Why D&D Disputes Are So Hard to Scale
A credible dispute package requires pulling container arrival-to-pickup timestamps from Project44, matching them against the carrier's free-time window from GT Nexus, cross-referencing terminal receipt timestamps, and assembling a structured narrative that the carrier's dispute team will accept. Each step involves a different system, and the data rarely aligns cleanly — timestamps are in different time zones, terminal events use carrier-specific codes, and free-time windows vary by lane and contract. With charges running at $3.2M per quarter and dispute documentation taking 6–8 hours per container, most teams can only contest the largest charges and let smaller ones go. That's revenue walking out the door.
How the Dispute Agent Closes the Gap
An AI Labor Company agent integrates with Project44 for container event timestamps, GT Nexus for carrier free-time window data, and SAP S/4HANA for PO and shipment context. When a D&D invoice arrives, the agent automatically retrieves all container event records, computes the free-time window, identifies the specific events that constitute a valid dispute basis (port congestion, terminal delay, carrier-caused hold), and generates a structured dispute package ready for carrier submission — all before a human reviews it. The Director of Import Operations reviews and approves each package before it goes out. What previously took 6–8 hours typically takes minutes of human review time. Teams in this position can realistically target recovery of 25–40% of contested charges.
The Business Case for Automating Dispute Prep
This is direct revenue recovery. At $3.2M in quarterly D&D exposure, recovering 25–40% of disputed charges represents $800K–$1.3M per quarter — not time savings, not efficiency, but cash back. The agent goes live and processing disputes in roughly three weeks. The secondary effect is coverage: because documentation is generated automatically for every contested charge rather than just the ones large enough to justify manual effort, the total dispute population expands. Smaller charges that previously slipped through uncontested now get filed. Over a full year, that cumulative recovery can be substantial for a high-volume importer.
What if our carriers use different free-time window formats?
The agent is configured during onboarding to handle the specific carriers, lanes, and contract structures in your GT Nexus data. Carrier-specific free-time rules and code mappings are part of the initial setup.
Does a human still review each dispute package before it's submitted?
Yes. The Director of Import Operations reviews and approves every package before submission. The agent prepares and structures the documentation; the human makes the final call on whether to file.
Can the agent handle both demurrage and detention, or just one?
Both. The agent handles demurrage (charges for holding containers at the terminal) and detention (charges for keeping the container outside the terminal), as both use the same event-timestamp matching logic.