Norfolk, Portsmouth and Newport News, Virginia · East Coast
The Port of Virginia container demurrage & detention dispute guide
Hampton Roads gateway with semi-automated stacking at NIT and VIG, a port-owned chassis pool and a truck reservation system. Reservation records are the core D&D evidence here.
- Authority
- Virginia Port Authority, with terminals operated by Virginia International Terminals (VIT)
- Volume
- 3,499,639 TEU in fiscal 2024 (July 2023 to June 2024), up 2% (The Port of Virginia, July 2024)
- Container terminals
- 6
The port at a glance
The Port of Virginia is a state-owned system: the Virginia Port Authority owns the facilities and its operating company, Virginia International Terminals (VIT), runs them. Container traffic is concentrated at Norfolk International Terminals (NIT) and Virginia International Gateway (VIG) in Portsmouth, both built around semi-automated rail-mounted gantry stacking. Portsmouth Marine Terminal, Richmond Marine Terminal (linked to Hampton Roads by barge) and the Virginia Inland Port at Front Royal complete the network, and on-dock rail at NIT and VIG gives the port strong intermodal reach into the Ohio Valley and the Midwest.
Because one operator runs every terminal and the port owns its chassis pool, Virginia's data trail is unusually consistent. Most D&D disputes here turn on reservation availability, rail dwell and empty-return direction. Trucks need a reservation through PRO-PASS for the hours the system covers, so a container with no reservation slot on a given day is physically retrievable only outside those hours, if at all. Intermodal containers wait for rail on-dock, and that dwell can be billed to the consignee as demurrage even when the carrier controls the rail leg.
The mistake importers make most often in Hampton Roads is ignoring the difference between availability in the terminal system and real access. A container can show as available while every reservation slot for that day is taken, or while the empty that the driver needs to return first is being refused. Under 46 CFR Part 541, the invoice must state the container availability date and the specific dates charged, and comparing those dates with PRO-PASS reservation history is where recoveries usually come from.
Container terminals
Norfolk International Terminals (NIT)
Virginia International Terminals · Norfolk; semi-automated stacking and on-dock rail
Virginia International Gateway (VIG)
Virginia International Terminals · Portsmouth; semi-automated stacking and on-dock rail
Portsmouth Marine Terminal
Virginia International Terminals · Portsmouth
Richmond Marine Terminal
Virginia International Terminals · Richmond; barge service to Hampton Roads on the James River
Virginia Inland Port
Virginia International Terminals · Front Royal; rail-served inland container terminal
Newport News Marine Terminal
Virginia International Terminals · Newport News; mainly breakbulk and ro-ro
Appointments & empty returns
- PRO-PASS (propassva.com) is the Port of Virginia's tracking and truck reservation platform; reservations are booked in hourly blocks and trucks arriving without one during required hours are turned away.
- The Trucker Reservation System launched at NIT in March 2018 and was extended to VIG, so reservation history is available for both main container terminals.
- Gate hours and gate-hour changes are published on the port's operations site (operations.portofvirginia.com), which is the reference for whether a terminal was open on a billed date.
Chassis
Chassis are supplied by the Hampton Roads Chassis Pool II (HRCP II), a pool wholly owned by Virginia International Terminals that serves NIT, VIG, Portsmouth, Newport News, Richmond and the Virginia Inland Port.
Where D&D builds up at Virginia (Norfolk).
Reservation slot availability
When reservation windows fill after a large vessel call, a container may be available in the system but impossible to book for a truck. PRO-PASS screenshots and reservation history are direct evidence that the cargo owner could not act.
On-dock rail dwell
NIT and VIG move a large share of import boxes inland by rail. A container waiting for a train on a carrier-controlled through move is not something the consignee can expedite, so demurrage billed for that dwell should be tested.
Empty return direction
HRCP II also manages empty container yards, and carriers direct empties to specific terminals or yards. A refused or redirected empty creates detention days the motor carrier could not avoid. Keep the redirection notice and the gate record.
Weather and wind
Nor'easters, hurricanes and high winds periodically halt crane work or close gates in Hampton Roads. VIT gate-hour and closure advisories mark days that cannot fairly count against free time.
Labor events
The ILA stoppage from October 1 to 3, 2024 closed the port's container terminals. The days of closure and the backlog afterwards need review on every invoice that spans them.
Free time and disputes at Virginia (Norfolk)
Free time at the Port of Virginia comes from two sources. Terminal storage is governed by the Virginia International Terminals terminal tariff, and ocean carrier demurrage and detention is governed by each carrier's tariff or your service contract. Every invoice must identify the rule it applies under 46 CFR § 541.6 and must state the allowed free time in days, the free-time start and end dates, the container availability date and the specific dates charged. If those fields are missing, § 541.5 says the billed party has no obligation to pay.
The dates are where Hampton Roads invoices are usually tested. Compare the availability date on the invoice with PRO-PASS history, including the time the last hold cleared. Then compare chargeable days with reservation availability: days on which no reservation could be booked, and days on which the terminal was closed, did not serve the incentive purpose in 46 CFR § 545.5. For detention, line up each billed day with empty return instructions and HRCP II yard notices.
Watch the 30-day clocks on each invoice. The billing party has 30 calendar days from the date the charge was last incurred to issue (§ 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 within 30 days of receiving the request. ATAHSKIA sends the relief request inside that window with PRO-PASS and gate evidence attached, and if the request is not resolved, compiles a charge complaint under 46 U.S.C. § 41310 for the billed party to submit.
Virginia (Norfolk) D&D FAQ
Does the Port of Virginia require truck reservations?
Yes. The port's Trucker Reservation System, booked through PRO-PASS, covers NIT and VIG during the hours the port designates, and trucks arriving without a reservation in those hours are turned away. Check the operations site for the current required hours.
Can I dispute demurrage when no PRO-PASS reservations were available?
Yes. If the container was available but no reservation could be booked, the cargo owner could not retrieve it. Attach the reservation history to a relief request filed within the § 541.8 window and cite the incentive principle in 46 CFR § 545.5.
Who supplies chassis at the Port of Virginia?
The Hampton Roads Chassis Pool II, owned by Virginia International Terminals, supplies chassis at the port's terminals. Motor carriers need a SCAC and UIIA membership to interchange equipment.
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