Riviera Beach, Florida · East Coast
Port of Palm Beach container demurrage & detention dispute guide
A compact, export-heavy port serving the Bahamas and Caribbean, anchored by Tropical Shipping. Short-transit island services and export earliest return dates drive D&D exposure.
- Authority
- Port of Palm Beach District (governed by an elected Port Commission)
- Volume
- More than 280,000 TEU annually, ranking fourth among Florida container ports (Port of Palm Beach cargo page, accessed October 2026)
- Container terminals
- 3
The port at a glance
The Port of Palm Beach is an independent special district in Riviera Beach governed by an elected Port Commission. It is small in acreage but ranks fourth among Florida's container ports, handling more than 280,000 TEU a year according to the port. Its container business is built around short-sea service to the Bahamas and the Caribbean, and Tropical Shipping is the port's largest tenant, accounting for roughly a third of its net revenue under a long-term agreement first signed for ten years with extension options. Tropical's ships are designed with drafts of around 26 feet for the shallow harbors of smaller Caribbean islands, and the port has more than 350 reefer plugs on its property. About 80% of the port's cargo has historically been outbound, with containers carrying food, building materials and consumer goods to island markets.
Because Palm Beach is export-heavy, D&D exposure falls mostly on exporters, wholesalers and island importers buying from Florida suppliers. Detention accrues while a shipper loads an empty and delivers it to the port, and storage or demurrage can accrue if the container is delivered early or the sailing slips. Short transits and frequent sailings help, but weather in the Bahamas and Caribbean can cancel or delay sailings, leaving export containers sitting at the port. Hurricanes affect both ends of the route.
The mistake exporters make most often here is assuming the earliest return date is fixed. When a sailing is canceled or rolled, the earliest return date and the cutoff move, and export invoices must state the earliest return date under 46 CFR § 541.6. A container delivered in line with the original booking should not accrue charges because the vessel changed, and the invoice should show how the billing party treated the change.
Container terminals
Tropical Shipping terminal
Tropical Shipping · The port's largest tenant; container service to the Bahamas and Caribbean with straddle carriers and its own cranes
Port of Palm Beach refrigerated container yard
Port of Palm Beach District · More than 350 reefer plugs on port property
Port of Palm Beach multi-use berths
Port of Palm Beach District · Containers, ro-ro, breakbulk, bulk cement and aggregates, and a cruise berth
Appointments & empty returns
- Container receiving, availability and gate procedures for Tropical Shipping cargo are handled through Tropical Shipping's own booking and terminal systems.
- The Port of Palm Beach District publishes berthing information, cargo contacts and port advisories, including hurricane notices, on portofpalmbeach.com.
- Export receiving windows and cutoffs are set per sailing by the carrier, so booking confirmations and amendment notices are the key timing records.
Chassis
No port-run gray chassis pool is published for the Port of Palm Beach; chassis are supplied by the ocean carrier, commercial providers or motor carriers' own equipment.
Where D&D builds up at Palm Beach.
Canceled or delayed island sailings
Weather in the Bahamas and Caribbean can cancel or delay sailings, leaving export containers sitting at the port. Charges accruing because a sailing changed deserve review under the incentive principle.
Export earliest return dates and cutoffs
Because most cargo is outbound, the earliest return date on export invoices is a frequent source of error. Compare it against the original booking and any amendment.
Hurricane season at both ends
Hurricanes can close the Port of Palm Beach and the island ports it serves between June and November. Port condition notices in Florida and closure notices at destination ports establish days when cargo could not move.
Reefer plug capacity
Refrigerated containers depend on plug availability at the port. A reefer that cannot be received because plugs are full accrues detention with the shipper through no fault of its own.
Compact terminal footprint
The port's limited acreage means yard space is tight during peaks. Receiving restrictions or early-delivery limits should be documented when they cause containers to be held out.
Free time and disputes at Palm Beach
Free time at Palm Beach is set by the carrier's tariff or your service contract for detention and demurrage, and by the terminal's schedule for storage. Export cargo dominates, so the first thing to check is whether the invoice states the earliest return date and how free time was counted from it. Section 541.6 requires the rule applied, the free time in days, the start and end of free time, the earliest return date for exports, the specific dates charged and the rate. An invoice missing these elements fails § 541.5, and the billed party has no obligation to pay.
Then compare the invoice with the booking history. If the sailing was canceled or rolled, the earliest return date and cutoff should have moved with it, and days caused by the change should not be billed to the shipper. For imports and returning empties, compare chargeable days with gate records and port condition closures. Charges for days when cargo could not move because a vessel did not sail or the port was closed are what the incentive principle in 46 CFR § 545.5 addresses.
The 30-day windows apply to each invoice. The billing party must issue within 30 calendar days of when the charge was last incurred (§ 541.7), and you have at least 30 calendar days from issuance to request mitigation, refund or waiver (§ 541.8), with resolution due within 30 days of receipt. ATAHSKIA files relief requests with booking and gate evidence attached and, if a request is not resolved, compiles a 46 U.S.C. § 41310 charge complaint for the billed party to submit to the FMC.
Palm Beach D&D FAQ
Who is the main container carrier at the Port of Palm Beach?
Tropical Shipping is the port's largest tenant, accounting for roughly a third of its net revenue, and runs container service to the Bahamas and the Caribbean.
What happens to export free time when a Bahamas sailing is canceled?
The earliest return date and cutoff should move with the new sailing. Export invoices must state the earliest return date under 46 CFR § 541.6, so compare it with your booking amendment and dispute days caused by the cancellation.
Does the Port of Palm Beach handle refrigerated containers?
Yes. The port reports more than 350 reefer plugs on its property. Plug availability problems that delay receiving can support a detention dispute.
Audit your Palm Beach invoices.
Send your recent D&D invoices for a free audit. We report what is recoverable within 48 hours.