Baltimore, Maryland · East Coast
Port of Baltimore container demurrage & detention dispute guide
Seagirt Marine Terminal, run by Ports America Chesapeake, handles Baltimore's container traffic. Pre-advise, appointments and off-terminal chassis supply shape D&D disputes here.
- Authority
- Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Port Administration (MDOT MPA)
- Volume
- 1,113,309 TEU at Seagirt Marine Terminal in calendar 2025, a terminal record (Maryland Port Administration, January 29, 2026)
- Container terminals
- 3
The port at a glance
Baltimore's container business runs almost entirely through Seagirt Marine Terminal, owned by the Maryland Port Administration and operated under a long-term concession by Ports America Chesapeake. The port is better known for autos and ro-ro at Dundalk Marine Terminal and private facilities, but Seagirt set a container record in 2025 with 1,113,309 TEU and 689 ship calls, as weekly scheduled container services rose from 12 to 15. Baltimore sits closer to the Midwest than most East Coast ports, and its import base includes furniture, retail goods and industrial inputs bound for the Washington, Baltimore and central Pennsylvania distribution markets.
The port's D&D history includes one of the most severe disruptions any US port has faced. After the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed on March 26, 2024, the Fort McHenry channel was blocked and vessels diverted to other ports until the federal channel was fully restored in June 2024. Containers caught by the closure, diverted to other ports, or delayed by the recovery generated D&D that cargo owners could not control. Day-to-day exposure now comes from gate and appointment capacity at a single container terminal, chassis supplied from off-terminal provider depots, and empty-return direction.
A common error at Baltimore is treating the terminal's availability flag as the end of the inquiry. Seagirt moved to mandatory pre-advise in October 2022, paperless ticketing in June 2023 and a trucker appointment system in December 2024, so the real question on any billed day is whether an appointment could be booked and a chassis obtained. Under 46 CFR § 541.6 the invoice must state the container availability date and the specific dates charged; under 46 CFR § 545.5 days when the cargo could not be moved are a focus.
Container terminals
Seagirt Marine Terminal
Ports America Chesapeake · Baltimore's container terminal, concession from the Maryland Port Administration; New Vail gate opened November 2024
Dundalk Marine Terminal
Maryland Port Administration · Primarily ro-ro, autos and breakbulk; eModal Trucker Check registration required for entry
Ports America Chesapeake empty container and chassis depot
Ports America Chesapeake · 2501 Broening Highway; under construction with completion expected in April 2026 per MPA records
Appointments & empty returns
- Seagirt uses a pre-advise system (mandatory for trucking visits since October 2022), paperless ticketing (live June 2023) and a trucker appointment system rolled out in December 2024, according to Ports America Chesapeake's report to the Maryland Port Administration.
- Truckers must be registered with eModal (Trucker Check) to enter Seagirt and Dundalk, and every truck entering Seagirt needs a valid RFID tag.
- Ports America's PA Connect web portal and the Seagirt TOS portal (Navis N4) provide container status and validate gate transactions.
Chassis
Chassis at Seagirt come from provider pools, with Ports America Chesapeake listing TRAC Intermodal, Direct ChassisLink (DCLI) and Flexi-Van as the providers serving the terminal.
Where D&D builds up at Baltimore.
Key Bridge collapse aftermath
The March 26, 2024 bridge collapse closed the main channel until June 2024 and diverted vessels to other ports. Containers delayed, discharged elsewhere or stranded by the closure should not have accrued free-time days that served any incentive purpose. Invoices covering that period remain worth auditing if within dispute windows or under charge complaint review.
Single-terminal appointment capacity
With container traffic concentrated at Seagirt, appointment inventory after a large vessel call is finite. Days on which no appointment could be booked are strong grounds for a relief request.
Off-terminal chassis supply
Baltimore chassis come from provider pools (TRAC, DCLI and Flexi-Van are listed by the terminal), and TRAC moved its Seagirt chassis to an off-terminal depot on Broening Highway in 2018. A driver who must first fetch a chassis off-terminal loses time; a provider with no chassis available blocks the move entirely.
Empty return restrictions
Empty receiving at Seagirt requires the steamship line and container size and type, and carriers can restrict which empties the terminal will accept. Ports America Chesapeake's new empty container depot changes where empties go once open. Keep each day's return instruction.
Winter weather and labor events
Snow and ice storms can close or delay Maryland Port Administration terminals, and the ILA stoppage of October 1 to 3, 2024 closed Seagirt. Closure notices mark days that should not count.
Free time and disputes at Baltimore
At Baltimore, Ports America Chesapeake bills terminal charges under its terminal schedule and ocean carriers bill demurrage and detention under their tariffs or service contracts. Free time therefore depends on who is billing and what agreement applies, and each invoice must say so. Under 46 CFR § 541.6 the invoice needs the applicable rule, the allowed free time in days, the free-time start and end dates, the container availability date, the specific dates charged and the rate. Missing elements mean, under § 541.5, that the billed party has no obligation to pay.
Then test the dates. Compare the availability date with the Seagirt release history, including the time customs or freight holds were lifted. Compare each chargeable day against appointment availability, chassis availability from your motor carrier's provider, and terminal closures. Detention days should line up with empty receiving instructions. For containers affected by the 2024 channel closure, document the vessel's diversion or delay and the date the cargo actually reached Seagirt.
The 30-day rules apply to every invoice separately. The billing party must issue within 30 calendar days of when the charge was last incurred (§ 541.7), you have at least 30 calendar days from issuance to request mitigation, refund or waiver (§ 541.8), and the billing party must resolve your request within 30 days of receipt. ATAHSKIA files relief requests with Seagirt evidence attached and, where a request is refused or ignored, compiles a 46 U.S.C. § 41310 charge complaint for the billed party to submit to the FMC.
Baltimore D&D FAQ
Does Seagirt Marine Terminal require truck appointments?
Seagirt requires pre-advise for trucking visits and rolled out a trucker appointment system in December 2024, according to Ports America Chesapeake. Truckers also need eModal registration and an RFID tag to enter.
Can I still dispute D&D tied to the 2024 Key Bridge collapse?
The § 541.8 relief window runs at least 30 days from invoice issuance, so most 2024 invoices are past that window. Charge complaints under 46 U.S.C. § 41310 have their own process, and ATAHSKIA can compile the record for the billed party and its counsel to assess.
Who supplies chassis at the Port of Baltimore?
Chassis come from provider pools. Ports America Chesapeake lists TRAC Intermodal, Direct ChassisLink and Flexi-Van as the providers serving Seagirt, and TRAC operates an off-terminal depot on Broening Highway.
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