Forwarders Hit by COVID-19 Fees: Dockflow Launches Free Demurrage Tool

The coronavirus pandemic is hitting hard. To support the current lockdown efforts, it is essential that supply chains remain stable.

Today, many containers are collected upon arrival due to the closure of production sites or warehouses. This is confronting shippers and freight forwarders with hefty demurrage and detention fees to be paid to ocean carriers.

These fees can amount to several thousands of euros, placing freight forwarders and cargo owners in a precarious situation. These logistics teams are essential for our society to successfully deal with the coronavirus challenge. 

That is why Dockflow decided to release their demurrage & detention monitoring feature early, and open to everyone for free. On the website dockflow.com/stayhome, shippers can upload a container list and Dockflow will give a live overview of all containers currently stuck in demurrage and detention. This avoids unwanted surprises and charges for overtime.

“The feature was already in development. After the coronavirus epidemic started, however, we got word from our user community that they were being hit by fees up to 40,000 USD for a reefer container in some cases. That’s when we decided to drop all else and prioritize development of this feature”, says Troy Muyshondt from Dockflow. “We offer this service for free so forwarders have a live overview of their cargo status. This is our way of supporting the community in these challenging times.”

Dockflow is a startup simplifying the maritime logistics process for forwarders of sensitive cargo - specifically perishable goods - providing transparency, automation, and collaboration. Founded in 2018, they have since made waves in the fresh produce shipping community and are now serving users on their platform in over 115 countries. According to Dockflow, a key component of their rapid growth is a focus on SMEs: uncomplicated pricing and a user-friendly interface that includes a mobile app.

The free demurrage & detention tool can be accessed at dockflow.com/stayhome.