Import container fees: how often they hit and what they cost
Every fee an importer can be charged after the container lands, measured from 8,298 ocean container shipments into US ports.
| Fee | How often | Median bill | Middle half | 1 in 10 pay over |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port, carrier and customs fees Share of all ocean container shipments. | ||||
| Demurrage | 2.4% | $490 | $230–$1,144 | $2,870 |
| Per diem (detention) | 3.7% | $370 | $185–$870 | $2,370 |
| Storage | 9.5% | $135 | $65–$315 | $605 |
| Customs exam | 0.5% | $412 | $134–$880 | $2,387 |
| Port congestion surcharge | 1.1% | too few bills to publish | ||
| Wharfage | 9.0% | $110 | $110–$110 | $220 |
| Trucking (drayage) fees Share of shipments whose final trucking the forwarder arranged. | ||||
| Chassis rental | 79.2% | $165 | $135–$165 | $225 |
| Chassis split | 29.0% | $125 | $85–$150 | $250 |
| Chassis extra days | 37.5% | $150 | $90–$225 | $360 |
| Pre-pull | see note | $160 | $150–$200 | $400 |
| Driver waiting time | 5.6% | $170 | $100–$285 | $500 |
| Overweight | 4.1% | $170 | $120–$200 | $310 |
Delay and inspection fees
Bill per shipment when the fee is charged. Bar: middle half of bills. Dot: median. Line: to the 90th percentile.
Storage, chassis and trucking fees
Bill per shipment when the fee is charged. Bar: middle half of bills. Dot: median. Line: to the 90th percentile.
Fee guides
Demurrage
The daily charge for leaving a loaded import container at the terminal past its free time. Per diem (detention)
The daily charge for keeping the carrier's container outside the terminal until the empty is returned. Storage
Daily storage at a terminal, warehouse, CFS or trucker's yard while the container or cargo waits. Customs exam
The cost of a CBP inspection: X-ray, tailgate or intensive exam, including moving the box to the exam site. Port congestion surcharge
A surcharge added when congestion at a port or rail ramp slows container pickups. Wharfage
A port tariff charge on cargo moving across the wharf. Chassis rental
Daily rental of the chassis a container rides on while it is on the road. Chassis split
Paid when the trucker has to fetch the chassis from a different location than the container. Chassis extra days
Chassis rental for days beyond those included in the drayage rate. Pre-pull
Pulling the container out of the terminal before its last free day and parking it at the trucker's yard. Driver waiting time
Billed when the driver waits beyond the free time at pickup or delivery. Overweight
Added when a loaded container is too heavy for a standard chassis and legal road weight.
The daily charge for leaving a loaded import container at the terminal past its free time. Per diem (detention)
The daily charge for keeping the carrier's container outside the terminal until the empty is returned. Storage
Daily storage at a terminal, warehouse, CFS or trucker's yard while the container or cargo waits. Customs exam
The cost of a CBP inspection: X-ray, tailgate or intensive exam, including moving the box to the exam site. Port congestion surcharge
A surcharge added when congestion at a port or rail ramp slows container pickups. Wharfage
A port tariff charge on cargo moving across the wharf. Chassis rental
Daily rental of the chassis a container rides on while it is on the road. Chassis split
Paid when the trucker has to fetch the chassis from a different location than the container. Chassis extra days
Chassis rental for days beyond those included in the drayage rate. Pre-pull
Pulling the container out of the terminal before its last free day and parking it at the trucker's yard. Driver waiting time
Billed when the driver waits beyond the free time at pickup or delivery. Overweight
Added when a loaded container is too heavy for a standard chassis and legal road weight.
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