What is demurrage in road freight?
Demurrage in road freight is the fee for waiting beyond agreed free time; Germany's ADSp 2017 sets a default EUR 80 per hour once free time expires.
Logifie Team
Logistics Technology Experts
Demurrage in road freight is the fee a carrier charges when a truck waits at a loading or unloading site beyond the agreed free time, usually one to two hours per load. Germany's ADSp 2017 conditions set a default EUR 80 per hour once that free time expires; other contracts vary.
How is demurrage different from detention in road freight?
In European road freight, "demurrage" and "detention" are mostly used interchangeably for the same waiting-time charge, unlike in ocean freight, where demurrage covers container storage and detention covers equipment use. Some forwarders reserve "detention" for cases where the trailer itself is held for a full day or more, while "demurrage" covers routine hourly delays at the dock. The safest approach is to define the term explicitly in the transport contract rather than assume a shared meaning.
| Term | What it means in road freight |
|---|---|
| Demurrage | Waiting fee once the agreed free loading or unloading time expires, usually billed per started hour |
| Detention | Used interchangeably with demurrage in road freight, sometimes reserved for delays holding the trailer beyond a full day |
| Standgeld (DE) / temps d'attente (FR) | The national-language contractual terms for the same waiting charge, defined in standard forwarding conditions rather than statute |
How much does demurrage cost in European road freight?
There is no EU-wide statutory rate. The most cited benchmark is Clause 11 of the ADSp 2017, the German Freight Forwarders' Association's (DSLV) standard forwarding conditions : two hours of free loading or unloading time for a 40-tonne vehicle, then a default waiting charge of EUR 80 net per started hour if no other rate is agreed. ADSp 2017 remains current and unrevised in 2026, so both figures are still live benchmarks. The charge exists partly because Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 classifies loading and unloading as "other work" counted toward a driver's working time, so cost accrues while the vehicle sits at the dock.
How can shippers and carriers avoid demurrage charges?
Most demurrage disputes come down to proving when a truck arrived and when loading began. Carriers increasingly rely on GPS proof-of-arrival timestamps to document, and if necessary dispute, a claim with evidence rather than a driver's word against a warehouse log. On the shipper side, a transport management system with dock-scheduling and ETA visibility reduces avoidable dwell time by giving warehouse staff advance notice of arrivals, often the real cause of delay. The Europa.eu "Your Europe" road transport workers page explains how EU working-time rules interact with these delays.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between demurrage and detention?
In European road freight the two terms are largely interchangeable and both describe the fee charged once agreed free time at the site has passed. Some contracts reserve "detention" for a trailer held beyond a full day rather than a short dock delay, so the definition used should always be checked against the specific agreement.
How many free hours do you get for loading and unloading in Europe?
There is no single EU-wide rule, but the widely used ADSp 2017 standard forwarding conditions grant two hours of free loading or unloading time for a 40-tonne vehicle before waiting charges apply. Individual contracts can set a different allowance, which then takes precedence.
Who pays demurrage charges, the shipper or the carrier?
The party responsible for the delay generally pays. If a shipper's site is slow to load or unload, the shipper typically owes the carrier a demurrage charge for the driver's lost time; if the delay is the carrier's fault, no charge applies. The exact allocation is set out in the transport contract.
Is demurrage regulated by EU law?
No single EU regulation sets demurrage rates or free-time limits; those terms come from the transport contract or from industry conditions such as ADSp 2017. EU law's relevance is indirect: Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 counts loading and unloading delays as working time for the driver, part of why the charge is justified.
Shippers who want predictable, demurrage-transparent freight rates can request a quote built around realistic dock times from the start.
