Demurrage Prevention Agent
At a glance
- Live at: MOVIN (primary), Adani Ports
- Channels: voice (outbound calls), email
- Languages: EN, AR
- Owner: Ports/Freight pod
- Key stat: Demurrage charges can run USD 100-500+ per container per day — prevention is high-ROI
The problem it solves
Demurrage is a charge applied when cargo sits at a port or terminal beyond the free storage period. It’s one of the most expensive and avoidable costs in freight logistics. The problem is timing: someone needs to track free-time deadlines, identify containers approaching their cutoff, and notify the right people to arrange pickup or clearance — before charges start accruing.
At scale, with hundreds of containers in various stages of clearance, manual monitoring fails. Charges slip through because no one was watching the deadline.
How it works
Step by step
- Monitor — Continuously tracks container free-time deadlines from the TMS/port system.
- Identify risk — Flags containers approaching their free-time expiry (configurable threshold, e.g., 24-48 hours before).
- Identify stakeholders — Determines who needs to act: importer, customs house agent (CHA), trucker, or internal ops.
- Outbound alert — Places automated voice calls to stakeholders with specific container details and deadline information. Simultaneously sends email alerts.
- Track response — Records whether the stakeholder acknowledged and committed to action.
- Follow-up — If no response, schedules follow-up calls at configurable intervals.
- Escalate — If the deadline is imminent and no action has been taken, escalates to the account manager.
- Resolve — Once the container is cleared or picked up, marks the ticket as resolved.
At MOVIN
MOVIN’s demurrage agent focuses on:
- Container tracking at UAE ports
- Proactive notifications to importers before free-time expiry
- Integration with MOVIN’s freight management system
- Part of the 4-agent deployment alongside WISMO, Appointment, and Dispute Resolution
At Adani Ports
Adani’s variant integrates with the Container Freight Station (CFS) system:
- Monitors both import and export containers
- Coordinates with the Customs agent for clearance dependencies
- Handles multi-party notification (CHA, shipper, consignee)
Tech stack
| Layer | What’s used |
|---|---|
| Models | Gemini 2.5 Flash (voice calls — needs fast, natural conversation) |
| Memory | Short-term: call context. Long-term: container tracking history, stakeholder preferences. |
| Tools (MCP) | TMS container lookup, port system integration, voice call, email, follow-up scheduling. |
| Guardrails | Cannot modify container status directly; read-only for billing; escalation threshold enforced. |
| Evals | Scenarios: deadline approaching, container cleared, no-answer, multi-party coordination, escalation. |
Why CS folks should study this
- High ROI pitch. Demurrage costs are concrete and measurable. Preventing even a few charges per week pays for the agent deployment.
- Proactive, not reactive. Unlike WISMO (which responds to queries), demurrage prevention is agent-initiated — it reaches out before the problem happens.
- Port vertical entry point. For customers like Adani, demurrage prevention is often the first agent deployed because the business case is clearest.
Sources
- Shipsy x MOVIN: AgentFleet
- MOVIN AI Business Case & ROI
- Shipsy for Adani Ports
- See MOVIN case study for the full deployment context
- See Adani Ports case study for the ports deployment
Changelog
- 26 May 2026: Full content from MOVIN and Adani deployment details.