Port drayage is drayage performed at an ocean marine terminal — hauling import containers off the port after a vessel discharges, or delivering export containers to the port before a vessel's cutoff. It is the specific form of drayage that touches the water side of the supply chain.
Port drayage carriers work inside the terminal's appointment and gate systems, navigate marine-terminal congestion, and must manage the port's free-time clock: the limited window before demurrage (on the container) and detention (on the equipment) begin. At major U.S. gateways, drivers also need port-access credentials such as a TWIC card and, in California, a CARB-compliant clean truck.
Because the ocean carrier, the terminal operator, and the chassis provider are often three different parties, port drayage requires tight coordination to avoid missed cutoffs, dry runs, and accessorial charges.
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