While the average consumer wonders how their favorite farm-fresh eggs from the nearby state ended up in their local grocer, the savvy business owner knows that a lengthy transportation process exists to create that positive consumer experience. We refer to this transportation process as container drayage – a necessary effort for most industries. To better understand what industries need drayage services and why, this article will discuss the types of intermodal drayage, the benefits of container drayage, and the types of industries that rely on drayage transportation from companies like Heavy Weight Transport.
What Is Drayage?
Drayage refers to the process of transporting bulk goods a short distance within a city or close region. We typically use this term within the shipping and logistics sectors – also known as the supply and demand chain. Depending on the type of shipment, goods can range from groceries to clothing to automobile parts and so on. As we usually store and transport these goods within containers, we can refer to this process as container drayage.
Consumers benefit from the container shipping industry daily. As a short-form mode of transport, drayage allows quick shipments to consumers. For example, the Amazon Prime order that arrived at your residence within two days – large container drayage shipments from their local Amazon warehouse made that quick delivery possible. In fact, standard modes of transportation for short container drayage shipments include trucks, ships, and even rails or trains.
Main Forms Of Industry Drayage
There are several key services that container drayage provides to industries. Such services involve the movement of cargo from and to ports via trucks, the transfer of cargo from ports to rail yards during the middle stages of transportation, and the transportation of cargo via trucks to its final destination.
Each industry relies on a different type of drayage to transport its products. We classify these services based on the size of the transport, the ability to carry a specific cargo load, and the company’s efficiency when handling the cargo – including the loading, transportation, and unloading of cargo. According to the Intermodal Association of North America, there are six primary forms of container drayage that industries regularly use:
- Inter-Carrier Drayage – Involves the transfer of goods from one carrier form to another, such as the shift from trucks to ships.
- Intra-Carrier Drayage – Involves the transportation of goods between hubs that the same carrier owns.
- Shuttle Drayage – Provides temporary solutions to overloaded transport centers.
- Pier Drayage – Relies on road transportation from highways to piers or ports.
- Expedited Drayage – With road freight as the main form of transportation, this method is best for time-sensitive deliveries.
- Door-to-Door Drayage – Consumers are most familiar with this form of container drayage as it directly delivers goods to the customer.
These types of container drayage each serve a specific purpose. During the process of transportation from manufacturer to carrier to consumer, there is a high chance that goods will undergo each type.
Intermodal Drayage For Your Containers
Unlike local or even regional container drayage, which involves transporting goods over short distances, intermodal drayage refers to the long-distance transportation of goods. This method includes the transfer of goods from one place to another until they reach their final destination through multiple modes of transport like trucks, rails, and ships.
Benefits of Intermodal Drayage
Intermodal drayage offers a multitude of benefits. If you are considering investing in local or long-distance drayage for your industry, these are merely a few benefits your investment will reap:
- Safe and Efficient – Your goods are stored within the same container throughout their transportation. A reliable shipping company will transport these goods safely and without damage.
- Quick and Reliable Service – Intermodal drayage reduces delivery time since consumers or businesses can choose transport type and, therefore, the speed of the shipment.
- Lower Cost – Due to fair handling and delivery costs, intermodal drayage offers the best prices for any industry shipment.
Port Drayage And How It Will Assist Your Industry
As intermodal drayage refers to the transport of products over long distances via multiple delivery modes, a key part that keeps that process smoothing involves port drayage. Port drayage consists of loading shipping containers onto a truck from a cargo port and then transporting that cargo a short distance. The trucks that transport goods from ports are explicitly designed for port drayage.
All shipments that undergo port drayage have most likely also gone through intermodal drayage transportation as well, since the cargo movement from ships at the port to other destinations requires both sea and land transport. As most industries import and export goods, effective port drayage is necessary for a successful business.
Not just a necessary function of importing and exporting goods, port drayage significantly clears congestion at ports. Since all products entering and exiting the country undergo lengthy processes, industries need swift and efficient port drayage transportation. This method will quickly clear or prevent congestion through the following ways:
- Using existing trucking services instead of waiting for stand-by services
- Moving containers quickly from the port to the supply chain
- Connecting transportation from the port to other locations through easy communication
All Industries Need Drayage Providers
All industries require some form of drayage. Whether you envision a large industrial manufacturing plant transporting goods from factory to store, or a small business receiving the materials needed to create its handmade products via door-to-door drayage, every industry relies on effective intermodal drayage.
As many industries actively use drayage, consider three critical questions for future transportation concerns:
- How products does my company import and export the most?
- Does my industry require a more reliable or simply different form of drayage?
- How will experts like Heavy Weight Transport ensure effective intermodal drayage?
Import vs. Export
Did you know that in 2019, US imports and exports of goods totaled nearly $5.6 billion? The United States imports more goods from other countries than it exports. Considering the high number of imported goods, imagine the extent of local and intermodal drayage necessary to conduct a profitable business – a business heavily reliant on timely transportation.
Primary Industries Relying on Drayage
While all companies use container drayage, some industries also require intermodal drayage for long-haul or international transportation. While we can easily assume that intermodal drayage moves products from point A to point B, the process remains complex and demands reliable transporters. These are the primary industries that actively use intermodal drayage during all stages of their business:
Top industries using drayage for imported goods include:
- Computer, software, and telecommunication industries
- Oil and petroleum companies
- Automobile manufacturers
- Pharmaceutical industries
- Apparel and footwear
Top industries using drayage for exported goods include:
- Agricultural producers
- Capital good producers of commercial aircraft, semiconductors, industrial machines, and medical equipment
- Crude oil
- Household goods
Heavy Weight Transport Meets Your Transportation Needs
Many industries need drayage services. Instead of worrying about the transportation methods for your products, hire experts in the industry who relieve stress for you. Through partnering with Heavy Weight Transport, you have more time to focus on other aspects of your business while we will focus on creating a safe and efficient transport process for your goods. Whether you require standard container drayage shipment or intermodal drayage with international imports and exports, Heavy Weight Transport offers an exceptional and reliable experience.
