Drayage

What Is Drayage?

Drayage refers to moving ocean containers over short distances, usually as one leg of a longer journey. The most common example is trucking a container from a seaport to a nearby warehouse, where it is unloaded. Drayage also covers moves between ports and rail yards. It is a small part of the total route, but it is where imported goods physically arrive at their US destination.

How It Works

A typical import drayage move follows a few steps:

• The container is discharged at the port and released once customs and carrier requirements are met.
• A drayage carrier picks up the container on a chassis, which is a trailer frame built for containers.
• The container is delivered to the warehouse, either for live unloading while the driver waits or dropped for unloading later.
• The empty container is returned to the port or a designated depot.

Costs can include the base trucking rate, fuel surcharges, chassis rental, waiting time, and charges for containers that stay at the port or are kept too long. For example, a brand importing a container of home goods into Los Angeles would have its forwarder or trucking company pick up the container at the port and deliver it to the brand's warehouse for unloading.

Why It Matters for Ecommerce Brands

Drayage delays can be expensive. Containers left at the port after free time ends, or kept past the return deadline, can incur extra daily charges. Planning drayage around the warehouse's receiving schedule, and choosing a warehouse close to the port, can shorten the trip and reduce the risk of added fees. For international brands, drayage is a meaningful part of landed cost and worth including in budgets from the start.