Dwell Time
How long a shipment or container sits idle at a facility.
Formula
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Example
Arrive 08:00, depart 14:00: D = 6 h
How it works
Dwell time is the amount of time a shipment, container, or vehicle remains at a facility between arrival and departure. The formula works because time spent idle is found by subtracting the starting time from the ending time, so the result is the elapsed time on site. It is a simple measure of how long goods are waiting rather than moving.
When to use it
Use this when tracking how long freight stays at a warehouse, port, yard, or terminal before it moves on. It is also useful for identifying bottlenecks and comparing facility efficiency over time.
Worked example, step by step
A container arrives at a distribution center at 10:15 and leaves at 16:40. D = t_depart - t_arrive D = 16:40 - 10:15 D = 6 hours 25 minutes So, the dwell time is 6 hours 25 minutes.
Common mistakes to avoid
- subtracting arrival from departure in the wrong order and getting a negative time
- mixing up clock time with total elapsed time when crossing noon or midnight
- forgetting to keep the same units when reporting the result
Did You Know?
Container dwell time at congested ports can stretch to a week, snarling entire supply chains.
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