What is the return period?
One of the most important concepts in ocean freight that many exporters don't know is the carrier's return window. The return window is the allotted time set by the carrier during which a container must arrive at the terminal in order to be loaded onto the departing vessel.
Carriers typically set a four-day return window, although this may change as circumstances change. Narrow shipping return windows are one of the biggest reasons for delivery/pickup problems in the U.S. because many importers don't realize there's only one small window for your container to reach the terminal.
Why is there a return window?
Each carrier is granted a limited time to store its containers in port before sailing. In order to regulate time and space and avoid carrier storage fees, many carriers often set what is called an "earliest return date".
The earliest return date is the first day the shipper's container can arrive at the terminal. Any earlier, the carrier incurs charges that may be passed on to the shipper. Therefore, the latest date your container needs to arrive at the terminal in time for loading is called the cut-off date.
Back to the window timeline and how it works
Suppose that Terminal X allows Carrier Y a total of 7 days of free time to store its containers before its vessel sails. Carrier Y's ship's sailing date has been set to Sunday, so Carrier Y may set the earliest return date for the container to return to the terminal to be Monday. Returning the container early will result in a storage fee being charged by the terminal. Your container also needs to arrive at the terminal in time for loading, which means that carrier Y may set a deadline on Thursday. This means that you, the shipper, are granted a Monday to Thursday return window to ship your loaded container to port without any additional cost.
Many carriers allow containers about 4 days of free time outside the port. This means that you can pull a container out of port for loading as early as last Thursday, given that the earliest return date is Monday. This is called pre-pulling.
