A carrier writes about demurrage and detention charges. The recipient pastes the email into a general translator and misreads which charge applies to what.
Case Studies / Case 7 · Logistics Translator
Misreading free time or who pays detention turns into daily container charges nobody budgeted for.
A carrier writes about demurrage and detention charges. The recipient pastes the email into a general translator and misreads which charge applies to what.
Source (English): “Free time expired on 12 Oct. Demurrage applies at the terminal; detention applies from gate-out until empty return.”
Reference translation targets in Turkish: free time = ücretsiz bekleme süresi; demurrage = demuraj (terminalde / limanda süre aşımı); detention = detention, yani konteynerin boş iadesine kadar kullanım gecikme bedeli. Compare each engine against these. Do not accept a result that mixes the two charges.
Terms with an everyday meaning (“free”, “detention”) are easy to translate literally. The Logistics Translator uses a free general engine (MyMemory), so the fix is the glossary layer in the new version, which replaces these terms with the chosen target terms before and after translation. Record the real outputs of both tools; this test has not been run on the live site.
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Send the details (without customer names) to contact@supply.training. Written by a logistics professional with 20+ years on the floor — about the author.
Cases are anonymised and practical. They are not legal, customs, tax or dangerous-goods advice. Verify the current rule and the carrier or authority requirement for every real shipment. Last reviewed: 8 October 2026.