What Is Drayage?
Drayage is short-distance freight transportation commonly used to move containers between ports, rail terminals, warehouses and nearby facilities.
The word survives from the horse-drawn "dray" carts that worked ports a century ago; today it means the truck leg that moves a container off a port or rail ramp to a nearby warehouse — or repositions it between facilities. Short distances, specialized chassis, terminal appointments.
Drayage is where "container shipping" meets the road: the ocean or rail carrier handles the long haul, and the drayage move completes it. Dobie coordinates container transport including these first- and last-mile moves.
Last reviewed: August 2026 · Reviewed by the Dobie Transport logistics team
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