Numerous American goods get moved and transported by the trucking industry. But did you know that there is a specific term for this leg of the supply chain?
This term is drayage.
While this may seem straightforward, there’s a lot more to drayage than you might expect. It also has a few different definitions that tend to confuse people, especially when they’re not in the shipping and logistics industry.
So, let’s clear up the confusion in this simple and quick guide!
What is Drayage?
By definition, drayage is the process of shipping freight over short distances. Another common definition is the transport of goods from a port to a specific destination. Drayage often describes what many call “the first mile.”
While drayage often refers to any short-distance transport within the supply chain, it’s mainly used for and by the container shipping industry. Drayage shipping plays an integral role in the entire process.
Once people understand what drayage means and refers to, many assume it only describes shipping involving a port. While this is the case in most instances, drayage often has several other legs in a journey.
For example, a drayage route can include a yard or a warehouse and can involve rail services. As long as a container or load is shipped within a single metropolitan area, it is drayage.
Types of Drayage Services
Thanks to the various legs within drayage logistics, there are different types of drayage services, which we’ll get into next.
There are six different types of drayage services. Let’s break them down:
Pier Drayage
Pier drayage services do exactly as the name suggests – it involves a dock or pier. In this instance, a truck picks up any sort of load, usually a container, from a central point and transports it to a dock or pier. From there, the container gets loaded onto a ship.
A central point could be a rail hub or a warehouse.
Shuttle Drayage
Shuttle drayage doesn’t involve what the name suggests it involves. These services are all about storage.
In many cases, ships can’t store all the containers that come their way, and that’s where shuttle drayage comes in. These services store containers safely until a ship with more space can take them to their new destination.
Door-To-Door Drayage
Door-To-Door delivery has become an integral part of most people’s lives, especially with the rise of e-commerce. Drayage plays an integral role in this process, especially with door-to-door drayage.
These services take goods from a hub, most likely a warehouse, and ship it directly to a customer’s home.
Intra-Carrier Drayage
When we said drayage is all about short trips, we truly meant it.
Intra-drayage services involve moving goods within a hub. It often includes moving containers from a plane or dock to a freight station, and vice versa.
Expedited Drayage
Expedited drayage services transport goods or containers quickly in urgent situations. Sometimes though, companies use these services to help meet their “fast shipping” promises to customers.
If you’re needing any sort of container drayage service, then contact ITG Transportation today for high-quality services!
Get Transporting Today
It’s no doubt that drayage in shipping services plays an important role in the entire supply chain. Now that you understand what drayage is, and the different types of drayage in shipping, you might be interested to know how it can optimize your business.
So, what are you waiting for? Ship those goods today!
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