Drayage is the transport of a full container by truck.

Drayage cargo will be unloaded at its destination warehouse in one of a few different ways, and may in some cases be subject to either a waiting fee or a drop-in fee as a result. Your Prime Freight team will work with you and your receiving warehouse to identify the best option based on schedule, cost and venue.

Live Unload & Trucking Wait Fees If the shipment is unloaded live, the truck driver must wait in the warehouse while the container is unloaded. Then the driver returns the empty container to the port container yard.

With live unloading, most drivers will allow 1-2 free hours of waiting while the cargo is being unloaded. After the free time ends, they will start charging a prorated hourly rate for additional time, which is expressed in your Prime Freight quote or invoice as a Trucking Wait Fee.

It ensures that live unloading is possible if your cargo can be unloaded within two hours. If your cargo is palletized and the warehouse has a forklift to transfer all pallets into the warehouse easily, live unloading will be more cost-effective and time-efficient. Drivers usually can’t wait much longer than their free time, but if the cargo can’t be unloaded quickly, they may need to fall (explained below).

Drops & Drop Fees With a drop, the driver drops the container in the warehouse and leaves (instead of waiting while it is unloaded, as in a live unload). Once we have been told that the container has been emptied, the driver must return to pick up the empty container (usually within 48 hours).

The driver will charge extra for a drop because it requires an extra trip. This is reflected in your Prime Freight quote or invoice as a fall fee. You will also be paid for additional day(s) of use of the chassis that appears on your invoice as a chassis fee.

A fall makes more sense if the freight can not be unloaded quickly and when it can not be unloaded immediately upon arrival at the factory, as the driver is typically unable to wait for a few hours (and the waiting time is easily costly). For example: if the cargo consists of loose, floor-loaded cartons (which take longer to unload) if the warehouse is under-staffed and/or congested High-volume FCL If you have containers arriving every few days, the third option may be to have the driver drop off your full container and then pick up another empty container before leaving (say, your container that arrived the previous day). Sometimes it’s called a drop-and-pick or a drop-and-hook.

This is less expensive than a drop or a live unload, as it does not require a driver to wait or make two trips; however, it is only possible if you have enough volume.