What is the Difference Between Drayage and Other Trucking Methods?

What is the Difference Between Drayage and Other Trucking Methods?

The primary benefit of using drayage is that the freight is only handled a few times. Once the cargo has been loaded onto an airplane, train, ship, or truck, it will most likely not be handled again until it reaches its destination. It helps move freight out of the port, helping with congestion. It also speeds up the movement of freight through the supply chain, which is another reason why it is beneficial.

Drayage involves transporting a full container of cargo. This means that these items are contained within a shipping container. The entire container is moved at one time during the drayage process. If you are transporting your cargo as a full container, then a drayage shipment might be what you are looking for. 

Shipping and logistics can be difficult to understand. A great deal of jargon is thrown around to refer to the various transportation modes, trailer types, fee structures, and other aspects of the industry.

Intermodal and drayage trucking are two terms that appear to go hand in hand with one another. Furthermore, we can add cartage shipping just to spice things up a bit more. However, what is really going on, is that these almost always work together. In fact, it seems you can’t have one without the other. At times, they are even considered synonymous with one another.

Intermodal Transport

If more than one mode of transportation is utilized during the transportation of a container, that is referred to as intermodal transport. This can be a truck, an airplane, a train, or a ship. If there are two modes involved, then it is, by definition, an intermodal system. It’s as simple as that.

Drayage Trucking

The transportation of goods over a short distance is what is known as drayage trucking. In addition, drayage is typically a component of a larger shipment. Most of the time, this larger shipment is typically an intermodal shipment. A drayage container allows the movement of the entire shipment to be much easier than when it’s broken up. Furthermore, there is less handling. That’s why this type of container is utilized quite frequently.

Cartage Trucking

The movement of freight from a container to multiple destinations within a particular area can be accomplished through the use of cartage. Cartage is the process of separating the contents of a container. Then these contents are loaded onto various incoming and outgoing trucks. This allows them to be distributed across a number of different facilities.

It’s possible that you’ll hear people use the terms cartage and drayage interchangeably. Although both terms typically refer to the transportation of goods over shorter distances between intermodal shipping legs, that may be the extent of their similarities.

The process of drayage involves transporting a container in one piece from one location to another. The process involves disassembling the cargo into a number of smaller units before transporting those units from one location to another.

During cartage, when the container is received, it is opened. All of the contents are then emptied into separate locations before being loaded onto individual trucks. Most of the time, these broken-down shipments are less than a truckload or called (LTL), rather than full trucks.

It’s possible that vans, box trucks, or 18-wheelers will be used for the cartage. But it all depends on how the freight is divided up. The majority of the time, these more compact trucks are used to deliver shipments within cities or larger metropolitan areas.

Because of this, drayage is almost always included as one of the components of intermodal and cartage shipments at some point. The numerous shipments and processes that are dependent on one another are what makeup part of the logistics of moving products across this great nation. 

Is There a Difference Between Drayage and Intermodal Shipping?

Yes and no. As was discussed earlier, the term “intermodal” refers to freight that is transported using more than one mode of transportation. Drayage connects the various modes of transport with short-distance movements. They are different, but in many cases, an intermodal shipment will utilize a drayage shipment if needed.

The intermodal transport of goods is significant. In fact, the amount of freight that is transported in the United States by means of intermodal transportation is showing consistent growth. 

The rise in the use of intermodal shipping methods is leading to an increase in the demand for drayage transportation. Despite the fact that intermodal and drayage are two different services. This is because these services are dependent on one another. However, it is essential to keep in mind that they are not the same thing.

What Kinds of Services Do Drayage and Cartage Provide That Are Different From One Another?

Delivering goods within cities and metropolitan areas, where larger trucks are not permitted, requires the use of cartage. This is both helpful and necessary. Cartage is a great option for those that need to have the containers broken up and shipped off to different destinations. In an ideal world, the shipments can then be consolidated to move together in some cases since most are less than a truckload (LTL), meaning they will not fill a whole truck on their own.

The disadvantage of using cartage is there is more handling of the freight. The more handling of the freight, the greater possibility of loss or damage. So, keep that in mind. However, most reputable companies that handle freight logistics are highly skilled at minimizing the impact of risks like these.

Cartage is a method that requires a large number of drivers. This is another potential drawback of using this method. In the most ideal of circumstances, (LTL) shipments can be optimized by combining multiple orders into a single load. This will help reduce the number of drivers needed.

It’s simple to get the services of drayage and cartage mixed up. Both of these phrases refer to the process of delivering and receiving containers from a port. However, there is a clear distinction between the two services. Being aware of these differences can assist you in determining which of the two services is more suitable for your needs. Let’s have a recap of that.

What Is the Difference Between Cartage and Drayage?

Drayage is the process by which a container is moved from a port to a facility in close proximity. During this process, the entire shipping container is moved as a whole. 

The term “cartage” refers to the process of moving a container from a port to an adjacent facility. At this point, the contents of the container are disassembled and loaded onto separate trucks for delivery. Your optimal choice of shipping method will be established based on the number of goods being transported as well as the total number of deliveries.

If you should have more questions regarding cartage, drayage, and intermodal shipping, contact us today. PM Logistics Services would be happy to help.

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