Inland Port Container Availability: Rail Cut-Offs and Free Time

An on-time vessel arrival can still leave a forwarder rebooking the inland truck and moving a warehouse delivery. For an import container booked onward by rail, a missed connection after discharge can push collection into the following week.

A workable delivery plan needs an expected inland pickup window and a separately verified last free day. The examples below show how rail schedules and gate access affect that window at five U.S. inland ports, and which records help turn an estimate into a dispatch decision.

How Rail Cut-Offs Can Shift the Pickup Day

SC Ports’ published import schedule for Inland Port Dillon shows how one missed connection can change the delivery plan. The CSX-served route links Charleston with Dillon, South Carolina.

Available in Charleston	Scheduled availability in Dillon
Thursday, 3:00 PM	Friday, 1:00 PM
Friday, 3:00 PM	Monday, 8:00 AM
Saturday, 3:00 PM	Monday, 8:00 AM

Selected entries from SC Ports’ published import timetable. All times are local. These are planning times, subject to the shipment meeting the connection requirements and normal operations.

Consider a container discharged in Charleston on Thursday. If it qualifies for Thursday’s connection, the schedule points to Friday afternoon availability in Dillon. If it misses that connection but qualifies for Friday’s, the planned collection shifts to Monday morning. The vessel arrival date can remain unchanged while the truck booking and warehouse receiving plan need to move.

Use the timetable to make a provisional pickup plan. Establish whether the container meets the connection’s readiness requirements, including any required ramp transfer, transport arrangements and releases. An actual rail loading or departure event linked to the container then provides evidence that the inland move has progressed. Keep the pickup plan provisional until destination availability is established.

For the earlier seaport stage, Vessel Arrived but Container Not Available explains discharge, holds, releases and last free day.

Rail Service and Truck Access Follow Different Calendars

These five terminals serve different inland markets. For pickup planning, a useful comparison is how their rail service fits with truck access. Gainesville began operations on May 4, 2026; its October 29 grand-opening ceremony followed that operational start.

Inland route	Published rail service	Regular truck gate access
Greer, SC Charleston / Norfolk Southern	Overnight service, 6 days a week	24/7
Dillon, SC Charleston / CSX	Published import timetable covers Mon–Sat	Mon–Fri, 6:00 AM–6:00 PM
Appalachian Regional Port (ARP), GA Crandall / Savannah Garden City Terminal / CSX	7 trains a week; 48-hour transit and third-day availability advertised	Mon–Fri, 7:00 AM–6:00 PM; closes 5:00 PM Wed
Gainesville, GA Savannah / Norfolk Southern	Mon–Fri; next-day rail service advertised	Mon–Fri, 7:00 AM–8:00 PM
Virginia Inland Port, VA Front Royal / Norfolk Harbor marine terminals / Norfolk Southern	Daily service described by the port; confirm current import operating days	Mon–Fri, 7:00 AM–4:00 PM; weekend drop lot

Published information checked November 2, 2026. All times are local. Regular hours are subject to holiday schedules and operational notices. Confirm the transactions available through Virginia Inland Port’s weekend drop lot.

Greer’s 24/7 gates offer flexibility once a container is available, but the rail schedule still matters. Its published Charleston import cut-off is 1:00 PM Monday to Friday, with next-day availability at 8:00 AM. Saturday’s noon cut-off corresponds to Monday noon availability.

At ARP, trains operate daily while regular truck gates operate on weekdays. Dillon also publishes Saturday import timetable entries despite its regular weekday gate schedule. Include the next usable gate period when calculating the collection window.

For ARP, obtain the Savannah import cut-off applicable to the shipment. For Gainesville and Virginia Inland Port, obtain the current import cut-off-to-availability schedule. General descriptions such as next-day service or daily trains provide a starting point; the route-specific timetable is needed to select a provisional pickup day.

Count Usable Pickup Days Within Free Time

A container’s last free day needs to be read alongside the gate calendar. Under Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) Rule 34-025, loaded containers at the Appalachian Regional Port receive five consecutive calendar days of free time, beginning at the first 12:01 AM after unloading. Weekends and holidays count. The rule requires advance scheduling through GPA’s NAVIS container management system before arrival.

Assume a qualifying container is unloaded on a Friday in a week without holiday closures. Its five-day free-time period runs Saturday through Wednesday. During that period, the regular pickup opportunities are Monday and Tuesday until 6:00 PM, and Wednesday until 5:00 PM. Friday collection would also be possible if availability and releases were established before that day’s gate closed.

By Monday opening, two calendar days of that free-time period have passed. In this example, Wednesday’s 5:00 PM gate close is the practical deadline for collection within free time using regular gate access. A last-free-day field showing only Wednesday would leave out the hour that matters to the trucker.

Record the applicable last free day together with the final usable gate window. Base the calculation on the unloading or other starting event specified in the relevant terms. A missed train can change that date and the available pickup opportunities; it does not by itself mean ARP storage free time starts while the container is still at the seaport.

Terminal storage and carrier equipment charges also need separate checks. Maersk’s U.S. guidance, for example, links inland demurrage free time to arrival at a rail ramp or inland container yard, while detention free time begins when equipment departs the carrier’s container yard. Establish which charges apply to the booking and use each charge’s own tariff or contract rules.

Confirm Who Controls the Inland Move and Releases

Start with the booking’s delivery scope. GPA directs cargo owners to ocean carriers for through bills of lading to and from ARP. If the carrier’s service ends at the inland terminal, confirm that delivery point on the bill of lading. If it continues to a warehouse, establish who arranges the final truck move and coordinates receiving.

Customs arrangements can also affect the connection and pickup. GPA says import containers may move in-bond from Savannah to ARP under an appropriate carrier’s bond, but U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) does not clear in-bond shipments at ARP. Virginia Inland Port is a U.S. Customs-designated port of entry. Have the broker establish where clearance will occur and which releases are required for the intended rail movement, pickup or authorized onward transport.

Use the Right Record for Each Pickup Decision

A published schedule supports an initial estimate. As the container moves, use shipment-specific records to update that estimate and establish whether collection can proceed.

Decision	Evidence to use	Action
Set a provisional pickup day	The booked route’s import timetable and the container’s readiness for the connection	Reserve truck capacity and discuss the receiving window on a provisional basis.
Update the inland arrival estimate	An actual rail loading or departure event linked to the container, plus current inland timing information	Revise the plan and notify the trucker and receiver if the expected date changes.
Dispatch the truck	Destination pickup availability, applicable releases, gate access and any appointment or pre-advice requirements	Dispatch once the collection conditions are met.
Set the collection deadline	The applicable terminal and carrier terms, their starting events, recorded last free days and usable gate periods	Plan collection within the relevant free time and escalate constraints before the final usable gate window.

Establish access to the records before the first container reaches the inland terminal:

Ocean carrier or inland provider: check rail-event coverage through the account or integration your team will use. CMA CGM, for example, provides additional rail and ramp events through authenticated API access for eligible booking parties. Coverage visible through one access method may differ from another.
Terminal systems: GPA says WebAccess shows rail loading, arrival at ARP or Savannah, and pickup availability. SC Ports offers cargo-status inquiries through GO!Port, including for Greer. Establish which system holds the destination availability and release information for your terminal.
Railroad systems: CSX’s Intermodal Tracking Suite includes equipment tracing, en-route information and availability reports. Access and coverage should be established for the booked service.

For a separately arranged rail move, ocean-carrier tracking may omit the inland leg. Use the terminal, railroad or inland provider’s records to establish its status. Treat a missing event as a reason to investigate the information gap; it is not proof that the container missed its train.

If your team is manually reconciling carrier updates with inland terminal records, book a Tradlinx consultation to review milestone coverage and shipment-alert options for your routes.

FAQ

Is a container available once the carrier reports discharge at the seaport?

A seaport discharge event does not establish inland pickup availability. The container must complete the rail move, be available at the inland terminal and meet the required release and gate-access conditions.

Who sets free time at an inland port?

The terminal operator may set storage free time, while the ocean carrier’s demurrage and detention terms come from its applicable tariff or contract. Establish which charges apply and verify the starting event, counting method and last free day for each.

Can I see the rail leg in carrier tracking?

Some carriers provide rail milestones, with coverage depending on the route and account permissions. Authorized terminal and railroad systems may provide additional movement and availability information. Check coverage through the account or integration your team will use.

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