Storage-in-transit: name who holds the shipment when the house is not ready

SIT is temporary. After a stated period, or after a missed delivery window, the shipment can move from in-transit storage into permanent or longer-term warehouse storage under different terms. That conversion can change rates, liability, and who must authorize release. Do not discover the conversion date after the free days expire.

Request the number of SIT days included, the daily rate after that, the notice you will receive, and what document converts the shipment. Keep the warehouse receipt with the bill of lading. If the destination date slips, ask in writing whether the goods are still in SIT or have already converted.

SIT charges, warehouse handling, and extra delivery attempts can appear after the original estimate because they are destination services requested or required after the contract. They still must be identifiable. Ask whether SIT is billed by the carrier, an agent, or the warehouse, and whether delivery from SIT requires a second payment event.

Release authority is a fraud point. Limit who can redirect or release the shipment, and do not give open-ended permission over text. If a new person claims to represent you at the warehouse, the company should follow the written authority in the file, not a last-minute call.

Delivery out of SIT is a second pickup event. Compare the delivering company, the warehouse receipt, and the original bill of lading. A different truck line, a new bill, or a demand to sign a release you already refused at origin is a new due-diligence problem.

Photograph the warehouse receipt, keep delivery appointments in writing, and note exceptions before the crew leaves. SIT is sometimes necessary. Unnamed SIT is not. If the company cannot tell you where the goods will sit, you do not yet have a custody plan.