Beyond the port: Why add inland to your ocean import contracts? (Import-focused)

Importing freight? The real complexity begins after your vessel arrives—when cargo hits congested ports, truck capacity fluctuates, timelines get compressed, and you still need on-time fulfillment. Despite this, many importers continue to manage inland logistics as a disconnected afterthought—separately negotiated, separately scheduled, separately coordinated. The result? A fragile chain, a fragmented model of moving parts, hoping that they’ll hold together and somehow synchronize.

This is where the real gap lies—between vessel discharge and final inland delivery—and where the problems grow.

Port and rail congestion. Delays. Demurrage. Missed warehouse slots. Disrupted fulfillment. Expedited rework. Piling detention charges. And all of it adding cost, complexity, and pressure on teams already stretched thin.

This article explores how integrating inland with your ocean import contract helps importers close that gap—creating a connected flow from port to warehouse. Not just to simplify operations but also to build a more responsive, cost-controlled, and resilient inbound supply chain.

The import challenge: Too many handoffs, too little control

When an ocean container is discharged at the destination port, importers face a unique set of complications, ones that don’t mirror the exporter experience.

They need to secure drayage, find available trucking or rail, align delivery with warehouse capacity, and ensure documentation keeps pace. Each step is usually handled by a different provider, and each handoff carries risks: not just operational, but commercial.

Here’s how that plays out on the ground:

• Drayage bottlenecks at high-volume ports: Inland transport availability is unpredictable, especially during peak seasons. Without pre-secured capacity or a coordinated plan, cargo sits idle at terminals, and the freetime clock starts ticking.
• Documentation misalignment: When inland isn’t integrated with the ocean, customs documentation and clearance updates may fall out of sync, causing delays at port and complications in downstream delivery.
• Last-mile alignment issues: When deliveries miss warehouse appointments, it doesn’t just cause delays. It backs up inventory, disrupts downstream distribution, and creates ripple effects across SKUs, production lines, regions, and sales channels.
• Storage and inventory complications: Unreliable inland connections mean containers often arrive either too early to store or too late to fulfill. Either way, the costs escalate: storage fees, rehandling, last-minute workarounds, or expensive alternatives.
• Operational overwhelm: Managing multiple disconnected providers across the ocean, trucking, rail, and warehousing often leaves internal teams spending around 70% of the time resolving communication problems due to these handoffs—chasing trucks, rescheduling deliveries, and coordinating updates rather than optimizing the flow.

Unlike exports, where upstream precision is the game, import logistics is about downstream responsiveness. That means integration isn’t just about reliability—it is about agility, visibility, and control from port to final destination, to keep your supply chain moving even when conditions shift.

The hidden costs of fragmentation in import supply chains

Fragmented inland planning often feels manageable. Until it isn’t.

On paper, it may seem efficient to negotiate trucking, drayage, and rail separately. But in reality, fragmentation leads to compounding inefficiencies, unpredictable expenses, and missed opportunities—at scale. Import delays are friction points eroding margins quietly, but quickly.

Here’s where the actual costs show up:

• Demurrage and per diem charges: When inland connections aren’t synchronized with container discharge, containers linger at terminals beyond the allocated freetime. That ‘pause’ quickly turns into billable ‘demurrage’ hours and erodes the margin.
• Warehouse overflow and misaligned inventory: When deliveries don’t match warehouse readiness or fulfillment windows, importers are forced into excess storage or costly rehandling.
• Lost revenue from downstream disruptions: When components or stock arrive out of step with demand, it means lost revenue. Retailers miss launch dates. Manufacturers halt production. E-commerce misses delivery windows. Inbound delays ripple far beyond logistics.
• Excess working capital tied in transit: Fragmented handoffs mean slower throughput and longer dwell times, tying up working capital in goods that aren’t selling or moving. These inefficiencies can translate to $65 billion and $95 billion in losses at interaction points between shippers, dispatchers, third-party logistics companies (3PLs), and carriers during the mid- and last-mile logistics.
• Empty container inefficiencies: Shippers may also face increased detention charges when empty containers cannot be returned on time—especially with off-site depots, mismatched return timelines, or congested container yards.

These are recurring costs: financial, operational, and reputational.

Individually, they may look small. But collectively, they drain margins, reduce velocity, and disrupt your supply chain operations. And they don’t just eat into your profits. They pull your internal teams away from higher-value work. Instead of focusing on demand planning, supplier coordination, or strategic sourcing, your team ends up chasing trucks, troubleshooting delays, and resolving billing disputes. A more connected, integrated model helps avoid these inefficiencies and frees up bandwidth where it matters most.

Top 5 hidden costs of fragmentation in import supply chains

1. Demurrage & detention charges
2. Warehouse overflow + storage rehandling
3. Lost revenue from downstream disruptions
4. Working capital tied up in slow-moving cargo
5. Container return inefficiencies + depot delays

Did you know? With Maersk’s integrated ocean+inland solution, importers can ‘stop the clock’ on demurrage and detention—not just at the terminal, but all the way through the final delivery. Once the container is emptied onsite at your facility, the detention clock stops. That means no extra charges for idle containers, no surprises from mismatched timelines, and no scrambling to coordinate returns. It’s one of the simplest ways to avoid cost bleed—but only possible when the journey is truly connected, and your freight’s inland moves are integrated into your ocean contract.

Stop the clock on D&D

• Demurrage paused at terminal
• Detention paused once container is emptied onsite
• No idle container charges, no extra coordination

Only possible when inland is integrated with your ocean contract.

How integrated transport helps importers win the supply chain complexity

We’ve discussed the friction created by supply chain fragmentation. But what happens when inland moves are planned as part of your ocean journey—under the same contract, through the same provider, and on the same platform?

By integrating inland with your ocean import contract, you simplify the logistics process and create a unified, strategic, connected supply chain flow from port to warehouse. Here’s what importers gain with a bundled ocean+inland solution:

• Pre-aligned inland capacity upon arrival: With integrated logistics, inland moves are already in sync with your ocean schedule, thus, reducing delays, dwell time, and the scramble for last-minute drayage or rail—no more capacity crunch after cargo arrives.
• Simplified coordination, fewer handoffs: One contract. One point of contact. One accountable partner. That means fewer emails, fewer phone calls, and fewer disconnects between ocean, drayage, and delivery. Your internal teams are freed from coordination and can refocus on high-impact work like planning, forecasting, and exception management.
• Aligned delivery to warehouse appointments and fulfillment cycles: When inland legs are part of the same journey, you gain precision. Deliveries are better matched to warehouse readiness, demand forecasts, and fulfillment timelines.
• Consistent pricing, lower volatility: Fragmented moves mean fluctuating inland rates. With integration, inland pricing is locked in—typically for the same duration as your ocean contract—providing greater budget predictability. And if cargo can be accepted within the freetime but Maersk fails to deliver, any resulting storage costs are on Maersk. That’s accountability, built-in.
• Reduced risk of compliance issues and documentation errors: When inland moves are handled by the same provider handling the ocean, your customs documentation, container release details, and pickup instructions are aligned, reducing delays, errors, or compliance issues. You also get connected visibility milestones on Maersk, so tracking inland legs doesn’t mean switching tabs or chasing updates.

Integration doesn’t just streamline, it completes the journey.

From vessel discharge to final delivery to container return, every mile is mapped, managed, and made more reliable. With Maersk’s integrated carrier haulage solution, we offer the complete package to help you manage the handoffs and even minimize D&D charges. We retrieve the container from the vessel, deliver it inland, and return the empty container to the depot—closing the loop and reducing repositioning headaches for importers.

Beyond movement: Visibility, agility, sustainability

Integrated inland logistics delivers more than convenience. It delivers control.

Real-time tracking helps you reroute shipments, reschedule dock slots, and respond faster to shifting demand. With every link visible, you move with agility, not guesswork. And by consolidating moves and optimizing routes, you reduce carbon emissions, making ESG targets more achievable. This isn’t just a smarter way to ship; it’s a smarter way to operate.

But integration isn’t one-size-fits-all. Depending on how you move your ocean freight, Maersk offers two ways to plug inland into your strategy—without the fragmentation.

Integrated inland options for complex import supply chains

Inland transport is never just about the mode. It’s about how well the movement connects with the rest of your journey. That’s why Maersk offers two inland options designed to meet different levels of complexity, control, and operational preference:

Intermodal: Carrier-haulage

For shippers using Maersk Ocean Services, inland transport can be fully integrated into the same contract. From terminal pickup to delivery at your distribution center (or even final customer location), the movement is handled by Maersk: with one point of accountability across both legs, including container return to the depot. This connected model means fewer handoffs, tighter planning, and better schedule alignment. Also, many commonly incurred accessorial charges—like chassis usage, driver wait time at the port, or fuel surcharges—are already baked into the rate. That means fewer surprise line items, and more predictability built into your costs.

Intermodal: Multi-carrier

For importers moving ocean freight via another carrier or logistics service provider, Maersk can handle the onward inland journey. This option allows you to move full container loads (FCL) from terminal to destination using Maersk’s inland network—without changing ocean providers. It’s a great fit for shippers who prefer to work with Maersk inland but have multi-carrier ocean strategies in place. Learn more about ‘carrier vs. merchant haulage’.

Here’s a quick breakdown of how these two options differ in practice:

Intermodal: Carrier vs. merchant (multi-carrier)

Ultimately, both approaches—carrier haulage and merchant haulage—give importers the flexibility to tailor their inland logistics based on operational complexity, internal capacity, and control preferences. It’s about choosing the right fit for your business, not a one-size-fits-all answer.

When one partner controls the end-to-end flow, the friction fades, the clock stops ticking, and your delivery doesn’t have to depend on crossed fingers. Maersk’s integrated transportation provides routing flexibility (across truck, rail, or barge), load visibility from port to the warehouse via our digital platform, and optional modal shifts to support sustainability goals—with maximum control and consistency. Ready to streamline your inbound moves? Explore how our integrated solutions can help you build a more connected, resilient import supply chain.

Get in touch with a Maersk expert about inland + ocean integration.