BILLINGS
Terminal billing software with automated billable event capture
End of month. The admin team opens the spreadsheet, cross-references emails with work orders and tries to reconstruct which services were performed, for which customer and under what conditions. Essentos Billings removes that chain: every billable event is recorded with source, date and operational evidence from the moment it happens.
Billings does not replace your ERP or invoicing system. It prepares a clean, traceable and reviewable billable basis so the invoice goes out right the first time, with the customer's rules applied and without relying on team memory.
Typical impact for terminal operators
Fewer corrections because every billable line carries verified operational evidence from the start
Less time reconstructing services and validating amounts before sending to the ERP
Every charge line carries date, milestone and operational context as backing
From reconstructing charges to billing with evidence
Admin opens three spreadsheets, cross-references work orders with emails, asks operations whether the service was actually completed and adds the line by hand. A week later the customer disputes a storage charge and nobody can find the original evidence.
Every billable event arrives with date, milestone and applied tariff rule. The settlement is generated, reviewed and pushed to the ERP. When a customer questions a charge, the terminal opens the line and shows the chain of evidence in seconds.
Automated capture of billable events
A container is discharged, sits seven days in the yard, gets repositioned and finally loads onto a truck. Each of those events is a billable charge. Billings captures them straight from the live operation and turns them into settlement lines with no manual intervention:
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Gate, yard and execution events become settlement lines with a traceable source
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Storage, demurrage and dwell-related charges are calculated according to customer tariff rules
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Exceptions and extra services are reviewed with operational context, not assumptions
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The billable basis stays consistent even when shifts change, volume rises or new customers come on board
Tariff rules by customer, service and operating condition
One shipping line pays a flat rate per discharge. A forwarder has a night-window surcharge. A third customer accumulates dwell days with progressive tiers. Billings applies the right rule to each event based on customer, service type and operating condition, without anyone having to remember it.
Tariff logic stops living in loose spreadsheets or in someone's head and becomes a stable criterion that scales with the business.
Operational traceability that protects revenue and reduces disputes
A customer disputes a storage charge. Instead of digging through emails and work orders, admin opens the line and sees: gate-in date, gate-out date, actual days, applied tariff rule and the yard milestone evidence. The answer takes seconds.
Every charge line keeps a permanent link to the event that produced it. The team reviews faster, disputes shrink and the terminal protects real revenue with verifiable data.
Billing automation for containers, bulk cargo and general cargo
Container settlement follows one set of rules. Agricultural or mineral bulk follows another (weighbridge tickets, moisture corrections, loading windows). General cargo such as coils, paper, timber or machinery follows yet another. Billings handles mixed terminals where tariff conditions change by cargo type, customer and service, without adding bureaucracy or duplicating structures.
Frequently asked questions
What is terminal billing software and what does Essentos Billings do? ▾
Essentos Billings is terminal billing software that turns real operational events (gate accesses, yard moves, dwell time, container loading and unloading) into invoice-ready charge lines. Every line is born with rule, source and evidence attached, so terminal admin teams stop reconstructing the month and start reviewing it.
How does automated billing for container terminals connect to the ERP? ▾
Essentos Billings does not replace the ERP or invoicing system. It exports the validated billable basis (charge lines, rules applied, customer, period and evidence references) so the invoice is issued from the usual finance platform with no rekeying.
How does Billings handle storage, demurrage and dwell time charges? ▾
Storage, demurrage and dwell-related charges are calculated from the gate-in and gate-out timestamps that are recorded as the operation happens. Customer tariff rules with progressive tiers, free days and night-window surcharges are applied automatically per event, with the full timeline kept as evidence behind each line.