Rail wagons
Wagon demurrage audit: the clock that has to stop
Wagon demurrage is billed hourly, not daily, and the free-time clock stops on weekends, holidays, and during customs procedures. Each of these rules is a place where the calculation can go wrong. We check demurrage invoices against your own contract.
What we don't do. We don't file the claim with the carrier on your behalf. We detect discrepancies, recalculate the hours, and prepare a substantiation referencing the specific contract clause. You submit the claim yourself under your own carriage contract.
We don't check whether the demurrage rate is "correct" -- that's set by the carrier's tariff or your contract. We check whether the rate you agreed on was applied, and whether the hours were counted according to the agreed rules.
Why wagon demurrage is more complex than container demurrage
Container demurrage is calculated in days, from discharge to empty return. The calculation is simple.
Wagon demurrage is calculated in hours, and every hour begun is billed as a full hour. Free loading time starts with the wagon's placement or an agreed service window, and its duration ranges in contracts from seven to forty-eight hours.
Most importantly -- the clock stops. On weekends and public holidays, demurrage is typically not counted. It also stops during customs, tax, or police inspections, as long as the inspection isn't delayed by the shipper itself.
For certain high-demand wagon types, the rate doubles from a certain day. That means an error at the tier boundary costs double.
What we check
Free-time duration
Whether the agreed duration was applied.
Weekends and holidays
Whether they were deducted per the contract and the correct country (in Germany, federal state) calendar.
Customs procedures
Whether the clock was suspended during the inspection.
Placement time
Whether free time started counting from the correct moment.
Escalation tiers
Whether the doubled rate was applied from the correct hour.
Wagon category
Whether the rate matches the wagon type.
Double charging
Whether demurrage and track usage weren't charged together when the contract doesn't provide for it.
How it works
01Send us your demurrage invoices and contract
Invoices usually state the wagon's placement and release times. From the contract we take the free-time duration, rates, and suspension rules.
02We recalculate the hours
The clock starts at placement, is suspended per the rules set in the contract and the country's holiday calendar.
03You get the substantiation
Wagon, placement and release time, billed hours, correct hours, difference, and a reference to the specific contract clause. Not a general suspicion. All of it downloads as a PDF audit report — including what was checked and found correct. It is a report, not a claim: you submit that to the carrier under your own contract.
What we can't check
If the demurrage invoice doesn't state the wagon's placement or release time, recalculation is impossible -- the carrier needs to be asked.
If the contract doesn't establish whether demurrage is counted on weekends, we don't guess the rule. In that case no finding is generated.
Customs-procedure suspension is only checked when you have proof of the procedure's timing -- a customs document or a terminal record.
For German stations, the correct holiday calendar depends on the federal state the station is in -- a new station needs that state specified before checking can start, otherwise the check won't run.
Pricing
Historic audit -- 25% of the amount actually recovered (capped at €5,000/case, minimum €100), or a fixed price of €1,490 for an archive audit. If nothing is recovered (with the success-fee option) -- €0. For German clients, only the fixed price is available. Minimum scope -- 50 demurrage invoice lines.
Ongoing monitoring -- €99/mo. Every new demurrage invoice is checked before payment, and if billing runs over a weekend you get an alert. Covers both demurrage AND track-usage (Gleismiete) invoice checking -- no separate add-on for the latter.
Before you start: how long you have to bring a claim — the scope of a historic audit is limited by the limitation period, not by your archive.
Activated after a short call, not instant self-service.
Frequently asked questions
Do you also check wagon rental/track-usage (Gleismiete) fees, not just demurrage?
Yes. We check track-usage invoices exactly the same way as demurrage -- whether the agreed daily rate was applied, whether the fee even applies to this wagon, and whether the same period wasn't double-charged together with demurrage.
What if the demurrage invoice doesn't state the wagon's placement and release times?
Without them, recalculation is impossible -- we don't generate a finding, we don't guess. The first step in that case isn't a calculation, it's a request to the carrier for the times.
Do I need to switch carriers?
No. We work with any carrier's invoices under your own contract and never touch the carrier relationship.
How is the correct holiday calendar determined for German stations?
By station, not by your or the carrier's country of registration -- in Germany, some holidays only apply in individual federal states. A new station needs its federal state specified before checking can start.
How long are uploaded documents kept?
Original documents are kept for 24 months from upload, customs documents for 40 months. After the period expires the original file is deleted automatically, the data extracted from it remains. If you want a specific document removed earlier (GDPR Art. 17), contact us by email — there's no self-service deletion button in the portal at the moment.
What is needed
- Demurrage invoices with the placement and release times (required)
If you do not have it: Without the invoices the audit cannot be carried out. - Carriage contract with the rate schedule (without it some of the checks will not work)
If you do not have it: Without the contract we cannot check whether the agreed free time and rate were applied — and that is where the largest amounts sit. - Evidence of customs or police procedures (preferred)
If you do not have it: Without them we cannot prove that demurrage was counted during the procedures.
Cross-reference
The rail module extracts SMGS and CIM consignment note data -- wagon numbers, stations, and dates. The same data lets you cross-check a demurrage invoice against the actual carriage. Rail module →