Unlocking container management efficiency: solving the demurrage and detention cost challenge

Container drayage is all about maximizing resource utilization. It's essential to deploy every truck and driver in your fleet efficiently to minimize idle time, reduce costs, and boost productivity. This not only improves your bottom line, but also promotes a more sustainable and environmentally responsible operation.

Detention and demurrage (D&D) charges are financial penalties imposed on containers that are held at terminals or facilities beyond their allotted free time. These charges can have significant consequences for container drayage operators and avoiding them may not always be in your control.

For instance, a recent survey of D&D tariffs at 65 global ports reveals 11 are still higher than 2020 levels, with seven of them located in the US1. Several factors contribute to this situation, including increasing energy and labor costs, rising land expenses, and port fees. Given these challenges, it’s unlikely US port charges will return to ‘normal’ any time soon.

As our sector continues to grapple with the ripple effects of the pandemic and ongoing economic constraints, it’s clear that D&D charges have the potential to exert even more financial pressure on your business.

This is where technology plays a crucial role. By utilizing advanced software, you can expedite container movements, ensure timely pick-ups and drop-offs, and proactively manage your fleet, ultimately mitigating the impact of D&D charges on your financial performance.

How Trinium and BlueCargo are empowering smarter container management

With an extensive presence in every port and rail market across the United States and Canada, Trinium TMS is a comprehensive enterprise system purpose-built for modern container drayage and intermodal trucking companies.

We believe in providing our customers with best-in-breed technology solutions, which is why we are proud to partner with BlueCargo, the leading platform for detention and demurrage mitigation.

With the integration of BlueCargo's end-to-end dispute system into Trinium’s advanced TMS, you now have state-of-the-art per diem audit and dispute resolution tools at your fingertips.

Streamline per diem disputes

With BlueCargo's AI-powered technology, you can recover up to 75 percent of disputable per diem invoices, centralize disputes, and reduce invoice processing time by 95 percent. It efficiently identifies rule violations, automatically audits per diem charges for accurate savings calculations, and enables you to review potential invoice savings.

Additionally, the platform allows you to gather supporting evidence and submit documentation to the SSL for dispute initiation. You can easily track and manage all per diem disputes, following up on email threads with SSLs until resolutions are achieved.

Trinium TMS and BlueCargo – a powerful combination

Today, we all rely on technology to streamline processes, improve productivity, and stay competitive. The ability to seamlessly integrate new tools and applications into our digital ecosystems is crucial to staying ahead.

However, closed operating systems can present significant limitations, hindering your ability to expand and optimize your container drayage capabilities. That’s why Trinium partners with leading drayage technology specialists, like BlueCargo, to create a powerful ecosystem of tools and resources that empower your teams to make data-driven decisions, reduce costs, and improve overall performance.