Track 02 · Intermediate
Drayage dispatch training: ports, containers and per diem.
Drayage runs on different rules from over-the-road freight: terminals, appointments, free time and charges that stack up by the day. This track teaches the whole container move.
Who this course is for
Dispatchers who already understand basic load booking and want the port and rail niche, and carriers moving into container work. Basic Dispatch first is recommended.
What you'll be able to do
- Follow an import or export container from vessel to delivery and back
- Explain demurrage, detention and per diem, and who owes each one
- Plan around last free day, terminal appointments and chassis availability
- Know what TWIC, UIIA and equipment interchange mean for a carrier
- Price and protect drayage-specific accessorials
Curriculum
Module 1: What drayage is and why it pays differently
- Intermodal vs over-the-road
- The players: steamship lines, BCOs, ports, rail ramps
- Import vs export and the container lifecycle
Module 2: Containers, chassis and equipment
- Container types and sizes
- Chassis pools, chassis splits and shortages
- Gensets for reefer containers; UIIA and equipment interchange
Module 3: Ports, terminals and appointments
- Terminal appointment systems and how congestion works
- TWIC, gate processes, dual transactions, street turns
- Reading terminal sites and vessel schedules
Module 4: The money game: demurrage, detention, per diem
- Demurrage vs detention vs per diem
- Free time, last free day and how charges stack up
- Customs holds and exams, and the delays they cause
- FMC billing rules for demurrage and detention
Module 5: Dispatching drayage day to day
- Booking with steamship lines and drayage brokers
- Pre-pulls, storage and turn strategy
- Chassis rental, congestion and other drayage accessorials
Capstone: Plan a container move from vessel to delivery
- A guided, practical exercise that proves the skill. Finish it to earn the operator's seal.
How it's taught
Taught around real container lifecycles, with terminal and appointment examples from major U.S. port complexes. Charges are worked through with numbers, day by day, so you can see where money is lost.
Drayage course FAQ
What is the difference between demurrage and detention?
Demurrage is charged while a container stays inside the terminal past its free time. Detention (often billed as per diem) is charged while the container or chassis is outside the terminal past its free time. Our drayage guide explains both.
Do I need to live near a port to dispatch drayage?
No. Drayage dispatch is done remotely like any other dispatch work. The carriers and drivers are local to the port; the dispatcher doesn't have to be.
Does a drayage driver need a TWIC card?
Drivers who enter secure areas of port terminals need a TWIC (Transportation Worker Identification Credential) issued by TSA. Dispatchers don't.