Drayage

Drayage is the material handling fee a trade show’s general contractor charges to move an exhibitor’s freight from the dock or the advance warehouse to the booth, store the empty crates during the show, and return them at move-out.

You pay it on nearly every shipment that reaches the show floor, and the bill usually arrives after the show closes. Plan for it when you set the show’s budget, so it never surprises your event spend.

How is drayage billed?

• By weight, per hundredweight (100 pounds), rounded up, with a minimum charge for each shipment.
• At different rates for freight you send to the advance warehouse and freight you send straight to the show site. Your exhibitor kit lists both.
• With surcharges for freight that arrives outside the show’s target window, comes in on overtime, or needs special handling.

How do you keep your drayage bill down?

• Send fewer, larger shipments, since each one carries its own minimum charge.
• Crate your freight, and weigh it before it leaves, so you can check the weight on your bill.
• Ship to arrive inside the target window in your exhibitor kit.
• Hand-carry what the venue’s rules let your team carry in themselves.

Where do you find it in FieldXM?

In FieldXM’s event logistics, you add each shipment’s carrier and tracking number to the event, beside the receiving cutoff and consignee from your exhibitor kit. FieldXM watches each shipment and warns you if one may miss the receiving cutoff.