV on this page has every quarter and year.
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