Freight bill recovery for importers and drayage companies

Every freight bill has a dispute clock.

I check your demurrage, detention, drayage and LTL bills line by line, prepare the dispute file for every overcharge, and make sure no deadline slips by.

Let's discuss your freight problem See a sample report Run a drayage company? See per diem checks

You send: Every dispute yourself
Every line: Gets a clear, honest verdict
No logins: I never ask for your passwords

01 / The clocks

Miss the window and a wrong charge becomes a paid charge.

Federal rules give you real rights on freight bills, but each one runs on a deadline. Small importers usually find out after it has passed.

Demurrage and detention: the carrier must give you at least 30 days from the invoice to request a refund, waiver or reduction (46 CFR 541.8).
Demurrage and detention: an invoice issued more than 30 days after the charge was last incurred does not have to be paid (46 CFR 541.7).
LTL freight bills: you must contest a bill within 180 days of receiving it to keep the right to dispute it (49 U.S.C. 13710).
Already paid demurrage or detention since June 16, 2022 can still go to the FMC as a charge complaint, with no filing deadline under the September 2026 rule.

Plain summaries of published rules, not legal advice.

02 / What I check

The bills that follow your container from the port to your door

One person checks all of them, so nothing falls between your carrier, your trucker and your forwarder.

D&D Demurrage and detention Ocean carrier, NVOCC and terminal invoices checked against the FMC billing rule, your free time and your container dates Read more DRY Drayage and trucker bills Chassis days, waiting time, pre pull and yard storage checked against your rate sheet and the real container timeline Ask about it P/D Per diem for trucking companies For drayage trucking company owners at LA and Long Beach: the per diem and detention bills carriers send you, checked against your gate records, closed gate days and return appointments Read more FWD Forwarder invoices The final invoice matched against the quote you accepted, line by line, to find charges that were never agreed Ask about it LTL LTL reweigh and reclass Corrected LTL bills checked against your bill of lading, the 2025 density classes and the 180 day rule Read more

03 / How it works

Check. Recover. Prevent. Report.

The same four steps for every bill, every month.

STEP 01 / CHECK

Forward your freight bills

Send each bill when it arrives, ideally before you pay it. Every line is checked against your dates, your rates and the rules.

STEP 02 / RECOVER

Get the dispute file

For every overcharge, a dispute letter with the evidence lined up, ready for you to send. Fair charges are marked fair.

STEP 03 / PREVENT

Keep the evidence

Refused appointments, closed gates and holds get logged with dates as they happen, so a later dispute has proof behind it.

STEP 04 / REPORT

See it every month

One short report: what was checked, what was recovered, which deadlines are open, and which carrier keeps getting it wrong.

Want this done for you every month? That is Freight Guard.

04 / Sample report

What you get back

Example only. The containers, dates and figures below are made up to show the format.

01 ABCU 1234567 Demurrage, 6 days, $1,080. Invoice issued 41 days after the last charge date. Not payable under 46 CFR 541.7. Dispute

02 ABCU 7654321 Detention, 3 days, $525. Terminal refused empty returns on two of those days. Waiver request with the trucker's emails attached. Dispute

03 Drayage bill Chassis billed for 9 days. Container timeline shows 6. Three days overbilled. Dispute

04 ABCU 1112223 Demurrage, 2 days, $300. Free time, dates and rate all check out. Fair, pay it

Every report ends with the open dispute deadlines and the documents still missing, if any.

05 / Your documents

Your freight bills stay yours.

Freight invoices show your rates, your suppliers and your volumes. They are handled that way.

Your data stays private. Every document you send is kept confidential.
Deleted after the job, unless you ask me to keep them for monthly checks.
Happy to sign your NDA before you send anything.
Black out bank or account numbers first. The review does not need them.
Full details in the privacy policy.

06 / How I work

You stay in control of everything that goes out.

I do the checking and the paperwork. The decisions and the submissions stay with you.

I never ask for your carrier, terminal or forwarder logins.
I never contact the carrier or negotiate on your behalf.
You send every dispute yourself, under your name.
If a charge is fair, I tell you it is fair.
I am not a lawyer or a customs broker. I review bills and prepare dispute files.

07 / Watch

One minute on each

Figures shown in the videos are examples, not client results.

Demurrage and detention

Demurrage audits

LTL reweigh and reclass

LTL bill reviews

08 / Also

Selling to Walmart or Target too?

Many importers do. The same line by line review works on retail deductions.

AP Retail deductions Walmart and Target deductions matched against your PO, invoice, bill of lading and proof of delivery Read more

09 / Questions

Common questions

My forwarder already checks my bills. Why would I need this?

Your forwarder works for the shipment, and often bills you too. A second check from someone with no stake in the invoice is the point. If a bill comes back clean, you hear that too.

What do I need to send?

The bill itself, plus whatever you have on dates: arrival notice, pickup and empty return dates, your rate sheet or quote. Anything missing gets asked for, not guessed.

Will you contact the carrier for me?

No. I prepare the dispute file and you send it. Nothing goes out in your name unless you send it.

How much does it cost?

It depends on how many bills you have each month. The price is agreed with you before any work starts.

What if there is nothing wrong?

Then I tell you that. A correct charge gets marked correct, so you only dispute what is worth disputing.

Are you a lawyer or a customs broker?

No. I review freight bills and prepare dispute files. I do not handle customs entries, duties or tariff refunds, and I do not give legal advice.

10 / Start

Let's discuss your freight problem.

Write a few lines about the bill or charge that is bothering you. You will hear honestly whether anything is worth recovering.

Email nazmul@zenmul.com