IMPORT FREE TIME · BY LINE
Container Free Time by Shipping Line: Import Free Days 2026
How long each line lets you hold an import container before detention starts — and the two details that quietly change the count: what a "day" is, and when the clock starts. Read from each carrier's published schedule. Pick a line for its full rules and detention tiers.
| Shipping line | Free days | Day basis | Clock starts | Combined D&D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swire Shipping → | 14 calendar | calendar | vessel discharge | No |
| COSCO Shipping → | 10 calendar | calendar | vessel discharge | No |
| OOCL → | 9 calendar | calendar | vessel discharge | No |
| Hapag-Lloyd → | 8 calendar | calendar | vessel discharge | Yes |
| HMM → | 8 working | working | vessel discharge | No |
| Maersk → | 8 calendar | calendar | vessel discharge | Yes |
| Ocean Network Express → | 8 calendar | calendar | vessel discharge | No |
| ANL / CMA CGM → | 7 calendar | calendar | vessel discharge | Yes |
| Yang Ming → | 7 calendar | calendar | vessel discharge | No |
| ZIM → | 7 calendar | calendar | vessel discharge | No |
Free-time rules apply to standard import containers. Negotiated terms override published defaults.
01What is free time on a container?
Free time is the number of days a shipping line lets you keep its import container after it is available, before detention charges begin. Use it to collect, unpack and return the empty box.
02How many free days do you get on an import container?
It depends on the line, but 7 to 10 calendar days is typical in Australia. What counts as a day differs too — some lines count calendar days including weekends, others working days. Each line’s rule is in the table above.
03When does the free-time clock start?
Usually from discharge or from when the container is available for collection, but it varies by carrier. The clock start is shown per line, because it can change your day count by a day or two.
04Is detention and demurrage free time the same?
Not always. Some lines run a single combined demurrage-and-detention free-time pool; others keep separate free time for terminal storage (demurrage) and equipment (detention). Each line’s page states which.
FREE TIME, WATCHED DAILY
A free-time cut is the change that costs the most and gets announced the quietest.
Save your lines and we email you the day a carrier trims free time or changes a rule — usually weeks before it starts costing you.