Container Dehire Brisbane: How to Return an Empty Without Extra Charges

The dehire reference

When the line releases your import container it issues a dehire reference specifying where the empty must be returned. Parks are allocated by the line, can change at short notice, and are not interchangeable. Returning a box to the wrong park means a redirection fee and a second movement.

Give the dehire reference to your carrier at the same time as the delivery instructions, not after the unpack.

Park capacity and booking windows

Empty container parks around Lytton, Hemmant and the port precinct fill up. When a park is at capacity the line redirects returns elsewhere, sometimes with little notice. A carrier who works these parks daily knows which are running long queues and plans the run accordingly.

Preparing the empty

The container must be swept clean, free of dunnage, strapping, pallets and packaging, with doors closed and locked. Any residue — soil, food, chemical spill — can cause the return to be rejected at the gate, and a rejected box comes straight back to you with the trip billed.

• Swept clean and completely empty
• All dunnage and strapping removed
• Doors closed, sealed and secured
• Existing damage photographed before return

Damage and hire days

Photograph the container when it is delivered and again when it is collected. If a park raises a damage claim, dated photos are the only practical defence. Equally, track your detention free days: hire charges accrue per day per container and are entirely avoidable with a planned return date rather than a 'when we get to it' return.