Drayage is the short-distance transport of a container or other freight unit, most often between a port, rail terminal, airport, or warehouse and a nearby facility. In international shipping, it usually refers to the local truck move that connects the long-haul leg to the next step in the supply chain.
Drayage is commonly used to reposition import containers from a marine terminal to a distribution center, or to move export cargo from a shipper’s warehouse to a port for loading. The party arranging the shipment may need to coordinate pickup and delivery windows, chassis availability, container status, and terminal instructions, because the move is tightly tied to facility rules and cargo timing.
Costs for drayage can include truck transportation, terminal handling, chassis use, waiting time, and congestion-related charges, depending on the contract and location. These charges are separate from ocean freight or air freight and may be influenced by distance, equipment type, and whether the cargo is loaded, empty, or needs special handling.
In practice, drayage is a short but critical link in international logistics: a container might arrive by vessel at a U.S. port, be trucked to a nearby rail ramp, and then continue inland by rail. Delays in this local move can affect warehouse receiving, customs release timing, and downstream inventory plans.