LFD & Demurrage
Missing a container's last free day (LFD) is one of the most expensive mistakes in drayage — every day past the deadline accrues demurrage charges from the terminal or port. TrackItPilot's job is to make sure that never happens by surprise.
What "last free day" means
The last free day is the final date a container can sit at the terminal or in your yard before per diem or demurrage fees start accruing. LFDs come from the terminal or steamship line and vary by container and location, so TrackItPilot tracks each order's LFD individually rather than relying on a single rule of thumb.
How TrackItPilot flags risk
Orders approaching their last free day are surfaced on the home dashboard before the deadline arrives, ranked by how much time is left and how much exposure is at stake — not buried in a report you have to remember to run. As a container gets closer to its LFD without a completed return, its priority on the board increases so dispatch can act on the highest-risk containers first.
What to do when a container is flagged
- Open the flagged order to see its LFD, current status, and where the container currently sits.
- If it hasn't moved, prioritize dispatching or reassigning it (see Dispatching Drivers).
- If a delay is unavoidable, loop in whoever manages your terminal/customer relationships — an extension or early notice can sometimes avoid or reduce charges.
Demurrage on invoices
If demurrage charges do accrue, they're tracked against the order so they show up clearly on the related invoice rather than as a surprise line item discovered later — keeping billing and operations looking at the same numbers.