Container drayage is the short-distance trucking movement of an ocean container between an intermodal point and its next stop. In practice that means pulling a container from a marine terminal or rail ramp and delivering it to a warehouse, distribution center, transload facility or plant, or taking a loaded export container from a shipper back to the terminal. The distance is usually modest compared with a long-haul truckload move, but the coordination requirements are heavier because terminals, appointments, chassis and free time all sit in the middle of the process.

Submit the shipment details through the quote form on this page. The essentials are the pickup port or ramp, the terminal if you know it, the container size and type, whether the move is an import or export, the pickup date and the delivery city, state and ZIP code. Our team reviews the request, confirms what the move requires and responds with the appropriate next steps. If you are missing information, send what you have and we will help identify the rest.

There is no single national rate for container drayage because each move carries different requirements. Port and terminal conditions, distance to the delivery point, container size, weight, equipment needs, timing pressure and any special handling all influence the transportation plan and therefore the cost. Rather than publishing a flat number that would not apply to your shipment, we price the move against its actual requirements once we see the details.

The most useful details are the port or rail ramp, the terminal, container size and type, container number if it has been assigned, pickup date or availability date, delivery city, state and ZIP code, cargo weight, commodity, whether the move is import or export, and any special requirements such as overweight handling, refrigeration or restricted delivery hours. Every one of those items removes a guess from the plan.

Port-to-warehouse movement is the most common drayage requirement we handle. The container is picked up at the terminal, moved to your warehouse or distribution center for unloading, and the empty is returned according to the ocean carrier's instructions where applicable. Delivery timing is planned around both the terminal appointment and the receiving hours at the destination.

Yes. Import drayage begins once the container is discharged and becomes available for pickup, which depends on customs release, ocean carrier release and terminal availability. From there we arrange the appointment, pull the container and deliver it to your facility. Empty return is coordinated afterward based on the carrier's return location instructions.

Export drayage is planned backward from the terminal cutoff. The empty container or chassis is positioned, the container is loaded at your facility, and the loaded container is delivered to the terminal inside the receiving window. Cutoffs are firm, so the earlier the booking details reach us, the more scheduling room there is.

Yes. Twenty-foot containers are common on dense or heavy cargo, and while they are shorter, they can carry substantial weight in a compact footprint. That weight distribution sometimes affects equipment selection and routing, so it helps to declare the cargo weight when requesting a quote.

Forty-foot containers are the standard unit across most import and export programs and are handled routinely. Equipment planning is straightforward in most cases, though weight and delivery site access still influence how the move is scheduled.

Forty-foot high-cube containers add roughly a foot of interior height and are widely used for volume-heavy cargo. The extra height matters for delivery sites with low clearances, canopies or restricted dock approaches, so flag any clearance limitations at the delivery location.

Refrigerated container moves depend on available equipment, plug availability and the specific handling the cargo requires. Tell us the commodity, temperature setting and delivery timing when you request a quote and we will confirm what can be supported for your shipment rather than assuming it in advance.

The port directory on this page lists the major U.S. container gateways and inland intermodal markets covered by our location pages, spanning the West Coast, Gulf Coast, East Coast and inland rail hubs. Coverage for a specific terminal and date is confirmed as part of preparing your quote, so the practical answer is to request a quote for the location you need.

Demurrage generally refers to charges that apply when a container remains at the terminal beyond the allowed free time. The clock, the amount and the exact conditions depend on the ocean carrier, terminal and applicable tariff for your shipment, so the specifics should be confirmed with the party that issued them. The practical takeaway is that terminal dwell has a cost attached once free time expires.

Yes. Rail drayage covers port-to-rail moves, pickups from inland rail ramps for delivery to a final destination, and deliveries to a ramp for outbound rail movement. Ramps have their own availability systems, free time rules and gate procedures, so we plan those moves against the specific facility and railroad involved.

That is the core drayage lane. The plan connects the terminal appointment with the warehouse receiving window so the container arrives when the facility can actually take it, which is the difference between a delivery that unloads and one that waits.

Yes, and this is the standard export sequence. We position equipment, allow time for loading at your facility and deliver the loaded container to the terminal inside the receiving window ahead of the cutoff.

The main drivers are the port and terminal involved, the distance to the delivery point, container size and type, cargo weight, chassis and equipment requirements, appointment and timing pressure, delivery site access, whether the move is import or export, and any special handling such as overweight or refrigerated cargo. Accessorial requirements that arise during the move can also affect the final cost.

A chassis is the wheeled frame that carries an ocean container behind a tractor. Chassis come from pools, carriers or private fleets depending on the market, and when supply is tight in a port area, pickups can be delayed even though the container itself is ready. Equipment planning is therefore part of quoting the move, not a detail resolved later.

Port congestion describes the condition where vessel volume, terminal capacity, labor availability, equipment supply or gate throughput cannot keep pace with demand. The visible symptoms are longer turn times, limited appointment slots and delayed container availability. No transportation provider can eliminate congestion, but planning earlier and staying on top of container availability reduces the delays that are avoidable.

Free time is the period allowed before demurrage or detention charges begin to accrue. The length varies by ocean carrier, terminal, service contract and shipment circumstances. Because free time is the deadline that most often drives drayage urgency, knowing your last free day is one of the most useful pieces of information you can share when requesting transportation.

Most major terminals manage gate flow through appointment systems where a driver reserves a slot to pick up or return a container. Slots are finite and can be scarce during busy periods, which means the appointment often determines when the move can happen rather than the truck's availability. Requesting transportation early increases the chance of securing a workable slot.

The container is discharged from the vessel, then becomes available once customs and ocean carrier holds are cleared and the terminal has it positioned. An appointment is secured, a driver with the correct chassis pulls the container through the gate and delivers it to the destination for unloading. Where applicable, the empty container is then returned to the location the carrier specifies.

Export moves start from the cutoff and work backward. Equipment is positioned to your facility, the container is loaded, and the loaded container is delivered to the terminal within the receiving window. Because export deadlines are inflexible, the loading time at your facility needs to be realistic when the schedule is built.

Overweight containers may require particular equipment configurations, route planning and in some cases permits, and what is permissible varies by state and route. Provide the cargo weight when requesting a quote so the move can be assessed properly rather than being repriced after commitments are made.

Share the commodity, total weight, whether it is loaded or empty, and anything that affects handling such as temperature control, hazardous classification, oversized dimensions or fragility. Cargo characteristics affect equipment, routing and delivery arrangements, so the more accurate the description, the more reliable the quote.

Detention generally refers to charges associated with keeping the container or equipment outside the terminal beyond the permitted period, for example when a container sits at a warehouse longer than allowed before the empty is returned. As with demurrage, the applicable rules depend on the carrier and terminal arrangement covering your shipment.

Drayage is traditionally a short-haul movement, but in practice the distance varies with the market. Some moves run a handful of miles from terminal to warehouse, while others run several hundred miles inland where no closer facility exists. Longer runs affect driver hours, equipment duration and how many turns can be completed in a day, all of which factor into the plan.

Yes, and it frequently does. Drayage handles the first and last miles around a rail move: from the port to the rail ramp, and from the destination ramp to the final delivery point. Making that connection cleanly depends on ramp cutoffs and container availability, so both ends should be planned together.

Yes. Use the port directory on this page to open the location page for the gateway you are shipping through, then submit the quote form from there. The request arrives tagged with the location so our team knows which terminal environment applies before reviewing the shipment.

The earlier the better. Requesting transportation before the container discharges, or as soon as an export booking is confirmed, gives the most room to secure appointments and equipment. Late requests can still be handled, but the available options narrow as free time shortens and appointment slots fill.

Our team reviews the shipment details, confirms what the move requires in terms of equipment, routing and timing, and responds with the appropriate next steps. If something essential is missing from the request, we will come back with specific questions rather than guessing at the requirement.

Complex moves are common in container transportation: multi-stop deliveries, transload arrangements, heavy or oversized cargo, tight appointment windows, or shipments that combine truck and rail. Describe the complication in the additional details field and our team will review what the requirement involves before proposing an approach.

Full truckload moves cargo in a trailer, usually directly between a shipper and a receiver, with appointment models set by those two parties. Drayage moves an ocean container on a chassis and almost always involves a terminal or rail ramp with its own appointment system, free time rules and equipment requirements. The two services solve different problems, and some supply chains use both.

Intermodal drayage is the trucking component that links transportation modes in an intermodal move, connecting ocean, rail and highway segments. Without it, a container arriving by vessel or rail cannot complete its journey. It is short in distance and disproportionately important to whether the overall move stays on schedule.

Complete the quote form on this page or the relevant port location page with your shipment details, or contact our team directly by phone or email. Tell us where the container is, where it needs to go and what equipment the move requires, and we will review the request and respond with next steps.