Whether you’re new to international shipping or you were just planning to expand your involvement with it, you’ll encounter drayage services at some point. Basically, drayage refers to a certain logistic service, which moves freight over a short distance. 

Companies that provide a drayage service play an important role in moving cargo from one area to another. While it isn’t suitable for long-distance transportation and is usually limited to operate within a state, this transportation may be used as a part of a bigger logistics process.

For instance, intermodal drayage companies use several modes of transportation to move goods to a particular destination. Such methods may include trucks, inland waterways, and railways. Drayage links freight shipments through various intermodal points so the products pass hands at primary transition points.

In the logistics industry, the process of drayage is simple, even if it’s part of an international moving process. Drayage fills the gaps by bridging the distance between harbors, ports, warehouses, and rail terminals. Typically, since drayage is the supply chain’s shortest part, it may frequently be completed by a truck driver in a shift, which lasts longer than a day.

There are many benefits of drayage services. Regardless of what type of business you run, drayage offers an important link in your supply chain, enabling your products to travel short distances through trucking companies. Below are some of the perks you can benefit from drayage services:

1. Improved Safety

More often than not, drayage services involve the use of a warehouse management system that reduces the handling of cargo to improve safety and get everything moved faster while reducing the risk of loss and damage.

If you want to keep your products secure and safe, drayage services may help, particularly when trained staff watch over the movement of your products—guaranteeing that cargo is handled properly.

2. Cost-Effective

Transporting products across short distances can be cheaper and takes less time than some shipping methods. It enables companies to enjoy savings in the overall transportation process. Drayage is also cheaper compared to specialized carriers. You don’t need to pay for some elements like storage during drayage since it involves taking your items from one place to another.

3. Accuracy

Incorporating drayage services in your business can bring more visibility to the supply chain. Through pairing a quality portal custom management solution, it enables things to be tracked as they arrive and get shipped from local facilities. With a tracking portal, it provides you access to track information on all essential documents and cargoes whenever you need them.

4. Efficiency

If you want to make things easier, drayage services should be part of your business. Almost all docking stations and ports can be overwhelming and busy places. When businesses don’t use drayage services, it may leave the containers to sit at their locations for a long time. This results in a huge waste of time, and it can cost a lot of money too.

With drayage services, such problems can be eliminated. Plus, they promote efficiency by enabling the shipments to move quickly from the port up to their intended destination or warehouse.

What Type Of Drayage Service Is Best For Your Needs?

Drayage services don’t come in a one-size-fits-all solution. Therefore, make sure to choose the right type of drayage services for your needs.

There are some classifications of drayage services and these include the following:

• Door-To-Door – Portable containers are delivered by truck to retail customers.
• Shuttle Drayage – This involves moving intermodal units to temporary stopping points. This method is used once the hub becomes overcrowded.
• Pier Drayage – If you have cargo from a rail terminal, this method uses the highways to get your freight to the pier.
• Intra-Carrier Drayage – It involves taking freight to different hubs owned by the same carriers. Cargo could be transported from intermodal hubs to the rail hub.
• Inter-Carrier Drayage – This is what comes to mind when people think of drayage services. It involves the movement of products between various carriers. For instance, inter-carrier drayage could involve transporting products from trucking terminals to rail stations.
• Expedited Drayage – This means a freight container is transported quickly. It applies to a time-sensitive shipment.

The classification of drayage services you choose depends on your company’s supply chain and unique shipping needs. For example, if you want your cargo to get shipped as fast as possible, then you need the expedited drayage service.

Conclusion

Drayage services are essential because they move freight efficiently from the dock to your intended address. Even if drayage seems to be a part of the trade supply chain, it performs a crucial role that most shippers can’t do without. Just make sure to choose the right service provider for you to reap all of the benefits listed above.