Per diem and demurrage are charges for time — and time is the one thing a port-adjacent 3PL can control. Demurrage is billed by the terminal when your container sits past its free time; per diem is billed by the shipping line when you keep their equipment too long.
Why location stops the clock
Free time at the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles is short and evaporates during congestion. The closer your trucks stage to the terminal, the more appointment windows you can actually hit. From Commerce, CA, we can pull a box the hour it becomes available instead of the next day.
Five habits that keep fees at zero
- Pre-book appointments the moment a container is discharged
- Use drop-and-hook so a driver isn't waiting on a live unload
- Transload early so the line's container returns fast
- Track last-free-days daily and prioritize boxes nearing the cliff
- Keep empties returning on schedule
What to ask your 3PL
Ask how far their yard is from the terminals, whether they manage last-free-day tracking, and whether they transload on-site. If all three answers are yes, your exposure drops sharply — not by luck, but because someone is watching the clock.
