Stop paying per diem you don't owe.
We check every per diem and detention bill your company gets, and dispute the bad ones in your name, with proof, before the 30‑day clock runs out.
- 35% of what gets cancelled
- Nothing if we save you nothing
- No contract
| Container TGHU 408213-7Out 06/02, empty in 06/09 | |
| Days billed, 06/02 to 06/11 | 10 days |
| Free time | −5 days |
| Billable days at $155 | 5 days |
| Amount due | $775.00$0.00 |
- Billed 2 days after the empty was back. Returned 06/09, charged through 06/11.
- Invoice sent 41 days after the last charge. Federal rules allow 30.
- Missing a required statement that the carrier didn't cause the delay.
Is this invoice even payable?
Enter two dates from any container per diem or detention invoice. You'll see in seconds whether it came in late, and how long you have to dispute it.
Carriers deny disputes that come without proof. Ours come with it.
A dispute letter is easy to write and easy to deny. What wins is the paper trail, and most small fleets don't have time to build one. We build it for every invoice.
- The invoice against the federal checklistEvery required item, checked. One missing item can mean you don't owe the charge.
- The dates that matterWhen the box went out, when the empty came back, when the charges stopped, when the bill was sent.
- The carrier's own rulesIts published free time and rates, with weekends and holidays counted the way its schedule says.
- Your recordsGate tickets and interchange receipts, when a dispute needs them.
| Invoice | Finding | Status | At stake |
|---|---|---|---|
| PD-4471 | Sent 41 days after last charge | Disputed | $775 |
| PD-4519 | Charged after empty return | Cancelled | $310 |
| DT-2210 | Free time miscounted by 1 day | Reduced | $165 |
| PD-4602 | No issues found | Pay as billed | $0 |
We request cancellation of per diem invoice PD-4471, container TGHU 408213-7, for $775.00.
The last charge was incurred on 06/11. The invoice was issued on 07/22, 41 days later. Under 46 CFR 541.7, a billing party must issue an invoice within 30 calendar days of the date the charge was last incurred, or the billed party is not required to pay it.
The attached records also show the empty was returned on 06/09. Please confirm the cancellation in writing.
The rule that works in your favor
Since 2024, federal rules have spelled out what a container demurrage, detention, or per diem invoice has to include, and how fast it has to be sent.
Miss any required item, or send the bill more than 30 days after the last charge, and you're not required to pay it.
Source: 46 CFR 541.5, 541.6, and 541.7. These rules cover invoices from ocean carriers, marine terminals, and NVOCCs. Chassis charges follow your UIIA and contracts, and we check those too.
- Which container, and why you're the one billed. The invoice has to explain why you're the party responsible.
- The dates. The period the charges cover and when payment is due.
- The rate, and the math. Enough to see how the amount was calculated.
- How to dispute. Who to contact, where the requirements are posted, and the deadlines.
- Two statements from the carrier. That the charges follow FMC rules, and that its own performance didn't cause them.
Set it up once. We handle the rest.
Setup takes about 10 minutes. After that, your only job is making sure invoices reach us.
Sign up
One short agreement and a letter that lets us dispute in your company's name.
Forward your invoices
You get a private address. Set your email to auto-forward carrier bills, or send them yourself.
We check and dispute
Every invoice gets checked. The bad ones get a written dispute with proof, inside the 30‑day window.
You keep the savings
When a carrier cancels or cuts a charge in writing, you keep 65%. One statement a month.
You only pay when we save you money
35%
of each charge a carrier cancels or cuts in writing. You keep the other 65%.
- Your first audit is free.
- No setup fee and no monthly fee.
- No contract. Cancel anytime by email.
- If a carrier puts a cancelled charge back within 60 days, we credit our fee.
Example June statement
One itemized statement. Paid by bank debit 5 business days later, so you can review it first.
| Invoice | Cancelled | Our fee |
|---|---|---|
| PD-4519 | $310.00 | $108.50 |
| DT-2210 | $165.00 | $57.75 |
| PD-4471Still in dispute, not billed | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Total | $475.00 | $166.25 |
| You keep | $308.75 | |
We will never tell you to stop paying your bills.
Unpaid invoices can put your interchange access at risk. Keep paying anything that isn't disputed, on time. We fight the bad charges the right way: in writing, on deadline, with proof.
Run by a freight professional, not a call center
Our founder
Portside Recovery
Portside was founded by a freight professional with more than 20 years in logistics and international freight, moving cargo through more than 15 countries. Portside exists to give small drayage fleets the same invoice discipline the big carriers use against them.
How we protect your business
- We never ask for passwordsNot to your carrier accounts, your terminal accounts, or your bank.
- Payments run through StripeYour bank debit is handled by Stripe. You review every statement before it's paid.
- Your invoices stay yoursUsed only to audit and dispute them. Deleted on request when you cancel.
- Nothing gets sent without authorizationDisputes go out only under the letter you sign, and we never agree to a charge on your behalf.
Built for small and mid-size drayage fleets
A good fit if you
- Pull ocean containers under your own UIIA
- Run roughly 5 to 50 trucks
- Get per diem, detention, or demurrage bills every month
- Don't have someone checking every invoice line by line
Not a fit if you
- Drive leased onto another carrier's authority. The invoice goes to them, not you.
- Already run a per diem dispute system you're happy with
Questions
Do I need to stop paying my invoices?
No. Keep paying anything that isn't disputed, on time. Unpaid invoices can affect your interchange access under the UIIA. We dispute specific charges, in writing, the way carriers require.
Will the carrier know you're involved?
Disputes go out in your company's name, with a signed letter authorizing us to handle them. Carriers can reply to us directly, and you're copied on everything.
What's the 30‑day clock?
There are two. A carrier has 30 days from the last charge to send the invoice. After that, you generally have 30 days from the invoice date to dispute it in writing. That's why invoices need to reach us as soon as they arrive.
What if you don't find anything?
Then you pay nothing. The audit is free. Our fee only applies to charges a carrier cancels or cuts in writing.
What if a carrier re-bills a charge you got cancelled?
If a carrier reinstates or validly re-bills a cancelled charge within 60 days, we credit our fee back to you.
Do you handle chassis per diem?
Yes. We check chassis charges against your UIIA terms and contracts. The federal invoice rules cover containers, not chassis, so those disputes rest on the contract terms.
Can you get back money I already paid?
Not yet. Right now we work on invoices that haven't been paid. We plan to add this.
Are you a law firm?
No. We're an invoice audit company. We check invoices against federal invoice rules, the carrier's own published terms, and your UIIA, and we dispute factual errors. We don't give legal advice.
Check my invoices free
Send us an invoice or two now if you have them. We'll check them and send your agreement and private forwarding address.
- Send this form, with invoices if you have them
- Get your free results by email
- Sign up only if you like what you see