What Is Drayage?

Everything You Need to Know about Drayage Trucking Services

Updated: April 17, 2025

Everything from the food you eat to the shoes you put on this morning was shipped to you at some point. The shipping industry makes sure everyone has what they need when they need it and that all of your local stores are well-stocked with your favorite products. One important part of the shipping process is drayage—when goods are moved a short distance from a port to its next destination. Read on to learn more about drayage, what it is, and why it matters.

Quick View

1. Why Is Drayage Important?
2. Types of Drayage
3. History of Drayage
4. How Much Does Drayage Cost?
5. Get Started with Drayage Trucking Services

What Is Drayage?

Drayage is a type of freight transportation where goods are moved short distances, usually by truck. Usually, drayage occurs in the same geographic area, like moving goods from a port to a storage center, rather than long haul shipping across the country. While drayage is typically done with a truck, it supports multiple transportation modes, connecting trucking, rail, and ocean shipping. This interconnectivity allows your business to plan ahead, reduce costs, and improve sustainability by integrating rail and ocean freight into their distribution networks.

Sometimes drayage is nicknamed the “first mile” because it’s all about those initial movements of goods from the port. However, the first mile is absolutely crucial because the rest of the shipping journey depends on everything going smoothly during drayage.

What Is the Difference between Drayage and Freight?

Freight is a general term that covers all kinds of goods and cargo being transported and all of the transportation methods. Drayage is a specific type of freight that focuses only on moving goods a short distance between transportation hubs.

What Is the Difference between Drayage and Containers?

Container shipping involves moving goods inside of a large metal container, like the ones found on freight ships and trains. Drayage is more focused on how goods are moved, rather than what is holding the goods. Often containers and drayage go hand-in-hand where large shipping containers are moved via truck over short distances from a port to a storage facility.

Why Is Drayage Important?

Drayage plays an important role in the logistics and supply chain industry because it’s a link between ports, rail yards, and distribution centers. It ensures that goods move efficiently over short distances, usually for the first or last leg of the longer shipment journey. That ultimately helps goods arrive where they’re needed on time.

One of the reasons why drayage is so important is its role in global trade. When cargo arrives at a port via container ship, drayage trucks transport these containers to warehouses, rail terminals, or other locations for further distribution. Without drayage, the movement of goods from ports to inland destinations would be severely delayed, and that could lead to congestion and inefficiencies in the supply chains. Essentially, companies are able to ship goods internationally because drayage exists to help kickstart the freight’s domestic movement.

Effective drayage also improves supply chain efficiency by providing quick and flexible transport solutions. Given the rapid pace of global commerce, businesses rely on drayage to maintain inventories and to make sure products reach consumers on schedule. In addition to economic benefits, drayage also benefits the shipping ports. Ports depend on a steady flow of drayage trucks to clear terminals and avoid container backlogs. Efficient drayage services keep ports running smoothly, preventing delays that could disrupt supply chains on a global scale.

Types of Drayage

While drayage is typically done from port with a truck, there are still a few varieties of drayage. These are the most common types of drayage:

1. Port Drayage

Port drayage involves transporting shipping containers a short-distance between ports and nearby facilities, such as rail terminals or warehouses. This type of drayage clears port congestion and helps make sure that containers are quickly moved from dockside to their next mode of transport. It’s commonly used in international trade to transfer goods from ships to inland distribution networks.

2. Rail Drayage

Rail drayage is about moving freight between rail terminals and other logistics hubs. This service matters for intermodal transportation, where cargo is transferred between trucks and trains for long-haul shipping. Drayage helps get the freight between hubs efficiently.

3. Inter-Carrier Drayage

Inter-carrier drayage involves transporting goods between different carriers, such as moving containers from a rail terminal to a trucking company’s facility. This type of drayage keeps the transition between different modes of transport smooth to help minimize delays and improve supply chain operations.

4. Intra-Carrier Drayage

Intra-carrier drayage refers to the movement of freight within the same carrier’s network. For example, a logistics provider might transfer a container between its own rail yard and a storage facility. This type of drayage helps simplify operations within a single company’s supply chain, which can often be easier and more affordable.

5. Shuttle Drayage

Shuttle drayage is used when there is congestion at a port or rail terminal, and containers need to be temporarily relocated to a storage facility until they can be processed. This service helps prevent bottlenecks in busy shipping hubs by providing temporary relief for high-traffic areas. The cargo will then be moved with one of the other types of drayage when it’s time to relocate it to its storage facility.

6. Expedited Drayage

Expedited drayage involves moving time-sensitive shipments that require urgent delivery as quickly as possible. It’s often used for high-priority cargo that must reach its destination quickly, like perishable goods or just-in-time inventory. Expedited drayage services typically use dedicated trucks that are ready to go.

Each type of drayage serves a specific purpose in the logistics chain, helping shipping businesses move freight efficiently across different transportation networks and get products to their clients.

History of Drayage

Drayage gets its name from its origins: horse-drawn wagons. In the 1800s, a horse-drawn cart was called a “dray,” and they were used to transport goods over a short distance. Usually, these wagons brought shipments from ocean ports to railroads or canal terminals where they could be transported long distances. This drayage method was used throughout the 1800s until trucks took over in the 1900s.

How Much Does Drayage Cost?

If your company needs drayage services to help you move goods between locations, how much can you expect to pay? Drayage costs will vary depending on a few key factors:

Fuel fees: Your company will typically pay for the fuel surcharges based on fluctuations in fuel prices.

Line haul rate: Depending on the distance of the trip, the cost between the two points can vary. Longer trips cost more, and shorter trips typically cost less.

Chassis usage fee: There could be fees for using the company’s chassis or other equipment during transportation.

Drop fee: When the truck delivers the container, there’s often a drop fee if the truck returns to pick up the empty container at a different time.

Congestion fee: If there’s congestion at ports or terminals that makes drayage take extra time, there’s often an extra fee.

Yard pull fees: This fee is charged when a container is picked up from a port and stored in a warehouse before delivery.

Special handling charges: If your cargo has any special considerations—such as if it’s hazardous, refrigerated, or overweight freight—you might have to pay extra charges.

Get Started with Drayage Trucking Services

Drayage is an important part of the shipping industry and logistics—and it’s only going to increase. The drayage market size is expected to increase by over $3 billion between 2024 and 2028, so it’s only going to be a bigger part of running a business. To help meet this need for your organization, learn more about Heavy Equipment Transport. We have over years of experience with hauling heavy loads—including drayage—all throughout the country. We also offer drayage for containers, so we’re able to help you move large shipping containers from the port to its next destination.

Get an online quote to learn more about what drayage services we can offer your company.