Carrier Tariff Updates are Tough
Managing detention and demurrage (D&D) costs is already a complex task – and fragmented, disorganized communication by major carriers makes it even harder. Tariff updates can appear suddenly, without formal announcements or clear timelines. This leads to unnecessary surprises, last-minute planning, and increased operational risk.
In an industry where timing is everything, the lack of critical information at the right time, and the inability to plan accordingly, can significantly disrupt operations. When new rate structures go live with no heads-up, logistics teams are left scrambling to catch up and accurately forecast costs, manage shipments efficiently and meet customers’ expectations.
That’s why a more proactive, automated approach to tariff management is becoming essential for operational resilience.
How Smart Operations Stop Tariff Surprises
Logistics has been saddled with analog processes, until now. Gen AI represents a revolutionary leap in this traditionally paper-heavy industry, structuring unstructured information and unlocking new insights without time-consuming data preparation. This technology bridges the digital gap, letting you move faster while the rest of the industry plays catch-up.
One powerful example is tariff management automation. Instead of siloed communications and manual tracking, both standard and custom tariffs can now be seamlessly managed through a centralized system.
Enabled by advanced AI and LLM models, these tariff management solutions can automatically track standard tariffs from carrier sources. They can also process and contextualize complex custom contracts, instantly calculating detention and demurrage costs with precision.
This gives you the ability to:
- Eliminate hours of manual work across spreadsheets
- Avoid cost surprises from unannounced tariff changes
- Compare carrier tariffs side-by-side with full transparency
- Accurately forecast and manage detention and demurrage costs
Full D&D automation means there’s no need to manually monitor carrier websites or second-guess your data. This guarantees that even ad hoc updates are reflected in the platform, so you’re never left exposed.
From Reactive to Resilient with D&D Automation
Tariff updates shouldn’t require hours of manual work across spreadsheets and internal systems. Windward’s D&D Automation Solution delivers end-to-end visibility by intelligently pairing contract terms with real-time voyage milestones.
As your containers move through critical checkpoints – vessel arrival, discharge, customs clearance – our system automatically applies the precise tariff rules at each stage, creating a dynamic view of your current and projected D&D exposure.
This enables proactive management rather than reactive firefighting. You’ll identify at-risk containers before they incur penalties, prioritize shipments based on cost implications, and optimize operations with data-driven precision. No more relying on fragmented processes – Windward provides one centralized platform that transforms complex tariff rules into actionable intelligence throughout the container journey.
Curious to see it in action? The Windward D&D Calculator offers a quick, hands-on preview of how D&D Automation simplifies detention and demurrage management, giving you real-time visibility into expenses.
Book a Demo
