Detention and Demurrage Software | D&D Management
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Detention & Demurrage Software:
Avoid D&D charges with BuyCo

BuyCo provides an all-in-one solution to manage your D&D challenges. Access real-time data on container free-time and costs, take action to prevent escalation, and centralize all cost and deviation evidence. Streamline freight audits, challenge unfair charges, and save time and money.
Failure to manage Detention and Demurrage (D&D) charges leads to substantial financial losses, often totaling millions annually. A lack of internal visibility into the container’s free time consumption makes it difficult for shippers to get a red flag on time to avoid these costs. Moreover, a limited collaboration between finance and operations teams to review carrier invoices and dispute unjustified fees results in lost revenue opportunities.

Monitor Free Time consumption, D&D and Storage costs

With BuyCo, monitor your container’s D&D and Storage charges in real-time, from a single dashboard. Quickly identify containers nearing the end of their free time or already exceeding it, enabling you to take action before costs escalate:

  • Live calculation of your containers’ free-time consumption and the associated D&D and Storage charges
  • D&D and Storage associated costs based on your tenders
  • Search easily your containers filtering by origin, destination, carrier, or booking number
  • Manage container pooling by uploading containers that don’t have booking numbers and manage container pooling directly on the platform.
Increase data intelligence through container shipping KPIs

Details of Container D&D Costs

Dashboard with Container D&D status: Incurring, Approaching, and Normal

Visualize Container Status at a Glance

Stay on top of your container operations with clear, color-coded status indicators that make it easy to prioritize action and avoid unexpected costs. This gives you full visibility so you can stay ahead of fees and act before charges escalate.

  • Clear statuses:
 Containers are classified as Normal, Approaching, or Incurring, giving you a quick, granular snapshot of where attention is needed.
  • Explicit color coding:
Each status is displayed with a distinct color, making it immediately visible which containers require intervention.
  • Quick decision-making:
 The visual cues help you focus on containers at risk of incurring charges, enabling faster, more informed operational decisions.

From Empty Pickup to Return: Complete Milestone Records and Deviation Details

Recording of all the Deviations evidences

Centralize complete milestone records of your containers to understand the history behind each cost. This helps establish evidence of liability from external parties that may have contributed to the surcharges.

  • All container milestones are automatically recorded by
 BuyCo in your container view using external sources, such
 as inland bookings, terminal data, or trucking companies.
  • Complete the data
by allowing your team to add new
    deviations related to a single container or in mass.
  • Include comments for a comprehensive understanding
 of 
 the situation.
  • 
Filter deviations by responsibility
 (carrier or shipper) and
 check charges per shipment or container.

From Empty Pickup to Return: Complete Milestone Records and Deviation Details

Increase data intelligence through container shipping KPIs

 

 

 

  • 
Resolve claims :
    Determine responsibility for fees, share with carriers, receive updated invoices, and approve for payment

Manage Freight Audit & Manage Disputes with Carriers

BuyCo empowers your invoice and operations teams to collaborate more effectively, improving cost visibility and streamlining dispute management. Your freight invoice team gains instant access to critical information, enabling them to quickly identify and refute inappropriate costs. This reduces the need for manual checks, saving time and lowering accessorial costs.

  • Pre-invoicing to carriers : 

    Before invoices are issued by carriers, BuyCo calculates freight costs and D&D charges according to your carriers’ rates and recorded deviations.
  • 
Control of carrier invoices : 

    Receive carrier invoices, compare them with your own ‘pre-invoice,’ and identify discrepancies.

  • 
Resolve claims :
    Determine responsibility for fees, share with carriers, receive updated invoices, and approve for payment

Strategic Insights to Minimize D&D Costs

Monitor critical metrics related to recurring deviations to identify the causes of D&D costs and take steps to reduce them in the future. At a glance, identify:

  • Carriers with the highest detention and demurrage (D&D) costs
  • POL/POD locations most subject to deviations
  • Sources of liability at the origin of deviations
  • Deviation types that occur most frequently

Potential Cost Savings from Managing
Detention and Demurrage Charges

A company ships around 55,000 containers per year, with 90% of these shipments going to affiliates who handle local
deliveries. The local affiliates are responsible for managing any detention and demurrage (D&D) charges, but the maritime
team in the home office is not involved or informed about these costs.

Return Period

Fee per Day per Container

Return within the contractual free period
No charge
Returned within 7 days after the free period
€25-30
Returned more than 7 days late
Over €50

D&D charges are applied as follows :

Market analysis shows that around 5% to 15% of containers incur D&D charges, depending on factors like internal management and local ports.

 

Potentials costs :

  • 55,000 containers * 90% = 49,500 containers handled by the company.
  • 5% of 49,500 = 2,475 containers incur extra charges.
  • 15% of 49,500 = 7,425 containers incur extra charges.
  • Average extra detention: 5 days per container.

Annual potential costs to be saved :

  • Low estimate: 2,475 * 5 days * €27.5 = €340,313
  • High estimate: 7,425 * 5 days * €27.5 = €1,020,938
Savings with BuyCo’s new D&D feature :

The new BuyCo feature can reduce D&D costs by 50–60%.

  • Low estimate: €340313 * 50% = €170 156
  • High estimate: €1,020,938* 60%= € 612 562

Elevate D&D Control Across the Shipment Lifecycle with Integrated Features

The power of BuyCo’s D&D management grows even stronger when used alongside BuyCo Booking and Inland features. Combined, they give shippers the end-to-end visibility and flexibility needed to make faster decisions and save costs.

Discover BuyCo features that take your D&D management further:

Shipping Operations

Get full visibility of shipment data and carrier cutoff dates, automatically updated in the D&D module to give you the most accurate information to anticipate delays and manage charges exposures before it happens.

Learn More →

Inland Coordination

Gain the ability to react quickly as D&D costs approach, coordinating inland providers directly within BuyCo to move containers faster and prevent unnecessary charges.

Learn More →

FAQ

What Are Detention and Demurrage ?

 

Detention and Demurrage (D&D) are charges applied by carriers when containers exceed their allotted free time.

Demurrage

Fees incurred when containers stay at the port or terminal beyond the free time allowed. These fees are charged by the carrier.

Detention

Fees incurred when containers stay outside the port or terminal beyond the free time allowed.

Storage charges

Fees imposed for storing cargo or containers within the port area, typically after the free period has ended. These fees may apply to storage in a container yard or warehouse and are charged by the port terminal

Free Time

Shipping lines or carriers typically offer a designated period of free time, allowing the container to be used without incurring extra charges. The duration of this free time varies and is outlined in the terms of the shipping contract.