Different Types of Drayage Classifications

Drayage services are a specialty type of logistics service that involve transporting cargo over short distances, often from a warehouse to a transportation hub or vice versa, though there are a variety of types of drayage services available in North Charleston, SC to allow you to better customize your shipping.

Drayage provides solutions for getting the freight from one mode of transportation to another, such as from rail to a truck, or from a truck to a warehouse. These are details that must be carefully considered as part of the overall shipping process if you are to complete a shipment efficiently. In most cases, drayage will simply be one part of a much larger logistics and shipping process.

The term “drayage” can also refer to the fee charged for those services, or the vehicle used to collect shipments at a border or port.

There are a variety of drayage service classifications of which you should be aware if you intend to select the correct one for your business. Here are the primary classifications as listed by the IANA:

• Expedited drayage: This type of drayage is for fast transportation of freight containers for time-sensitive deliveries, often when companies offer same-day shipping services.
• Intra-carrier drayage: This service involves transporting freight to two different hubs that are owned by the same carrier. For example, it might involve transporting cargo from one intermodal hub to a rail hub.
• Inter-carrier drayage: This drayage service is perhaps the one people think about immediately when they hear the term “drayage,” as it refers to moving goods between multiple different carriers. For example, it could involve taking goods from a rail station to a trucking terminal.
• Shuttle drayage: This type of drayage involves transporting an intermodal unit to a temporary stopping point. This is most likely to be the method used if the origin hub gets extremely crowded.
• Pier drayage: If your shipping requires you to transport cargo from a rail terminal to a dock or pier for ocean shipping, you will likely need to employ pier drayage services.
• Door to door drayage: This type of drayage involves delivery of the container via truck to the customer rather than to a warehouse or store. It provides some added convenience for that customer, who will not have to go themselves to pick up the items they’ve purchased.

Which type of drayage service classification will you select for your shipping in North Charleston, SC? This entirely depends on your shipping needs. When you work with a professional logistics company, you will be able to sit down with them and discuss your shipping needs, and they will make a recommendation based on the information you’ve provided for the type of drayage services that will best suit you.

Keep in mind that many of these types of drayage merely represent one part of a larger shipping journey for your cargo. It is important to consider not just how you will accomplish this individual part, but how it will fit into your broader logistics strategy.

For more information, contact All Points Transport today!

Categorised in: Drayage Service