Last Free Day Calculator

Carrier + port + discharge date → your container's estimated Last Free Day before demurrage/detention starts. Free, no signup, sources included.

🇺🇸 US Imports
🇮🇳 India Imports
Standard published tariffs only. Your contract, service agreement, or spot booking may grant different free time — always check your carrier's invoice/portal for the authoritative date. Weekend/holiday gate schedules vary by terminal. This tool estimates; it does not guarantee. Data last verified July 2026.

Want an alert before your Last Free Day?

We're building automatic LFD tracking with WhatsApp & email alerts, dispute evidence packs, and FMC invoice audits — made for SMB forwarders, CHAs and importers. Get early access:

Free-time cheat sheet — US imports (standard tariff, dry)

CarrierDemurrage free timeDetention free timeDemurrage $/day (base)Effective
Maersk4 working days4 working days300 / 345 / 395 (NY/NJ higher)Jan 2026
MSCTerminal tariff (pass-through)4 working days165 / 200 / 230 (per diem)current
CMA CGM4 working days4 working days270 / 335 / 365 (NY to $700)Jan 2025
Hapag-LloydDOD + 4 working daysDOI + 4 working days250 / 300 / 350 (line-only, some ports combined)Jan 2026
ONENot published (contract)Not publishedLA 285–405 · NY 350–770 · detention $185 flatJan 2026
COSCO4 WD West / 5 WD East-Gulf*3 WD East (incl. gate-out day)NY line-only 82/106/68 (+terminal)Aug 2024*
Evergreen4 WD (LA/NY) · 7 cal. days Savannah/Houston/Norfolk/Boston4 WD + pickup dayLA 165/220 · NY 214–440 · Sav/Hou 120/175*2022 filing*
HMMLookup tool only4 working daysDetention 160/195/245*
Yang MingLookup tool only
ZIM4 WD (LA expedited 3)4 working days250 / 300 / 340 (NY-APM to $790)Apr 2025

* = older filing or secondary source — verify with carrier. Rates shown are escalating tiers (first / second / third period). Terminal storage may bill separately at split-billing ports.

Free-time cheat sheet — India imports (line detention, calendar days)

CarrierFree daysDetention slabs 20'/40'Clock startsEffective
Maersk4₹5,900/11,800 → ₹8,400/16,800 → ₹9,750/19,500 → ₹11,100/22,200Discharge date (not gate-out)Apr 2026
MSC4 (incl. discharge day)$63/126 → $89/178 → $117/234Discharge date inclusive; ICD: ICD arrivalJul 2025
CMA CGMGP 4 · Special 3 · Reefer 1$64/128 → $94/188 → $119/238 (merged D&D)Merged single clockJan 2026
Hapag-Lloyd4₹5,150/10,300 → ₹7,350/14,700 → ₹8,000/16,000 → ₹9,720/19,440Event day counts wholeApr 2024
ONEDry 5 · DG 4 · Reefer 3$60/115 → $85/155 → $115/225 (+GST)Gateway: discharge · ICD-rail: ICD arrivalApr 2026
COSCO / HMM / EvergreenNot published for India — check carrier portal / booking terms

India port ground rent (port storage — separate from line detention)

Port / terminalFree daysThen (20'/day)Note
JNPT — GTI2$4.4 → $8.7 → $17.4DPD boxes: pick up within 48 hours of landing or the container is shifted to JNP-CFS at your cost
JNPT — NSICT3$9.9 → $19.8 → $39.6
JNPT — NSIGT/NSFT2₹603 → ₹2,793 ladder
JNPT — BMCT2–4*₹232–688 → ₹2,750
Mundra (MICT / Adani CTs)2$7 → $14 → $21 → $28HAZ 2x, OT/FR 4x
Chennai (CCT)3 (DPD-to-factory 5)$6.44 → $12.87 → $25.76Free period from day after landing; holidays excluded
Kolkata (SMPK)7 (HAZ 1)₹339 → ₹4,057 ladderNepal/Bhutan transit: 20 free
Cochin (ICTT)5–6*₹614 → ₹2,454
Tuticorin3–4*₹237 → ₹944
Hazira (Adani)2–7*₹258 → ₹1,237*Carrier tariffs disagree — verify
Vizag (VCTPL)3₹305 → ₹610 → ₹1,223

FAQ

What is the Last Free Day (LFD)?

The final day you can pick up your container (or return the empty) without paying demurrage or detention. Miss it and charges of $75–300+/day (US) or ₹5,000–20,000+/day (India) start accruing — per container.

What's the difference between demurrage and detention?

Demurrage: the full container is still inside the terminal past free time. Detention (per diem): you've taken the container out but haven't returned the empty. In India a third charge — ground rent — is billed by the port/CFS custodian, and all three can stack on one box.

When does the free-time clock start?

US: typically the day after discharge (discharge day = day 0), counted in working days. India: typically the discharge day itself counts, in calendar days — Sundays included. Carrier-specific rules are shown in the calculator result.

My demurrage invoice looks wrong. Do I have to pay it?

In the US, FMC rules (46 CFR Part 541) require every D&D invoice to contain 13 specific data fields, be issued within 30 days, and allow at least 30 days to dispute — and an invoice missing required fields eliminates your obligation to pay it. Many invoices fail this test. In India, if Customs detained your goods, HCCAR 2009 prevents ports/CFSs from charging rent for that period (detention certificate route). We're building tools that automate exactly these checks — leave your email above.

How accurate is this calculator?

It uses each carrier's published standard tariff (sources and effective dates shown in results). Your contract may grant more free days, and terminal gate schedules vary. Treat the result as an early-warning estimate, not a legal date — the authoritative LFD is on your carrier/terminal portal.