Drayage: From Port or Rail to You

We have just gotten over a volatile year in the transportation market, and that has left a lot of people, both providers and customers, waiting cautiously to see what happens next. Rates are higher than they have been in the past, and capacity is at an all time low. But not everywhere!
Drayage is the transportation of ocean carriers from the port or rail to the end customer, and with the U.S. economy at an all-time high, the country is open for business and a lot of it. That is only expected to increase in coming years with developments, such as the Panama Canal Expansion. Guess what? Trinity can assist with your drayage needs! If you aren’t using Trinity for your drayage needs, you really should be, but I can guess what some of your trepidations may be, so let’s dig right into those.

“My drayage is already handled by my fowarder.”

This is probably the most common rebuttal I hear, and trust me I understand- a lot of our customers are freight forwarders! They are focused on getting your freight across international boundaries, but once it arrives they reach out to companies like Trinity to help coordinate the inland portion, where we are able to utilize our size and relationships to secure you the rate and capacity you need to help your bottom line.

“My customer is shipping door to door to me.”

Then you could be leaving money on the table, and that is certainly not something I would be happy about in your shoes. The freight forwarder your customer is using may not have access to the best possible rates, or they simply may be overcharging you. No matter what, at the end of the day you aren’t that freight forwarder’s customer, which leaves you at a disadvantage. Maybe that’s not the case, but getting your own international quote is free and may save you money! P.S., Trinity does also provide international service.

“Won’t the ELD Mandate affect this like it has everything else?”

The surprising answer is probably not! Detention rates may raise because now the driver’s time is that much more valuable, but with many deliveries happening within 150 miles of the port, most carriers haven’t been heavily impacted. If you are worried about how your unloading time or distance from the port may affect you, don’t- Trinity offers a variety of options including transloading and storing your freight until you are ready to receive it.

“None of my freight is handled in ocean containers.”

Not a problem! Trinity provides so many services there is almost definitely some way we can help you, so why not give us a call. After all, the call and the quote are free!