Port Storage Charges Explained: Free Time, Demurrage and Detention

Every port allocates a period of 'free time' — usually 3 to 10 days after a vehicle arrives — during which no storage fee applies, giving you time to complete customs clearance and arrange collection or onward transport. Free time varies significantly by port and carrier: Southampton typically offers 5 working days, while some African and Gulf ports allow as little as 3 days before storage clocks start.

Demurrage is the fee charged for a vehicle or container remaining within port premises beyond free time. Detention applies once the vehicle or container has been collected but the equipment (in container shipping, the container itself) hasn't been returned to the shipping line within the allotted period. For RoRo vehicle shipments, you'll mainly encounter demurrage; container importers need to watch both, especially when using shared containers where clearance depends on multiple parties acting promptly.

Storage fees are typically tiered and rise sharply the longer a vehicle sits uncollected. A common structure charges £10–£20 per day for the first week after free time expires, then jumps to £25–£50 per day thereafter. On congested ports such as Lagos or Mombasa, a customs delay of even two to three weeks beyond free time can add £500–£1,000 in storage charges alone, on top of the freight and duty already paid.

Incomplete documentation, unpaid duty, missing pre-shipment inspection certificates, or a backlog in customs processing are the usual culprits. Using marine insurance to protect against physical loss doesn't help with storage charges — these are purely a function of how quickly your paperwork and duty payment are completed, so preparing documents before the vessel even departs the UK is the best defence.

Appoint a local clearing agent in advance, submit all paperwork electronically before arrival where the port system allows it, and pay duty as soon as the assessment is issued rather than waiting. If you know clearance will be delayed, ask your agent about requesting extended free time or arranging bonded off-dock storage, which is sometimes cheaper than in-port demurrage rates.