Is drayage included in a DDP ocean freight quote?

In QShip's DDP quotes, yes: the terminal pickup, delivery to the named address and the empty return are shown as the drayage line. On FOB or CIF terms the consignee arranges drayage at destination. We state it either way so the quote is comparable with others.

How far can a drayage move go?

Drayage is priced for short hauls, usually within about 100 miles of the port in the USA and similar around Indian ports. Beyond that the movement is priced as trucking per mile or kilometre, and for long inland distances in the USA a rail move to an inland yard followed by local drayage is often cheaper.

What is a chassis and why is it charged separately in the USA?

A chassis is the wheeled frame a container rides on. At most US ports the truckers do not own them; they are rented from a chassis pool by the day, and the charge is passed through. Indian trailers include the chassis in the haulage rate, so the line item only appears on US deliveries.

Can you deliver a container to an Amazon or Walmart fulfilment centre?

Yes, on a booked appointment. Fulfilment centres receive containers as floor-loaded or palletised freight against the shipment plan, and require the carrier to be registered and the appointment confirmed. Floor-loaded 40 ft containers usually mean a drop and pick because unloading takes hours.

What happens if my warehouse cannot receive the container in time?

We pre-pull the container from the terminal before demurrage starts and hold it in a yard, which costs a daily yard fee far below the terminal's demurrage. Detention from the line still runs, so we also book the earliest possible appointment and, if needed, ask the line for a free-time extension.

Container haulage

Drayage

Drayage is the short-distance haulage of a shipping container between a port terminal or rail yard and a nearby warehouse, CFS or inland depot. QShip arranges it at Indian ports and ICDs for export and import containers, and at US ports of entry for DDP deliveries, managing free days, chassis and return of the empty box.

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What does drayage cover and what does it not?

Drayage is the truck leg that connects a container to the port or rail system. It is priced per move over a short distance, typically under 100 kilometres or miles, and includes the chassis the container sits on. It does not include the ocean freight, the terminal handling, or the unloading of the container at the warehouse, which are separate charges.

Drayage moves QShip arranges
Move	Where	When it is used
Empty pickup to factory	India, from the line's depot	FCL export, factory stuffing
Loaded factory to ICD or port	India	FCL export, before gate-in
Terminal to CFS	India and USA	LCL deconsolidation, customs examination
Terminal to warehouse and empty return	USA and Europe	DDP delivery of a full container
Rail yard to warehouse	USA inland points	Containers moved by rail from the coast

What are free days, demurrage, detention and per diem?

Free days are the days the line and the terminal allow before charges begin. Demurrage is charged by the terminal for a container left inside the port past its free time. Detention, called per diem in the USA, is charged by the line for its container kept outside the port past its free time. Chassis rental is a further daily charge in the USA. These are the costs that turn a cheap ocean rate into an expensive shipment.

US terminals commonly allow three to five free days from discharge; Indian ports five to seven
Line detention free time is typically four to seven days from pickup, longer if negotiated at booking
A container held for a customs examination or a full warehouse can rack up several hundred dollars a day across the three charges

Live unload or drop and pick?

A live unload means the truck waits while the warehouse empties the container, usually within two hours for palletised cargo and up to four for floor-loaded cartons, then returns the empty. A drop and pick leaves the container on a chassis at the warehouse for a day or two and collects it later, which costs a second move and chassis days but suits floor-loaded containers that take a long time to unload.

1Confirm whether the container is palletised or floor loaded and how many cartons it holds
2Check the warehouse's dock, receiving hours and unloading capacity
3Choose live unload for palletised or small containers, drop and pick for floor-loaded 40 ft boxes
4Book the delivery appointment and the empty return within the line's free time

Why does container weight matter for drayage?

Road weight limits apply to the truck, chassis and container together. In the USA a standard tandem chassis handles a cargo weight of roughly 38,000 to 40,000 pounds; heavier boxes need a tri-axle chassis and an overweight permit, and some routes bar them. Indian trailers have their own axle limits. A container packed to the line's maximum payload can be legal at sea and illegal on the road, and the fix at the port is expensive.

How does a drayage booking work with QShip?

1
Share the container details
Container number, size, weight, terminal or ICD, and the delivery address with receiving hours.
2
Confirm free time and appointment
We check the line's free days, book the warehouse slot and arrange the chassis.
3
Pick up
The container is pulled from the terminal or rail yard once customs release and terminal fees are cleared.
4
Deliver
Live unload or drop and pick at the warehouse, with the seal checked and photographed.
5
Return the empty
Container returned to the line's depot within free time, with the return receipt shared.

Questions customers ask

Transit times, charges and document requirements on this page were last reviewed on 5 September 2026.