Signing Up For Drayage

With instant shipping quote software, there are different options for ocean freight shipping. Some of those options include FCL (full container load), LCL (less than a container load) or drayage. Essentially drayage refers to services used for transporting a container by truck to or from the ocean port. Other possible locations beside the port include a warehouse, a terminal or a rail yard for intermodal transportation.
Shippers often focus so much attention on the transportation process of their containers by an ocean freight vessel; these shippers sometimes overlook the importance of trucking their container to and from the port area. That is why a shipper should always work with a trusted freight forwarder or a third party logistics provider who can help book ocean freight as well as freight transportation by truck or rail. Drayage services should include packing and unpacking cargo from the containers. Loading and unloading times should be accounted for.
Shippers should be aware that drayage services are usually not for fee. If you look on a bill of lading, you might even notice a drayage fee or drayage charges listed. A shipper would have to pay this fee that might be additional to their ocean container rate. The rates for drayage are determined by the size of the container, cargo pickup, the destination, if it is a live load or a drop-off. Also, if the commodity is list hazardous or overweight, then this might impact the fees for this service as well.