Storing a loaded container is usually the most expensive way to hold inventory, because you can be paying three things at once: terminal demurrage while the box sits at the port, per diem to the steamship line for keeping their equipment, and yard storage if the container is moved to a private lot. Past roughly the first week, stripping the freight into a warehouse is normally cheaper.
The three charges to separate
People often use one word for three different costs, which makes comparison impossible.
- Demurrage, charged by the terminal while a loaded container remains on terminal past free time.
- Per diem / detention, charged by the ocean carrier for the use of their container and chassis once it leaves the terminal.
- Yard storage, charged by a private yard for parking the box, plus lift-on/lift-off fees.
Why stripping usually wins
Per diem accrues every single day and does not stop until the empty is returned. Warehouse storage for the same freight is typically a fraction of that on a monthly basis, and returning the container ends the carrier clock entirely.
When container storage does make sense
Very short bridges of a few days, freight that cannot be de-vanned without the destination equipment, and situations where the receiving site will take the entire container intact.
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