Read on to learn more about the differences between drayage and cartage, including the advantages and disadvantages of each.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\t
- Drayage vs Cartage: What\u2019s the Difference<\/a>
- Drayage<\/a>
- Cartage<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- The Pros And Cons of Drayage and Cartage<\/a>
- Advantages and Disadvantages of Cartage<\/a>
- Advantages and Disadvantages of Drayage<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- Partner with R+L Global Logistics for Drayage and Cartage Services<\/a><\/ul><\/ul><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\n\n
Drayage vs Cartage: What\u2019s the Difference<\/h2>\n\n\n
\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/newtruckload.rlgrandd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/the-difference-between-drayage-and-cartage.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nThe major difference between drayage and cartage is the manner in which the shipping containers are handled once they\u2019re received at the port. To get a better picture of each of these services, let\u2019s define them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Drayage<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Drayage services<\/a> are used for short and efficient hauls. A chassis truck \u2014 a special flatbed that shipping containers are loaded directly onto \u2014 will drive to the port and pick up the freight<\/a> in question. From there, the freight will be hauled a short distance (no more than 250 miles, but often much shorter) to either a warehouse or a distribution center. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once the freight arrives at one of these supply chain checkpoints, the drayage service is completed. While it\u2019s not a hard-and-fast rule, it\u2019s often considered that any journey the freight makes following drayage is just a normal freight shipment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cartage<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Cartage refers to the process of a container being received, then opened and dispersed into smaller containers or trucks<\/a>. These multiple, smaller shipments are then typically delivered around a city or larger metropolitan area. Cartage can be used as either a freight shipment or as a connecting movement within a supply chain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These are also considered less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments since they likely won\u2019t fill an entire truckload once the container contents are distributed among several vehicles. Depending on the breakdown of the freight, 18-wheelers, box trucks or even vans can be used for cartage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In summation, the largest difference between the two services is that drayage moves an entire container a short distance so that it can continue on its journey, while cartage breaks a container shipment down into multiple loads to be transported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Pros And Cons of Drayage and Cartage<\/h2>\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nDrayage and cartage are both important steps along the supply chain. While their methods may be different, they are both used to move goods over short distances, moving products from their port of entry, to their next destination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Advantages and Disadvantages of Cartage<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
In order to properly explain the benefits of cartage services, let\u2019s take a look at an example of how it\u2019s used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cook County in Illinois has over 5 million residents and is home to Chicago, America\u2019s third-most populous city. Chicago and its many suburbs dominate Cook County, making it a logistical challenge to distribute all of the goods that its residents purchase throughout the area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
By using cartage services, you can haul a shipping container to a distribution center, warehouse or transload facility, and then load its contents onto several different trucks that will each deliver to different parts of the county. Cartage is great for large, heavily-populated metropolitan areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the flip side, cartage has two minor drawbacks \u2014 one of which can be easily navigated, while the other is simply a fact of the matter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- The first is that cartage requires increased freight handling. Cartage is essentially transloading, and the more freight that needs to be handled, the more risk there is for damage or loss. Some logistics companies may be better suited to mitigate these risks than others.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The second is that cartage requires a large number of drivers. In theory, these shipments will be LTL, meaning once the goods are unloaded from the container, they\u2019ll share space on a truck with other merchandise. This shared use of trucks helps to assist in moving more freight using fewer drivers. This is a necessity because there are fewer drivers on the road than there were prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and that\u2019s not looking to change any time soon.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Advantages and Disadvantages of Drayage<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Container drayage<\/a>, as previously noted, is advantageous under normal circumstances. However, considering the current issues plaguing the global supply chain, its role has increased immensely. By definition, drayage serves as a link between short distances as part of a much larger freight movement. This helps move freight out of the port<\/a> - eliminating congestion<\/a> - and to a nearby location that can point each of the goods in the right direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another benefit of drayage, at least relative to cartage, is that freight is handled much less. In fact, the freight inside the container likely won\u2019t be handled at all from the time it\u2019s loaded onto its ocean vessel to the point that it arrives at its final destination. The less freight is handled, the less likely it is to get damaged. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
One disadvantage of drayage is that because the full container is hauled - not the individual products - the internal contents of said containers can\u2019t be broken down and redistributed in the way that transloading or cartage services can do. So if you need your freight moving in different directions, drayage wouldn\u2019t suit your needs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Partner with R+L Global Logistics for Drayage and Cartage Services<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Whichever you decide in the drayage vs. cartage decision, you need someone who can perform these services to the best of their ability. That\u2019s why partnering with USA Truckload Shipping to carry out drayage or cartage as a trusted 3PL provider is a prudent decision that can give a boost to your freight transportation and shipping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
USA Truckload Shipping, powered by R+L Global Logistics, has the access to chassis capacity needed for both drayage and sometimes cartage, so you\u2019re hopefully never sitting around waiting for your freight to be moved out of the port and racking up sky-high demurrage charges<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides drayage and cartage, R+L Global Logistics can carry out any kind of freight shipping you require. This includes, but is not limited to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Advantages and Disadvantages of Drayage<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- Cartage<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- Drayage<\/a>