Port of Savannah drayage rates
Garden City Terminal is the largest single container terminal in North America, and Savannah's drayage economics are unusually clean because of it: one terminal, no harbour crossing, and a warehouse belt that grew up along I-16 and the Pooler/Bloomingdale corridor inside the 30-mile ring. The pressure point at Savannah is not distance, it is dwell — when vessel bunching pushes gate queues out, prepull and yard storage do more to the invoice than mileage does.
Base rate by container size and distance
| Container | 0-30 mi | 30-60 mi | 60-150 mi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20' standard | $298 | $404 | $638 |
| 40' / 40' HC | $350 | $475 | $750 |
| 45' HC | $385 | $523 | $825 |
How to read this. These are QuoteFleet's researched base drayage tariffs for Port of Savannah — a flat rate per container by distance ring, for the truck move only. They are an estimate band to sanity-check a quote against, not a market index, a spot rate, or an offer. Fuel, chassis, terminal fees and the accessorials listed below sit on top. Beyond 150 miles a move prices per-mile as linehaul rather than as drayage. Rates are USD for a standard dry container and move with fuel and market conditions.
Carrier supply at Port of Savannah
Live counts from our FMCSA carrier directory, for operators whose registered domicile puts this gateway nearest. Equipment flags are as reported to FMCSA.
Browse all carriers near Port of Savannah →
What sits on top of the base rate
Drayage invoices are rarely just the linehaul. These are the charges that most often appear, at our default schedule.
| Accessorial | Typical | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Chassis Rental | $40 / day | Daily chassis rental while the chassis is out (1-day minimum; some lanes 2-day). |
| Chassis Split (per occurrence) | $100 | Trucker has to pull a chassis from a different yard than the container. Charged per occurrence. |
| Pre Pull | $145 | Pre-pull container from terminal to yard before delivery. Applies if the container is not delivered same trip. |
| Flip Fee | $200 | Flip / lift to transfer the container between chassis or reposition it. |
| PierPass / TMF | $36 | Off-hours port traffic mitigation fee (LA/LB). |
| Port Congestion Surcharge | $75 | Surcharge for unusually slow terminal conditions or congestion. |
| Triaxle (3-axle, heavy/overweight) | $85 / day | Triaxle chassis (3 axles) required for heavy or overweight container moves — typically loads over ~37,550 lbs. |
| Detention (over free time) | $99 / hr | Per-hour charge after 2 hr free at pickup or delivery. |
| Yard Storage (per night) | $45 / day | Per night after the first 24 hr in our yard; also applies to empties if unable to return. |
| Drop & Hook | $150 | Live load not possible — drop, hook, leave. |
| Hazmat surcharge | 18% of base | For hazardous materials shipments. |
| Reefer / Genset | $75 / day | Refrigerated container needs a running genset (per day). |
| In-Bond | $250 | Customs in-bond move — charged per container. |
Terminals
| Terminal | Operator | Address |
|---|---|---|
| Port of Savannah | Georgia Ports Authority | Garden City Terminal, 2 Main St, Garden City, GA 31408 |
Common questions
Why is Savannah cheaper to dray than New York or LA?
A single terminal, free-flowing interstate access and a local warehouse belt inside 30 miles mean more round turns per driver per day. Fewer wasted hours is the whole reason the base ring is lower.
What is a prepull and when will I be charged one?
The carrier pulls your container off the terminal before the last free day and holds it in their yard. You pay a prepull plus per-night yard storage, but you avoid port demurrage — which is almost always the more expensive of the two.
Does Atlanta fall inside these rings?
No. Atlanta is roughly 250 miles from Garden City, past the 150-mile band, so it prices off a per-mile linehaul rate rather than a flat drayage ring.
Next steps
Price a specific move with the free drayage rate calculator, browse carriers serving Port of Savannah, or see every carrier in Georgia. New to the terminology? The freight glossary covers drayage, detention and demurrage and chassis splits.