Cartage

Cartage is the short-distance transport of goods, typically within a local area or between nearby facilities. The term covers the movement of freight from a port terminal to a nearby warehouse, from a rail yard to a distribution center, or between two facilities within the same metropolitan area. Cartage distances generally fall within a 25- to 50-mile radius, though the exact definition varies by carrier and context. In practice, cartage and drayage are closely related, with drayage specifically referring to container movements to and from ports and rail terminals, while cartage is the broader term for any short-haul freight movement.

Where Cartage Fits in the Supply Chain

Cartage fills the gap between long-haul transportation (ocean freight, rail, FTL trucking) and the final destination. A container arriving at the Port of Long Beach needs to move from the marine terminal to a warehouse in nearby Carson or Compton. That 10- to 15-mile trip is cartage. Similarly, palletized freight arriving at a rail intermodal yard in Chicago needs to be trucked to a distribution center in Elk Grove Village, 20 miles away. That local move is cartage.

For Amazon sellers, cartage typically occurs at two points in the supply chain. First, when an import container is picked up from the port and delivered to a prep center or warehouse. Second, when prepared inventory is moved from the prep center to a nearby Amazon fulfillment center or carrier hub. Both moves involve relatively short distances but require the same documentation, equipment, and scheduling coordination as longer hauls.

Cartage Companies and Equipment

Cartage work is performed by local trucking companies, drayage operators, and courier services. The equipment used depends on the cargo type. Container chassis and day-cab tractors handle intermodal containers coming off vessels or rail. Box trucks and straight trucks handle palletized LTL cargo or loose freight. Flatbed trucks handle oversized or irregular items. Sprinter vans and cargo vans handle smaller shipments within urban areas.

Many cartage operators specialize by geography, running a fleet of trucks within a specific port market or metro area. In Southern California, dozens of cartage and drayage companies serve the LA/Long Beach port complex. In the Chicago area, cartage operators serve the region’s extensive intermodal rail network. These operators know the local roads, terminal procedures, appointment systems, and weight restrictions that govern local freight movement.

Cartage Pricing

Cartage rates are typically quoted as a flat fee per load for a defined origin-destination pair rather than a per-mile rate. A standard container dray from the Port of Long Beach to a warehouse within 25 miles might cost $350 to $600, depending on container size, chassis availability, port congestion, and wait time at the terminal. For LTL cartage, rates may be quoted per pallet or per hundredweight (cwt) based on the volume and weight of the shipment.

Wait time and accessorial charges can inflate cartage costs beyond the base rate. If a driver arrives at the port terminal and waits two hours for the container to be loaded onto the chassis, the cartage company charges a wait-time fee ($50 to $100 per hour). Fuel surcharges, toll charges, overweight fees, and weekend or after-hours pickup premiums are common accessorials.

Managing Cartage Costs

Proximity to the port or rail terminal is the largest factor in cartage cost. Warehouses and prep centers located within 10 to 20 miles of the port benefit from the lowest cartage rates and the fastest turn times. MeisterPrep’s Long Beach location, for example, minimizes the drayage distance from the port, reducing both the base cartage fee and the risk of delays from extended road transit through congested corridors.

Pre-scheduling terminal pickups and warehouse delivery appointments reduces driver wait times and associated fees. Coordinating the container return trip (dropping the empty container at the nearest depot after unloading) with the delivery minimizes the chassis turn time and avoids per diem charges from the chassis pool provider. Consolidating multiple short-distance moves into a scheduled route can also reduce per-load costs when a cartage operator makes several stops in the same area.