Trucking fees for FCL Deliveries are an additional cost that may be incurred when shipping cargo using a full container load (FCL) method
Drayage is the transportation of a full container via truck, and the cargo will be unloaded at its destination warehouse in one of a few different ways. Depending on the schedule, cost, and location, your cargo may be subject to either a wait fee or a drop fee.
Your Beeontrade team will work with you and the receiving warehouse to determine the best option for your shipment.
Live Unload & Trucking Wait Fees are additional charges that may be incurred during the delivery of a shipment using the FCL method. When a shipment is live-unloaded, the truck driver will wait at the warehouse while the container is being unloaded. Then, the driver will return the empty container to the container yard at the port.
Most truck drivers will allow for 1-2 free hours of waiting while the cargo is being unloaded. After the free time expires, they will begin charging for additional time at a prorated hourly rate, which is reflected on your quote or invoice as a Trucking wait fee.
This means that live unloading is ideal if your cargo can be unloaded within two hours. If your cargo is palletized and the warehouse has a forklift to quickly move all of the pallets into the warehouse, live to unload will be more cost- and time-efficient.
However, if the cargo can't be unloaded quickly, the driver may need to do a drop, which can incur additional charges.
Drops & Drop Fees are additional charges that may be incurred during the delivery of a shipment using the FCL method. With a drop, the driver drops off the container at the warehouse and then leaves (instead of waiting while it’s unloaded, as in live unloading).
Once the warehouse informs that the container has been unloaded, the driver returns to pick up the empty container (generally within 48-72 hours).
The driver will charge extra for a drop since it requires an extra trip. This is reflected on your quote or invoice as a Drop fee. In addition to this, you will also be charged for additional chassis use day(s), which appears on your invoice as a chassis fee.
Drops are used when cargo cannot be unloaded quickly or if it can't be unloaded immediately upon arrival at the warehouse, since the driver is usually unable to wait for several hours (and waiting time gets expensive quickly).
Some examples include cargo consisting of loose, floor-loaded cartons, which take longer to unload, or if the warehouse is understaffed and/or congested.
High-volume FCL is a cost-effective option for those who will have containers arriving every few days. This is also known as a drop-and-pick or a drop-and-hook, in which the driver drops off a full container and picks up a different empty container before leaving.
This method is less expensive than a drop or a live unload, as it does not require the driver to wait or to make two trips. However, it’s only an option if you have a sufficient volume of shipments. This option allows for saving on transportation costs and ensures that empty containers can be returned to the port promptly.