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Workstream 13 ยท Intermodal Playbook

Intermodal Demurrage, Per Diem & LFD Rules

Container demurrage is a clock problem. Winners automate Last Free Day visibility and prioritize dray moves before steamship line penalties accrue.

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Engineering Overview

EXSPEEDITE Drayage Watch tracks LFD, chassis pools, and gate appointments. Pair operational alerts with the demurrage calculator to quantify preventable spend.

Operational Workflow

Step 1

Ingest container availability

Record vessel discharge, rail availability, and notified LFD from terminal portals.

Step 2

Prioritize dispatch queue

Sort hot containers by penalty tier and customer commit time.

Step 3

Track chassis splits

Bill chassis split when pool rules require separate pickup locations.

Step 4

Monitor rail storage tiers

Railroads escalate daily storage rates after free time; mirror tiers in finance forecasts.

Step 5

Close loop on empty return

Empty ingate stops per diem clock; capture EIR images for billing disputes.

Freight at the Speed of Now.

Built by transportation systems architects at Exspeedite LLC, a Strong Tower Consulting, LLC company (est. 2008, Minnesota).

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Last Free Day (LFD)?

The final day container may occupy terminal or rail property without demurrage or storage penalties under the tariff free period.

How do chassis splits affect cost?

Split charges apply when chassis provider location differs from container pickup, adding dray miles and fees.

Can shippers see LFD status?

Pipeline portals can expose milestone status without exposing internal dispatch rates.

Does eModal replace TMS?

No. eModal and terminal portals schedule gates; TMS orchestrates drivers, documents, and billing.