In the logistics industry, drayage shipping is often the first mile in North America when containers are picked up at shipping ports and rail yards across the continent. While the final mile seems to get the most attention this first mile can be one of the most important within the supply chain.
There are many different types of drayage shipping, including door-to-door dray, expedited drayage, shuttle drayage, and pier drayage. Door-to-door drayage, sees the transportation of cargo from sender directly to the customer via roadways, and expedited drayage refers to the over-the-road transport of time-sensitive cargo. Finally, shuttle drayage is utilised when an intermodal unit needs to be temporarily moved when an origin hub gets extremely crowded, and pier drayage takes intermodal units from a dock or pier onto highways and roads via a truck.
A key part of the logistics food chain, drayage is a speciality logistics service, with more than 60 million drayage movements recorded each year in North America. According to 2022 Market Watch research, the Global Drayage Services market size is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 2% with Revenue USD 2.90 billion during the forecast period 2021-2025. This continued growth should come as no surprise, as businesses around the world are increasingly dependent on the global supply chain to facilitate the transportation of the goods they sell – especially as e-commerce demand surged to new heights during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As you can tell, drayage shipping is exceptionally dynamic and multi-faceted. Given the complicated nature of certain drayage shipments, companies are encouraged to leverage logistics technology or, better yet, a 3PL logistics provider, to streamline the process, reduce costs, and ensure all goods are transported safely and efficiently. A logistics provider has the dedicated transportation experts (and more importantly, the carrier networks and appropriate processes) to help companies of all size and scale determine the best carrier, mode, and shipping method for their goods.
After all, without the right processes and expertise, the supply chain can become incredibly fragile, and poor drayage execution can prove devastating to a company whose reputation hinges on the reliable fulfilment and delivery of consumer orders. The first mile, if you ask us, can be just as important as the last mile.
Mactrans Logistics is a 3PL transportation broker of choice for all of North America, offering customised and flexible solutions for all domestic and cross border freight. Ready to improve your supply chain efficiency? We can help. Click her for more information www.mactrans.ca
