TransmetriQ Launches Demurrage Module

(Image Courtesy of TransmetriQ)

Railinc’s TransmetriQ business unit on Feb. 29 reported releasing a Demurrage module for its rail management system, which it said is designed “to empower rail shippers with greater control of transportation costs.”

Rail shippers can incur demurrage fees when railcars are held in yards and loading facilities beyond the allowed number of free days, which are determined based on railroad-provided rules for specific locations and circumstances.

TransmetriQ said that with its new yard-specific dashboards and alerting, shippers will be able to identify demurrage situations at a glance and act before charges occur. According to the company, the new Demurrage module offers these benefits:

• “Helps to identify and manage demurrage situations.
• “Provides automatic demurrage estimates.
• “Enhances yard visibility.
• “Manages differing rules at multiple locations.
• “Identifies dwell and cycle time trends.
• “Improves inbound car visibility and prioritizes cars for loading/unloading to minimize demurrage fees.”

The TransmetriQ Demurrage module was designed for carload shippers, the company reported, with the introduction of a similar intermodal detention fee management system planned for a later date.

“Our new Demurrage module is an enhancement to the TransmetriQ Platform, which provides complete North American railcar management,” TransmetriQ Senior Product Manager Danny Dever said. “In speaking with a variety of shippers, we found that many were struggling to manage demurrage with spreadsheets. Our solution tracks terminal capacity and estimates demurrage automatically, giving shippers the visibility to take action on cars incurring fees—ultimately leading to a reduction in demurrage costs.”

Separately, TransmetriQ last summer debuted Reporting & Analytics, described as “a new comprehensive [railcar] fleet reporting tool that synthesizes asset location, health and repair data to provide deeper fleet insights. With customizable, interactive dashboards and configurable alerts, Reporting & Analytics makes it easier than ever for fleet managers to recognize areas of concern and optimization opportunities.” Additionally, in February 2023, it introduced Asset Manager, which provides railcar fleet owners and managers “instant visibility of the location, health and status of their assets,” and in September 2023 added to that offering, Program Maintenance and Shop Locator functionalities.