Drayage is the special handling of materials from one location to another. It refers to short-distance deliveries, usually made with a truck. Drayage is also the material handling involved in moving cargo in and out of warehouses and trade shows.
Shipping and drayage services can get expensive. This happens especially when shipments are made on short notice, or if there are weight or packing issues with your cargo. There are ways to plan ahead to keep your costs low. Here are five ways to reduce your drayage costs.
1. Crate Your Freight
Before you hand over your cargo to a drayage company to be delivered, make sure you pack it properly. Also, weight is one of the largest factors affecting shipping costs. Whenever possible, keep your shipment light to reduce costs. Larger and heavier shipments also incur higher drayage fees.
Making sure your cargo is packed efficiently and in a way that is easy to handle can save you money in the long run. For trade shows, it can also help assure the safe delivery of your cargo and allow drayage to efficiently transport it to your booth space.
2. Don’t Be Late
Drayage functions mostly around the ability to carefully plan pickups, deliveries, and cargo shipments. Scheduling is a huge part of that. Be on time to avoid paying any overages. In addition, being early can help save money.
Many trade shows will usually have an advanced warehouse for you to ship your cargo to. Making sure your cargo reaches the advance warehouse on time can save you a lot of money. Otherwise, shipping directly to the show site may increase the handling rate.
3. Know Your Labor Costs
Drayage includes the service needed to get your cargo from one location to another, as well as the special handling of materials from the delivery point to your booth space. The less labor that is needed to handle your cargo, the lower your cost will be.
Fees may also drop if you organize your shipment ahead of time, allowing the drayage service to plan around it.
Overly-heavy items, unorganized packing, and delayed receiving can all result in higher labor costs. The more work that laborers need to do on your shipment will drive up your cost. You can get a good idea of how your shipment should be prepared by contacting your drayage service of choice.
4. Look For A Package Deal
Most drayage is handled according to minimum weight. Combining orders by weight or by shipping date can reduce the cost greatly. Shipping your cargo a day earlier or a day later could mean getting a deal from a logistics company that needs to fill space a certain day.
Consolidate shipments to 200 lbs. However, each drayage service may have its own requirements, so make sure you check. For trade shows or exhibitions, combining orders with a company making similar shipments may reduce your costs significantly.
5. Choose The Right Carrier
Work with a drayage company and carrier that can anticipate your needs, save you money, and safely transport your cargo. It is also recommended that you meet your partner in person and build a strong relationship with a drayage service. This can help make future shipments more streamlined, and help you anticipate and plan drayage costs.
The Wrap-Up
Drayage relies mostly on logistics planning. Estimating correct weight, travel times, and delivery dates can affect costs for you and the drayage company significantly. When organizing your cargo shipments, advance planning is your best resource.
The more information you can share with your drayage company ahead of time, the more likely you will be able to save on shipping costs, drayage costs, and any special handling fees.
Additionally, a drayage company may make recommendations for you regarding the best times, dates, or locations for shipping and drayage. Asiana USA offers many solutions for drayage shipping and material handling.
We have offices in Los Angeles and New York as well as at international locations in China, Vietnam, and Bangladesh. Call Asiana USA today at 855-500-1808 to begin organizing your next shipment.
