Is Container Drayage the Same at Every US Port?
Container drayage is the same, only different, at every port. The act of picking up a container from the port and delivering it to the final destination is the same. However, every port, and sometimes each terminal within, can have their own idiosynchrasies.
There aren’t going to be a ton of difference, but let’s take a look at a few of them.
Appointments
Some ports/terminals may require appointments to pickup and return containers. Some ports may also use different systems. For example, in LA/LB there are 12 major container terminals and they use 4 different appointment systems.
Landlord or Operating
Some ports operate their own terminals and others are landlords who lease the land to Marine Terminal Operators.
Chassis
Some ports have cooperative chassis pools, some have multiple chassis pools, and some ports even operate their own chassis. And if you are bringing your own chassis, make sure you understand what additional fees may or may not apply.
Wheeled or Grounded
Some terminals will have the container already mounted on a chassis and ready to pickup, others may have you pickup a chassis and go to a staging area for the container to be mounted on the chassis.
Fees
Each port may have certain fees associated with picking up a container, such as PierPass and Clean Truck Fee in the LA/LB complex. Some of these are put on the actual shipper but some are the responsibility of the drayage.
Dual transactions
Some ports/terminals allow these and some do not. It’s a big topic right now on the West Coast. This means bringing in export or empty back to the terminal while picking up an empty or import load during the same gate transaction.
While this list is not all inclusive, they are some of the differences that are encountered at various locations. We would love to hear from you if you see something that is missing.