Check your freight bill: is this container fee normal?

This check needs JavaScript, which is off in your browser. You can compare each fee yourself with the fee tables by port or the national fee table.

How the check works

Each fee is compared with the bills importers paid for the same fee at the port you choose, from shipments first invoiced July 2024 to June 2026. When a port has too few bills to publish its own figure for a fee, the check uses all ports and says so.

Lower than most: below the 25th percentile, so lower than 3 in 4 bills.
Typical: inside the middle half of bills, from the 25th to the 75th percentile.
High: above the 75th percentile, so higher than 3 in 4 bills.
Very high: above the 90th percentile. Fewer than 1 in 10 bills were that high.

The total is set against the port’s average extra fees per shipment. That average spreads every extra fee across all shipments, including those that paid nothing, and it leaves out chassis rental and wharfage, so the check leaves them out of the comparison too.

Why there’s no upload

Invoices carry bill of lading and container numbers, supplier names and prices. Checking a fee needs none of that, so the check asks only for the fee and the amount, and it runs entirely in your browser. See how we measure for the rules behind every figure.

Questions about checking a bill

Is my demurrage bill normal?

Across all ports, the median demurrage bill was $490 per shipment when it was charged, and the middle half of bills ran from $230 to $1,144. One in 10 was over $2,870. Enter your amount above to see where yours falls at your port.

Do you keep my invoice?

No. The check runs in your browser, and nothing is sent to us unless you choose to ask for a quote or sign up for the monthly update. There is no upload, because invoices carry bill of lading and container numbers, supplier names and prices that the check doesn't need.

Why is my total so far above the port's average extra fees?

The average spreads every extra fee across all shipments, including the ones that paid none. Across all ports, 43.6% of shipments paid at least one extra fee, and the average came to $174 per shipment. A bill with any of these fees on it can sit well above the average without being unusual.

Are the figures per container or per shipment?

Per shipment: one ocean booking, as billed to the importer. Most shipments are a single container. A shipment with several containers counts once, so a bill that covers several containers can run higher than the figures here.

What can I do about a fee that looks high?

Check the days billed against your free time and ask for the invoice details. Under the Federal Maritime Commission's demurrage and detention billing rule, ocean carriers and marine terminals must include the details the rule lists and give you at least 30 days to dispute. For your next shipment, ask for a quote with free time and every fee in writing.

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Your bill against all ports

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How the check works

Why there’s no upload

Questions about checking a bill

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