Under the Federal Maritime Commission's billing rule, a D&D invoice that leaves out required information, or arrives more than 30 days after the charges end, may not be payable. We check each invoice against the rule and help you dispute the ones that fail. You pay a share of what is actually saved, and nothing otherwise.
Get a free auditSee a sample reportSince May 28, 2024, carriers, marine terminals and NVOCCs must follow 46 CFR Part 541 when they bill demurrage or detention. Three things come up again and again.
Every invoice must show items such as the free time, the container availability date, the rates applied, why you are the liable party, and how to dispute. If any are missing, you have no obligation to pay it.
46 CFR 541.5, 541.6A billing party that issues an invoice more than 30 days after the charges were last incurred loses the right to collect them.
46 CFR 541.7We recalculate free time and charged days against the container's actual gate-out and return dates, and flag days billed in error.
46 CFR 541.6(b), 541.6(c)Three steps, no software to install and no access to your systems.
Email us your D&D invoices as PDFs, with bank and account details blacked out.
We check every invoice against the rule and show which ones look unpayable or overcharged, and by how much.
We draft each dispute for your approval and track the reply. Nothing goes to a carrier without your say-so.
The audit is free. You only pay if we save you money.
of the charges withdrawn, reduced or refunded, billed monthly.
A summary of 46 CFR 541.6. You have at least 30 days from the invoice date to request a waiver or refund (541.8), so it pays to check early.
| Category | Examples of required items |
|---|---|
| Identification | Bill of lading and container numbers, port of discharge, why you are the liable party |
| Timing | Invoice and due dates, free time in days with start and end dates, container availability date, the exact dates charged |
| Rates | Total due, the tariff rule or contract applied, the specific rates |
| Disputes | A contact, a web link describing what to submit, and the dispute timeframes |
| Certifications | That the charges follow FMC rules and the billing party's own performance did not cause them |
We only need what is on the invoice. Our full approach is in the privacy policy.
Cover account numbers, bank details, signatures and anything about your customers. We need the dates, B/L and container numbers, free time and charges.
We never ask for access to your carrier portals, email or systems.
Every dispute is shown to you first, and you send or approve it yourself.
We use them only to audit your invoices and delete them within 90 days of finishing, or sooner if you ask.
FreeTime Check is run by Bido Ventures (Pty) Ltd, a small company registered in South Africa (registration number 2026/830560/07). We work remotely with US importers and use software to check every line of every invoice. That keeps the audit free and makes our fee depend only on results. Connect on LinkedIn.
No. We compare invoices with the published FMC rule and your container data, and draft disputes for your approval. For legal questions, talk to a maritime attorney.
Disputes are a normal part of the process the rule sets up. You approve every one, and you can exclude any carrier.
The invoices, plus container numbers so we can check gate-out and return dates. Nothing else.
Nobody. If a charge isn't withdrawn, reduced or refunded, there is no fee.
Send one month of demurrage and detention invoices, with your name, company and roughly how many containers you import each month. We reply within one business day.
Email bubele@getfreetimecheck.com