What Is Drayage and its Importance for a Smooth Supply Chain:
The term drayage refers to the transportation of the container over a short distance of approximately 50 miles or less. The containers are typically transported between ports and rail yards to storage yards or distribution centers. Drayage may seem like a small step in the supply chain, but it is a highly crucial and niche service in the trillion-dollar supply chain and logistics industry. Now, due to the increase in the growth of the global logistics market, more exports are entering the country, and the drayage service market is expanding in the US. With an estimated CAGR of 2.27% between the years 2022 and 2027, the drayage service market has seen accelerated growth.
Two major factors can be considered for this swift boost in the drayage market. These factors are the e-commerce market and the burgeoning manufacturing industry. Now, stakeholders and manufacturers are considering safer modes of transportation for materials and goods, which increases the demand for drayage services. The global e-commerce market has seen a tremendous surge in earnings, which are expected to increase by 56%, reaching around 8.1 trillion dollars by 2026.
Container Drayage and Hurdles in its Drayage:
In the journey of the container from port to door, container drayage is the first and foremost step. This first step must be done smoothly and efficiently, or else the entire journey gets affected. Amongst many delays, one of the biggest delays is seen in the diversion of containers at destined ports. The main reason for this diversion is mostly the lack of space for containers at the ports or disruption within the supply chain.
Secondly, the visibility of the shipment is another challenge in drayage and transportation. A container must reach its destination port before the first drayage movement. In delivery, delays can occur due to the unavailability of the driver at the port to receive the container; there is no team at the distribution center to unload the loads, etc. However, real-time data and status updates are available through the use of QR codes, which can be placed on containers and equipment so both the carrier and driver can scan the QR code. This can get them access to data to prepare inventory, optimize team operations, and maintain good customer service. There comes a lack of communication and the issue of improving complicated processes due to a lack of data. The placement of Digital Permit Book’s QR codes on equipment will provide important data regarding the drayage service. All the needs and processes, along with chassis paperwork, will be there on the phone, and then solid communication can be built between the two ends to lead to smooth delivery service. Moreover, digital permit books can also be helpful as all documents and data can be saved, maintained, and upgraded on them. This will help in communication building and compliance maintenance in drayage trucking.
The Significance of Drayage in the Supply and Logistics Industry:
To make drayage a crucial need in the supply and logistics industry, there are several key factors, which are mentioned below.
- Efficient Transportation
Drayage plays a significant role in the efficient movement of goods from one point to another, connecting different transportation modes. This communication becomes easier when the QR codes are there on containers and important information can be accessed by scanning them.
- Last-Mile Logistics
Drayage can work as the last mile supplier of the freight from the transportation hub to its intended user, for example, a retail store, distribution center, or manufacturing facility.
- Port Operations
Drayage can be useful in port operations; it facilitates the movement of freight between the ships and inland transportation systems. Even in these situations, QR codes can be of great help. There are several things to be considered when moving the load, like the type of load, the required team members for collection, and more. This all can be interpreted by scanning the QR codes and getting access to important information regarding the load.
- Supply Chain Optimization
Drayage plays a big role in the optimization of supplies; this is done by guaranteeing timely delivery. To deliver the supplies on time, it's important to know the freight details in depth so the transportation procedure can be planned accordingly. Hence, Digital Permit Book’s QR codes help in supply chain optimization by providing all the details of supplies.
- Reduced Inventory Cost
Through The quick transportation of goods via drayage, the inventory carrying cost is reduced, and this is of great benefit. Like in the majority of the factors where QR codes have played a vital role over here, quick delivery is possible through good planning, and good planning needs important data to be scanned, which is in turn provided by QR code scans.
How Drayage Technology Brings Optimization in Operations:
Technology in drayage has brought solutions to many traditional drayage problems. These traditional problems are limited scalability, lack of nationwide capacity, fragmented markets with many vendors, security risks, driver shortages, etc. Efforts have been made to eliminate manual processes like emails, phone calls, and data entry. Instead, automated systems are used to maintain and update information. Apart from this, optimized route planning helps in eliminating empty miles. Not only this, but route optimization helps reduce fuel costs and improve fuel use. The Digital Permit Book’s QR scan technology plays another vital role. This technology is being adopted slowly by many companies as it is seen to be of great help. The QR codes being available on equipment and containers give the details about the load weight, the load type, and all chassis paperwork, which can be misplaced, easily stored on QR codes, and much more. Digital permit books can also be used as they store data, permits, and many other important data to be used by drayage trucking company employees.
What are Drayage Chassis and How to Resolve Lost Chasis Paperwork:
As mentioned above about the chassis, you must be wondering what chassis is in drayage services. The drayage chassis is a special trailer or undercarriage which is used to carry ocean carriers overland. It is worth noticing that a chassis is mandatory for the shipment traveling by truck. Let's look into the workings of the chassis. The chassis is securely attached to the container so that excess movement can be prevented. Some drayage companies also provide their designed and purchased chassis and tractors to give customers quality service. A type of chassis known as tri-axle chassis is used in drayage trucking; it is most often used in the transportation of overweight loads being transported through trucks.
In the event of lost chassis paperwork, the incorporation of QR codes on the chassis provides a digital solution. QR scans offer instant access to load details, weight, and necessary paperwork, ensuring efficient drayage operations.
How to Become a Drayage Carrier and Drayage Jobs:
The role of a drayage carrier is very important in supply and logistics as they get goods from ports to warehouses and intermodal facilities smoothly and ensure that the supply chain runs efficiently. People are now directed towards becoming drayage carriers as the business has been providing steady and consistent work opportunities in recent years, offering benefits. However, to become drayage carriers, some prerequisites must be fulfilled.
1. Firstly, getting the CDL, as without CDL, one cannot drive the drayage trailer.
2. Secondly, drayage truckers pick shipping containers from different ports for which having the license to enter ports is necessary.
3. The need for Radio frequency identity tags (RFID) is important. This system is required for speeding up the processing of trucks at port terminal gates.
These prerequisites are of use when one has the right drayage carrier job. The drayage carrier jobs are offered by many great drayage companies like Drayage Carriers, which is a trucking company that is expert in transporting freight in and out of ocean ports. Freight Management Inc. excels at providing drayage carrier jobs and many others. All these companies are some of the best. They use the most advanced technology, like QR codes, live tracking, etc., to perform their best and excel at the delivery services provision.
Drayage Vs Intermodal:
Drayage trucking is the movement of freight by truck only, whereas intermodal transportation is the movement of freight by two or more modes of transportation. Not only this but drayage trucking is the movement of freight on short distances, while intermodal is the movement of freight on longer distances. Intermodal trucking is used to transport freights between railheads and ports or to the final destination. In drayage, the transportation is between a port and a nearby railhead or storage facility.
Drayage Vs Cartage:
The major difference between drayage and cartage is how the shipping containers are handled once they are received at the port. Drayage is used for short and efficient hauls. A chassis truck will drive to the port and pick up the freight. From there, the freight is hauled at a short distance. Where cartage is concerned, it is the process in which the container being received is opened and dispersed into smaller containers. These multiple shipments are then delivered around the city or larger metropolitan area. Cartage can be used as either a freight shipment or as a connecting movement within the supply chain. Not only this, but in drayage, the technology of QR code scanning is available, which makes the process more efficient and smooth.
Conclusion:
The summation of all points can lead to the result that drayage trucking is one of the good fields in trucking in terms of earning and opportunity. This is a field that is the core need in supply and logistics. The field has seen a rise in profits and needs as well in the market, which is another appealing factor to start your trucking career in the drayage trucking field. This field adapts to several different technologies as well, which makes the operation even smoother and more seamless. Technologies like QR code scan have further given a leap to the drayage industry as this has made the tasks of carriers, drivers, and drayage companies easier and more efficient than before.
