Your supplier in China confirmed shipment. The container is on a vessel headed to Port Miami. You have 20-30 days before it arrives, and if you haven't done the paperwork before the ship docks, your cargo sits in the terminal racking up $150-300 per day in demurrage fees. This checklist covers everything you need in order, so nothing falls through the cracks on your first import.
Before the Vessel Arrives
Start this phase the day your supplier sends the bill of lading. You need 2-3 weeks of lead time to get everything in place. Rushing any of these steps delays customs clearance, and a delayed clearance means your container sits at the terminal burning money.
If your cargo includes food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, or alcohol, you'll need additional agency approvals. FDA prior notice is required for all food items and must be filed 15 days before arrival (or 24 hours for perishables). TTB permits for alcohol take 60-90 days. Plan these months ahead, not weeks.
Customs Clearance Basics
Customs clearance is the gate between your container arriving at Port Miami and a drayage company picking it up. Until CBP releases the shipment, it sits at the terminal. Your customs broker handles the filing, but you need to understand the timeline and what can slow it down.
Your broker files the entry with CBP up to 5 days before the vessel arrives. This pre-filing gives CBP time to review the paperwork and issue a release before the container is unloaded. When it works, the container clears customs within hours of hitting the dock. Your drayage company can pick it up the same day or the next morning.
The most expensive mistake first-time importers make: not filing early enough. If your broker submits the entry after the vessel arrives, clearance stalls. The container sits. Demurrage starts accruing at $150-300 per day after the free time window (usually 3-5 free days from vessel discharge). On a $5,000 shipment, a week of demurrage can add $1,000+ to your landed cost.
Booking Drayage
Once your broker confirms customs clearance is on track, book your drayage carrier. In Miami, drayage is the short-haul truck move from Port Miami (or Port Everglades) to your warehouse or distribution center. Don't wait until the container clears to start looking for a truck. Book 3-5 days before estimated arrival.
Get quotes from 2-3 drayage companies. Price matters, but communication matters more on your first import. You want a carrier that answers the phone, sends you updates, and tells you when something goes wrong rather than going silent. Read our guide to choosing a drayage company for more on evaluating carriers.
Warehouse and Receiving Prep
Your warehouse needs to be ready before the container arrives. First-time importers sometimes forget this part and end up with a loaded truck sitting at a dock door with no forklift available and no space cleared.
- Clear enough floor space for the entire container's contents. A 40' container holds up to 2,400 cubic feet of cargo. Measure your receiving area.
- Schedule a forklift operator and enough labor to unload. A palletized 40' container takes 45-90 minutes to strip. Floor-loaded cargo (boxes stacked loose inside the container) takes 2-4 hours and more hands.
- Set up your receiving process. Someone needs to check every pallet or carton against the packing list, note any damage, and photograph anything that looks wrong. This documentation matters if you file a cargo damage claim later.
- Confirm your dock appointment with the warehouse. If you're using a 3PL, give them the expected delivery date, container number, and cargo description at least 48 hours before arrival.
If your warehouse can't receive on the day the container is available, tell your drayage company. They can hold the pickup by a day, or you can arrange a pre-pull to a staging yard nearby. Both options cost less than a failed delivery attempt where the truck returns loaded and you pay for a second trip.
Day of Pickup
The drayage driver arrives at the Port Miami terminal with the booking information, chassis assignment, and container release number. The terminal verifies the release, the driver picks up the container, and heads to your warehouse. A routine pickup and delivery within Miami-Dade County takes 3-5 hours from gate entry to delivery completion.
On your end, monitor these checkpoints:
- Confirm your broker issued the release to the drayage carrier. No release means the terminal won't let the driver take the container.
- Check with your drayage company for a pickup ETA. Most carriers provide same-day updates via text or a tracking portal.
- Alert your warehouse receiving team with the expected arrival window. A 2-hour window is typical.
- Have someone at the warehouse inspect the container seal before unloading. The seal number should match the bill of lading. If it doesn't match or the seal is broken, photograph it and notify your broker before opening the doors.
The driver will wait while your team unloads the container. Most drayage carriers give 1-2 hours of free time at the warehouse. After that, detention charges start (typically $75-100 per hour). Unload efficiently. Have your labor and equipment staged before the truck backs into the dock door.
After Delivery
The container is at your warehouse, cargo is unloaded, and the driver returns the empty container to the port or a designated depot. You're not done.
Your broker will send you a final duty statement showing all charges: duty, Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF), Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF), and their brokerage fee. Review it against the estimates you received before shipment. If the duty amount is higher than expected, ask your broker to explain the HTS classification and whether there's an alternative code that fits your product.
Common First-Timer Mistakes
After handling thousands of container deliveries in Miami, we see the same errors from new importers over and over. Avoid these and your first import goes smoother than most people's fifth.
- Starting the customs broker search after the vessel sails. Your broker needs time to review documents, classify the product, and file the entry. Two weeks minimum. Three is better.
- Underestimating landed cost. The product price from your supplier is 40-60% of your total cost. Add ocean freight, customs duty, MPF, HMF, brokerage fees, drayage, warehouse handling, and insurance. Build a full landed-cost spreadsheet before placing the order.
- No dock appointment. Your drayage carrier shows up at the warehouse and the dock is full. The driver waits two hours. You pay $150+ in detention. Always confirm the appointment 24 hours ahead.
- Wrong container weight on the booking. If you tell the drayage company the container weighs 38,000 lbs but it weighs 46,000, the driver arrives with a standard chassis that can't haul it. The load gets rescheduled to a tri-axle, costing an extra day and fees.
- Forgetting empty return. The container doesn't stay at your warehouse. The drayage carrier has to return the empty to a steamship line depot. If you hold the container past the free time (usually 4-5 days from pickup), per diem charges from the shipping line start at $100-200/day. Unload fast and release the container.
Your first container import through Port Miami takes more coordination than most new importers expect. The checklist above covers the 90% you can control. The other 10%, customs exams, terminal delays, weather, requires a broker and a drayage partner who communicate when plans change. Pick both carefully, and the second import will feel routine.