Free Tool · Rail Demurrage Estimator

Rail Demurrage Calculator

Estimate per-car demurrage exposure on a held railcar using current Class I rate structures. Plug in equipment type, cars held, days held, and any surcharges.

Demurrage Inputs

Equipment Type

Number of Cars

Debit Days per Car (chargeable + credit, see help)

Loaded car contains hazardous materials +$135/car/day, applies to ALL days held (including credit days)

Held for shipping instructions ("hold for billing") One-time $420/car charge plus daily demurrage

Debit Days = total calendar days the railroad held the car, minus non-chargeable holidays (manifest trains only). The calculator subtracts free credit days automatically. For binding numbers, Class I railroads compute Debit Days from constructive placement timestamps.

Tip: Free credit days are per car, not per shipment. 5 cars held 3 days each = 5 separate 2-day credit windows, not "15 days collectively." This calculator handles that automatically.

Demurrage Estimate

Per Car

Total — All Cars

Per-Car Breakdown

Component	Days	Rate	Subtotal

This is an estimate only. Actual charges depend on car ownership, commodity, applicable holiday calendar, constructive-placement timing, and customer-specific tariff agreements. Steel Wheel Logistics is informational only — the line-haul railroad bills demurrage. For account-specific numbers, contact us at (601) 821-2199.