Marine Delay & Demurrage Cost Calculator
How Much Is the Delay Actually Costing You?
The cost of an operational problem is often invisible until the invoices arrive. Use the calculator to estimate the potential financial impact of container demurrage, detention, terminal storage, vessel waiting time, berth delay, trucking rescheduling and additional operational delay.
Everything runs in your browser. Nothing is recorded unless you ask us to email the report.
A number is only useful if it produces an action.
Operations officer reviewing live terminal status on a tablet at a working container terminal.
Delay and demurrage exposure calculator
Enter what you know about the containers. Leave a rate at zero if it does not apply to your situation — for example, set detention to zero while the units are still inside the terminal.
Days included before charges begin
Days since discharge
Per container, per day
Per container, per day
Per container, per day
One-off cost already incurred
Breakdown
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Demurrage4 × 5 chargeable days × rate | US$1,700 |
| DetentionApplies once the unit is outside the terminal and not yet returned | US$800 |
| Terminal storageCharged separately by the terminal where applicable | US$500 |
| Trucking & reschedulingOne-off cost already incurred | US$600 |
Chargeable days now: 5 · Projected additional chargeable days: 5. Free time is deducted before any per-day charge is applied. Demurrage and detention rarely run simultaneously — set the rate that does not apply to zero for a tighter estimate.
Total estimated exposure
US$6,600
- Estimated current exposure
- US$3,600
- Projected additional exposure
- US$3,000
- Approximate cost per additional day
- US$600
Results are estimates based on the information provided. Actual charges depend on contractual terms, carrier tariffs, terminals, authorities, operational circumstances and other variables.
Questions worth answering now
- 1What exactly is preventing each container from being released today?
- 2Which named person owns that action, and by when?
- 3Has the Last Free Day been calculated per container, or only for the shipment?
- 4Are shipping-line requirements cleared, or only the customs side?
The full list is included in the emailed report.
If the exposure is material, the next step is not another estimate.
Request an Operations ReviewHow is container demurrage cost calculated in Nigeria?
Container demurrage is charged per container per day once agreed free time has expired, and usually runs alongside detention and terminal storage charges on separate clocks. Total exposure is the number of containers multiplied by the combined daily rate, multiplied by the chargeable days beyond free time, plus any rescheduled trucking cost.
What it covers
Two modes, one question
Both modes answer the same commercial question from different directions.
Container mode
Enter:
- number of containers
- free days
- current delay
- additional expected delay
- demurrage rate
- detention rate
- storage costs
- trucking and rescheduling costs
Receive:
- estimated current exposure
- projected additional exposure
- approximate cost per additional day
Vessel mode
Enter:
- estimated vessel daily operating cost
- current waiting days
- expected additional delay
- related daily operating costs
Receive an indicative estimate of total delay exposure, plus the approximate cost of every additional day the vessel waits.
Waiting time rarely produces a single charge. See how vessel waiting time becomes a commercial cost.
The calculator covers
- container demurrage
- detention
- terminal storage
- vessel waiting time
- berth delay
- trucking rescheduling
- additional operational delay
Calculator — questions we are asked
- How accurate is the delay and demurrage calculator?
- It is an estimate based entirely on the figures you enter. Actual charges depend on contractual terms, carrier tariffs, terminals, authorities, operational circumstances and other variables. Use the result to size the exposure and prioritise action, not as an invoice forecast.
- What is the difference between demurrage and detention?
- Demurrage is charged when a container remains at the terminal beyond its agreed free time. Detention is charged when the container remains outside the terminal beyond the time allowed for its return. Terminal storage may be charged separately again.
- Where do I find my demurrage and detention rates?
- They are set by the carrier and normally appear in the booking terms, the bill of lading terms or the carrier's published tariff. Rates commonly increase in bands the longer a container is held, so check whether your rate is a flat figure or a first-band figure.
- Does Vandyvah store the figures I enter?
- Calculations run entirely in your browser and nothing is transmitted while you are using the calculator. Figures are recorded only if you choose to request an emailed report, in which case they are stored so the report can be prepared and followed up.
- What should I do if the exposure is material?
- Identify precisely what the operation is waiting on, identify who owns that action, and escalate that specific line rather than the operation as a whole. If you would like Nigerian support with that, request an operations review.
If the exposure is material, the next step is not another estimate.
Identify what the operation is waiting on, identify who owns that action, and escalate that specific line. We can do that from Nigeria.