Vessel Arrived but Container Not Available? Understanding Arrival, Holds, Releases, and Last Free Day

Your vessel has arrived. The container shows “Discharged.” But when you call the terminal, they say it is not available. What is going on?

The period between vessel arrival and container pickup is the most operationally dense — and least visible — phase of an ocean import. Multiple holds can block your container simultaneously, the demurrage clock is running, and most carriers publish no tracking events during this entire window. The gap between “Discharged” and “Gate Out” is a black box on almost every carrier portal.

This guide covers eight tracking statuses and events that span the arrival-to-pickup phase: what each means, which ones are blocking your container, and how to navigate the holds, releases, and financial deadlines that determine whether your import runs smoothly or hemorrhages demurrage charges.

Vessel Arrived

Definition

Vessel Arrived is the tracking event that records when a ship has reached the destination port — but the definition of “reached” varies by carrier, creating one of the most significant tracking ambiguities in ocean shipping.

Explanation

This event appears straightforward — the vessel arrived at port. But what “arrived” means differs depending on which carrier you are tracking. On most carriers (Maersk, CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, MSC), “Vessel Arrived” or “Arrival at POD” means the vessel has berthed — it is docked at the terminal and discharge operations can begin. On ONE, Yang Ming, and likely HMM, “Vessel Arrival” means the vessel is at anchor or in the vicinity of the port. The ship has not necessarily berthed.

The DCSA (Digital Container Shipping Association) standard definition for the ARRI event code means berthed. ONE, Yang Ming, and HMM’s use of “Vessel Arrival” for anchor-level proximity is a deviation from this standard, explicitly confirmed by visibility platform Vizion.

The time between anchor and berth varies dramatically. At uncongested ports, it may be hours. At congested ports like Los Angeles, Rotterdam, or Singapore during peak season, vessels can wait at anchor for 1-5 days before a berth becomes available. During the supply chain crisis of 2021-2022, anchor waits at some ports exceeded two weeks.

This ambiguity means the same event — “Vessel Arrived” — can indicate two very different operational realities depending on the carrier. On Maersk, it means discharge is imminent. On ONE, it means the container might not be accessible for days. For the full carrier-by-carrier breakdown of how this event is labeled and defined, see our event naming comparison.

Example

An ONE container shows “Vessel Arrival” at Long Beach on March 20. The operations team dispatches a trucker expecting discharge within 24 hours. In reality, the vessel is at anchor 12 miles offshore, waiting for a berth. It does not dock until March 23, and the container is not discharged until March 24. The trucker’s dispatch was four days early.

Why It Matters Operationally

Vessel Arrived is the event that most commonly triggers downstream logistics — trucker dispatch, consignee notification, customs preparation. If your standard operating procedure treats “Vessel Arrived” the same across all carriers, you will consistently be early on ONE, Yang Ming, and HMM shipments. The safest approach is to use the Discharged event as the operational trigger for destination-side logistics, regardless of carrier.

For teams tracking across multiple carriers, normalizing the “Vessel Arrived” event requires knowing which carrier uses anchor-based vs berth-based definitions. This is not something the tracking data tells you — it requires carrier-specific knowledge baked into your processes or systems.

Common Confusion

Arrived vs Discharged: “Vessel Arrived” means the ship is at or near the port. “Discharged” means the container has been lifted off the ship. These are separate events that can be separated by 24-72+ hours. Never treat arrival as confirmation that the container is available.

Arrived vs Available: Even after discharge, the container may not be available. Customs holds, freight holds, and terminal processing all happen between arrival and availability.

Discharged

Definition

Discharged is the tracking event that records when a container has been physically lifted off the vessel and placed in the terminal yard at the port of discharge.

Explanation

Discharge is the reverse of loading: terminal cranes lift containers from the vessel’s deck or hold and place them in the yard. The event fires when the terminal operating system records the lift-off. This is a container-level event — each container on the vessel gets its own discharge timestamp, and they can span 24-72 hours depending on the vessel size, terminal capacity, and the container’s position in the stowage plan.

Carrier labels vary: Maersk uses “Discharged at POD,” MSC uses “Discharged (at POD),” CMA CGM uses “Discharged at POD,” ONE uses “Container Discharged,” OOCL uses “Discharged from Vessel at Last Port of Discharge,” and Wan Hai uses “Vessel Discharged.” The physical event is identical — the label is the only difference. See the event naming comparison for the full table.

On transshipment routings, “Discharged” appears twice in the tracking timeline: once at the intermediate hub port and once at the final destination. The port name next to the event tells you which is which. MSC labels these distinctly as “Discharged (Transshipment)” and “Discharged (at POD),” but not all carriers differentiate them in the label.

Discharge is the most operationally reliable event in the tracking timeline. Unlike “Vessel Arrived” (which may mean anchor), Discharged always means the same thing: the container is off the ship and in the terminal yard. For this reason, many operations teams use Discharged — not Vessel Arrived — as the trigger for downstream logistics actions.

Example

A Hapag-Lloyd container arrives at Rotterdam on March 18. The vessel berths and begins discharge operations. The container in question is below-deck in bay 22, which the cranes reach on March 19 at 11:00. “Discharged at POD” posts to the portal around 17:00 the same day (6-hour data lag). The container is now in the terminal yard but may still require customs clearance and freight release before it is available for pickup.

Why It Matters Operationally

Discharged is the single most important event for destination-side operations. It confirms the container is off the vessel and accessible in the terminal — though “accessible” does not mean “available.” Three things must happen after discharge before the container can be picked up: customs clearance, freight release, and terminal release. Only when all three are in place is the container truly available for pickup.

Discharge also starts important clocks. Demurrage free time typically begins counting from the discharge date (or the vessel’s arrival date, depending on the carrier’s tariff). Every day the container sits in the terminal after free time expires incurs demurrage charges.

Common Confusion

Discharged vs Available for Pickup: Discharged means the container is off the vessel. It does not mean you can pick it up. Customs holds, freight holds, and terminal processing stand between discharge and availability. Most carriers do not publish an “Available for Pickup” event.

Discharged at transshipment vs Discharged at destination: If you see “Discharged” and the port is not your destination, the container was unloaded at a transshipment hub and will be reloaded onto a connecting vessel.

Customs Hold

Definition

Customs Hold is a tracking status indicating that a container has been flagged by customs authorities and cannot be released from the terminal until the hold is cleared.

Explanation

A Customs Hold is placed when the customs authority of the destination country determines that a container requires further inspection, documentation review, or clearance action before it can be released. This can happen for many reasons: random selection for physical inspection, discrepancies in the import documentation, elevated risk profiles based on the origin country or commodity, missing or incomplete Importer Security Filing (ISF), or intelligence-led targeting.

The hold is applied at the terminal level — the terminal system flags the container as held, and the trucker physically cannot pick it up even if freight is paid and all other releases are in place. In the United States, CBP (Customs and Border Protection) is the authority; in the EU, national customs agencies handle holds.

Most carriers do not display “Customs Hold” as an event in their public tracking timeline. The hold exists in the terminal’s system and in the customs authority’s database, but the carrier’s tracking portal typically shows nothing between “Discharged” and “Gate Out.” The absence of a “Customs Hold” event in carrier tracking does not mean there is no hold — it means the carrier’s system does not surface it. You need to check with your customs broker or the terminal directly.

Customs holds vary in duration. A document-based hold (where CBP needs a corrected entry or additional paperwork) can be cleared in hours. A physical inspection hold (where CBP opens the container for examination) can take 3-10 business days. An intensive exam at a CES (Centralized Examination Station) can take longer, and the importer bears the cost of drayage to and from the exam facility.

Example

A container is discharged at the Port of Los Angeles on March 15. The importer’s customs broker files the entry, but CBP places a hold for a document review — the ISF filing has a discrepancy in the HTS code. The container sits in the terminal while the broker resolves the issue with CBP. The hold is lifted on March 18, and the container becomes available for pickup. The carrier’s tracking portal shows “Discharged” on March 15 and “Gate Out” on March 19 — with no mention of the three-day customs hold in between.

Why It Matters Operationally

Customs holds are one of the primary causes of demurrage charges. Every day the container sits in the terminal under a customs hold counts against the free time — and most carriers do not waive demurrage for customs-related delays, because the hold is not the carrier’s responsibility. If you receive a “Discharged” event and are monitoring Last Free Day, a customs hold can eat through your entire free time window before you can pick up the container.

Proactive customs filing — submitting ISF/entry data before the vessel arrives — reduces the likelihood of holds. But random inspections cannot be prevented, and the only way to manage the demurrage risk is to have a customs broker who communicates hold status in near-real-time.

Common Confusion

Customs Hold vs Freight Hold: A Customs Hold is imposed by the government customs authority. A Freight Hold is imposed by the carrier for unpaid ocean freight charges. Both prevent pickup, but they are resolved through different channels — customs through your broker, freight through the carrier.

Customs Hold vs Customs Released: “Hold” means the container is blocked. “Customs Released” means the hold has been lifted or clearance was granted without a hold. These are opposite states, not the same event.

Customs Released

Customs Released is the tracking status indicating that a container has been cleared by the customs authority at the destination port and is no longer subject to a government-imposed hold.

Customs release means the government authority has reviewed the import documentation, any required inspections have been completed, and the container is cleared from a customs perspective. This is one of three releases required before a container is available for pickup — the other two being freight release and terminal release.

Like customs holds, customs release is typically not shown on carrier tracking portals. The release lives in the customs authority’s system and the terminal’s system, not in the carrier’s tracking pipeline. Your customs broker is the primary source for release status.

CBP reviews the import entry for a container discharged at Savannah on March 12. The entry clears without a hold on March 12 at 16:00. The customs broker confirms the release to the importer. However, the container also has a freight hold (ocean charges unpaid), so it is still not available for pickup despite the customs release.

Customs release is necessary but not sufficient for container pickup. Even with customs cleared, a freight hold or terminal hold will prevent the trucker from retrieving the container. Operations teams need to verify all three releases before dispatching a truck.

Customs Released vs Available for Pickup: Customs release is just one of three required releases. The container is not available until freight and terminal releases are also in place.

Freight Hold

Freight Hold is a carrier-imposed hold placed on a container at the destination terminal because ocean freight charges have not been paid.

When ocean freight is billed as “collect” (payable at destination), the carrier places a freight hold on the container until payment is confirmed. The container is physically in the terminal, may be customs-cleared, and may appear discharged in tracking — but the terminal will not release it for pickup until the carrier removes the freight hold. The hold is the carrier’s leverage to ensure payment before the cargo leaves their control.

Freight holds are resolved by paying the outstanding ocean freight charges directly to the carrier or their agent. Payment processing can take 24-48 hours to reflect in the terminal system, even after the carrier confirms receipt. This delay frequently catches teams off guard — the freight is paid, but the hold persists for another day while the systems sync.

An importer’s container is discharged at Long Beach on March 14. Customs clears the entry on March 14. But the ocean freight was billed as “collect” and the importer has not yet paid. The carrier holds the container. The importer pays on March 16, but the hold is not lifted in the terminal system until March 17. The container is finally available for pickup on March 17 — three days after discharge.

Freight holds are entirely within the shipper’s or consignee’s control, unlike customs holds. Paying freight early — before the vessel arrives — eliminates this hold entirely and avoids unnecessary demurrage. Every day spent resolving a freight hold is a day of demurrage ticking.

Freight Hold vs Customs Hold: A freight hold is imposed by the carrier for unpaid charges. A customs hold is imposed by the government. Different causes, different resolution paths.

Freight Released

Freight Released is the tracking status indicating that ocean freight charges have been paid and the carrier has removed the freight hold on a container.

Freight release confirms that the financial obligation between the shipper/consignee and the carrier has been satisfied for the ocean transport leg. For “prepaid” shipments where freight is paid at origin, the release is automatic — there was never a hold. For “collect” shipments where freight is payable at destination, the release happens when the carrier confirms payment and instructs the terminal to lift the hold.

Freight release is one of three releases required for a container to become available for pickup, alongside customs release and terminal release.

A consignee pays the ocean freight invoice for a collect shipment on March 15. The carrier processes the payment and issues a freight release to the terminal on March 16. Combined with an existing customs release, the container is now available for pickup (assuming no terminal hold).

On collect shipments, freight release is the hold most within the consignee’s control. Paying before the vessel arrives eliminates this bottleneck entirely. Delays in freight release are avoidable delays — and every day costs demurrage.

Freight Released vs Customs Released: Freight release comes from the carrier (financial). Customs release comes from the government authority (regulatory). Both are needed, and they come from different sources.

Available for Pickup

Definition

Available for Pickup is the tracking status indicating that a container has been cleared of all holds — customs, freight, and terminal — and is physically accessible in the terminal yard for a trucker to retrieve.

Explanation

This status represents the convergence of three separate releases: customs release (the government has cleared the container), freight release (the carrier has confirmed payment), and terminal release (the terminal has made the container accessible in the yard). All three must be in place simultaneously before the container is truly available.

The critical point is that most carriers do not publish “Available for Pickup” as a single event. The DCSA standard defines an AVPU (Available for Pick-Up) code, but among the top-12 carriers Hapag-Lloyd is the notable implementer. On MSC, Maersk, CMA CGM, ONE, COSCO, and most others, the gap between “Discharged” and “Gate Out” is a black box — the carrier’s portal tells you nothing about hold status or availability during that period.

To confirm availability on most carriers, you must check three separate sources: your customs broker (for customs release), the carrier’s local office (for freight release), and the terminal’s website or phone line (for terminal release and yard location).

Example

A container is discharged at Houston on March 14. Customs clears on March 14. Freight was prepaid (no hold). The terminal processes the container into its yard system and assigns a yard location on March 15. All three releases are in place — the container is available for pickup as of March 15. On Hapag-Lloyd, this would show as an “Available for Pick-up” event. On MSC, the tracking would show “Discharged” on March 14 and nothing until “Gate Out” whenever the trucker arrives.

Why It Matters Operationally

Available for Pickup is the true trigger for trucker dispatch. Dispatching before all three releases are confirmed means your driver may arrive at the terminal and be turned away — wasting a trip, a driver slot, and a terminal appointment. On the other hand, waiting too long burns through free time and triggers demurrage. Getting the availability timing right is one of the most consequential operational decisions in the import cycle.

Common Confusion

Discharged vs Available: Discharge means off the vessel. Available means all holds cleared and ready for pickup. These can be separated by hours or days.

Last Free Day

Definition

Last Free Day (LFD) is the final calendar day before demurrage or detention charges begin accruing on a container at the destination port or terminal.

Explanation

When a container is discharged at the destination port, the carrier grants a set number of “free days” during which the container can sit in the terminal without incurring additional charges. The Last Free Day is the deadline of that free time window. After it passes, demurrage charges begin — typically $100-$300+ per container per day depending on the carrier, port, and container type (reefer containers are significantly more expensive).

Free time is not standardized across the industry. Different carriers offer different amounts of free time — typically 3-7 days for imports at US ports, though it varies by tariff, contract, and trade lane. Some carriers calculate free time from the vessel’s arrival date; others from the discharge date. The difference can be 1-3 days, which materially affects when charges begin.

Last Free Day applies specifically to demurrage — the charge for the container occupying space in the terminal yard. A separate concept, detention, applies after the container leaves the terminal: detention charges accrue when the empty container is not returned to the carrier’s designated depot within a specified window. Some carriers combine demurrage and detention into a single “combined D&D” tariff; others treat them separately.

Visibility into Last Free Day varies significantly by carrier. MSC shows it only in the myMSC registered portal, not on the public tracker. Hapag-Lloyd shows it in the portal for containers at destination. OOCL sends D&D free-time expiry alerts up to 5 days in advance through My OOCL Center. Maersk does not surface LFD in public tracking. CMA CGM does not display it prominently. In many cases, the terminal’s website is a more reliable source for LFD than the carrier’s tracking portal.

Example

A container is discharged at Savannah on March 10. The carrier’s tariff grants 5 free days, calculated from the discharge date. The Last Free Day is March 15. If the container is picked up on March 14, no demurrage applies. If it is picked up on March 17, two days of demurrage charges accrue (March 16 and 17) at $175 per day — $350 in charges that did not exist 48 hours earlier.

Why It Matters Operationally

Last Free Day is the single most financially consequential date in the import cycle. Demurrage charges are a direct, avoidable cost that scales with every day of delay. For high-volume importers managing hundreds of containers per month, even one extra day of demurrage per container can add up to tens of thousands of dollars. Knowing the LFD — and having a process to act before it — is the difference between a controlled operation and a cost leak.

The FMC (Federal Maritime Commission) has issued rules on D&D billing practices, including requirements that carriers provide clear notice of free time and charges. Despite these requirements, the practical challenge remains: LFD information is scattered across carrier portals, terminal websites, and freight forwarder systems with no single authoritative source. For more on how carrier data accuracy affects demurrage management, see our analysis.

Common Confusion

Demurrage vs Detention: Demurrage applies while the laden container is in the terminal (before pickup). Detention applies after the container leaves the terminal (the empty is with the consignee and has not been returned). Last Free Day refers to the demurrage window. Detention has its own separate free time calculation.

Carrier free time vs Terminal free time: At some ports, both the carrier and the terminal impose separate storage charges with separate free time periods. The effective LFD is whichever expires first.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Which carriers define “Vessel Arrived” as at anchor vs berthed?
A: ONE, Yang Ming, and likely HMM define it as at anchor or in the vicinity. Maersk, CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, and most others define it as berthed. The DCSA standard (ARRI) means berthed.

Q: How can I tell if a vessel has actually berthed?
A: Check AIS vessel tracking (MarineTraffic, VesselFinder) for the vessel’s current position. Alternatively, wait for the “Discharged” event, which confirms the vessel is at berth and unloading has begun.

Q: Should I dispatch my trucker based on “Vessel Arrived”?
A: No. Wait for the “Discharged” event. This applies regardless of carrier, but is especially important for ONE, Yang Ming, and HMM where arrival can precede discharge by days.

Q: How long after vessel arrival does discharge happen?
A: Typically 12-72 hours, depending on the vessel size, terminal capacity, and where the container is stowed. Containers stowed on deck are discharged faster than those in the hold.

Q: Does “Discharged” mean I can send my truck?
A: Not yet. You need to confirm customs clearance, freight release, and terminal availability. Only Hapag-Lloyd publishes a true “Available for Pickup” (AVPU) event; other carriers require you to check independently.

Q: Why does “Discharged” appear twice on my tracking timeline?
A: Your container routed through a transshipment port. The first discharge is at the hub; the second is at your destination. Check the port names to confirm.

Q: Will the carrier’s tracking portal show me if my container is on customs hold?
A: Almost never. Most carriers do not surface customs hold status in their tracking. Check with your customs broker or the terminal’s website for hold status.

Q: Does demurrage accrue during a customs hold?
A: Yes. Carriers generally do not waive demurrage for customs-related delays, as the hold is not their responsibility. The free time clock keeps running.

Q: How can I reduce the risk of a customs hold?
A: File ISF/entry data early and accurately. Ensure HTS codes, shipper/consignee details, and container manifests are complete and consistent. Random inspections still occur, but accurate filings significantly reduce the risk of document-based holds.

Q: Will the carrier’s tracking show me when customs releases my container?
A: Rarely. Most carriers do not display customs release in their tracking. Check with your customs broker.

Q: Does customs release happen automatically?
A: If the entry is filed correctly and no hold is triggered, release can happen within hours of vessel arrival. But it requires an accurate customs entry filing by the broker.

Q: Does demurrage accrue during a freight hold?
A: Yes. Demurrage does not stop because of a freight hold. This is one of the most common causes of avoidable demurrage charges.

Q: How quickly is the hold lifted after I pay?
A: Typically 24-48 hours for the payment to reflect in the terminal system. Pay before vessel arrival to avoid this delay entirely.

Q: How do I confirm freight release?
A: Contact the carrier’s local office or your freight forwarder. Most carriers do not show freight release status on their public tracking portals.

Q: If freight is prepaid, do I still need a freight release?
A: On prepaid shipments, there is no hold to release — the container is cleared from the freight perspective automatically.

Q: Which carriers publish an “Available for Pickup” event?
A: Hapag-Lloyd is the notable implementer of the DCSA AVPU code among major carriers. Most others do not publish a combined availability event.

Q: How do I check if my container is available without an AVPU event?
A: Verify customs release with your broker, freight release with the carrier, and terminal release with the terminal. All three must be confirmed before dispatching a trucker.

Q: Where can I find my container’s Last Free Day?
A: Check the carrier’s registered portal (e.g., myMSC, My OOCL Center), the terminal’s website, or your freight forwarder. Not all carriers display LFD in public tracking.

Q: Can I request an extension of free time?
A: Some carriers grant extensions on a case-by-case basis, especially for contracted customers. Request extensions before the LFD passes — asking after charges have begun is significantly harder.

Q: Do weekends and holidays count as free days?
A: It depends on the carrier’s tariff. Some carriers count only business days; others count calendar days. Check the specific carrier’s tariff for your port.

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