Legal Definitions - drayage

Drayage refers to the specific charge incurred for transporting goods over a relatively short distance, typically as an integral part of a larger, multi-stage shipping process. This often involves moving cargo between different transportation hubs, such as from a port to a nearby warehouse, between various terminals within a metropolitan area, or even within a single large facility like a convention center.

Here are some examples to illustrate drayage:

• Port to Distribution Center: Imagine a large shipping container filled with imported clothing arrives at a bustling seaport. The container needs to be moved from the port's dock to a distribution center located seven miles inland, where the goods will be sorted and prepared for retail. The fee charged by the trucking company for this specific short-haul journey, which connects the ocean freight to the next stage of distribution, is considered drayage. It's the cost for the crucial link between the long-distance sea transport and the local storage facility.

• Rail Yard to Local Factory: A furniture manufacturer receives a shipment of lumber via freight train. When the train arrives at the local rail yard, the lumber is transferred onto a flatbed truck for the final four-mile trip to the company's factory. The cost associated with this short truck transport from the rail yard to the factory is a drayage charge. It represents the expense for completing the last leg of the rail shipment to its ultimate destination.

• Convention Center Booth Setup: An event management company sends its stage equipment and audiovisual gear to a major convention center for a corporate conference. The items arrive at the convention center's designated loading dock. The charge for moving these materials from the loading dock across the convention floor to the specific ballroom or exhibition hall where the event is taking place is also a form of drayage. This covers the specialized, short-distance internal transport required within the venue itself.