Per Diem (Container)
Per diem is the daily charge an ocean carrier bills for its container after the free days end, counted from the day the box leaves the terminal until the empty is returned to the depot. It is the ship line’s clock, separate from demurrage, which the terminal charges while the box is still inside the gate, and separate from chassis rental, which the chassis pool charges. A typical import gets three to five free days on the box from the pull; from the next day the carrier’s tariff posts a per container, per day amount that steps up after the first few billable days.
Why it matters
Per diem is the fee that keeps running after the truck has done its job. A box that sits full at a warehouse for a week because the unload crew was not ready pays several days of per diem on top of the drayage price, and the ocean carrier bills it weeks later with no way to dispute the dates. On a program of many containers it is the line that quietly doubles the cost of the inland leg.
When to use it
Count the per diem days the moment the pull is booked: free days from the carrier’s arrival notice, minus the day of delivery, minus the day the empty can go back. If the unload cannot happen inside the free days, a live unload at the door (the driver waits, the box goes straight back) or a transload at a cross dock near the port stops the clock sooner than a drop.
How Warp thinks about it
Warp quotes and books the container drayage from US ports and rail ramps to your door in the Warp dashboard, and names the clocks before booking: terminal free time, the chassis days in the price, and the carrier’s free days on the box. A Warp cross dock near the port unloads the container the day it arrives so the empty goes back inside the free days and no per diem posts.
Container drayage
Quote a container from the port to your door
Live prices for port and rail drayage, booked in the Warp dashboard.
Frequently asked questions about per diem (container)
What is per diem (container)?
Per diem is the daily charge an ocean carrier bills for its container after the free days end, counted from the day the box leaves the terminal until the empty is returned to the depot. It is the ship line’s clock, separate from demurrage, which the terminal charges while the box is still inside the gate, and separate from chassis rental, which the chassis pool charges. A typical import gets three to five free days on the box from the pull; from the next day the carrier’s tariff posts a per container, per day amount that steps up after the first few billable days.
Why does per diem (container) matter in freight?
Per diem is the fee that keeps running after the truck has done its job. A box that sits full at a warehouse for a week because the unload crew was not ready pays several days of per diem on top of the drayage price, and the ocean carrier bills it weeks later with no way to dispute the dates. On a program of many containers it is the line that quietly doubles the cost of the inland leg.
When should you use per diem (container)?
Count the per diem days the moment the pull is booked: free days from the carrier’s arrival notice, minus the day of delivery, minus the day the empty can go back. If the unload cannot happen inside the free days, a live unload at the door (the driver waits, the box goes straight back) or a transload at a cross dock near the port stops the clock sooner than a drop.
How does Warp handle per diem (container)?
Warp quotes and books the container drayage from US ports and rail ramps to your door in the Warp dashboard, and names the clocks before booking: terminal free time, the chassis days in the price, and the carrier’s free days on the box. A Warp cross dock near the port unloads the container the day it arrives so the empty goes back inside the free days and no per diem posts.