Drayage
November 26, 2024

Getting Ahead of the Curve: Preparing for Drayage in Peak Seasons

By
Draying.io

Think of drayage as your supply chain's offensive line — it might not score the touchdowns, but without those critical short-yard plays, you'll never move the ball downfield. It's the vital push that moves your cargo from port to warehouse, keeping your entire supply chain driving forward. And during peak season? That's your supply chain's playoff season, where every yard gained or lost can make or break your whole operation. And right now, there are some tough opponents to deal with.

Every major U.S. port is seeing record volumes, with powerhouses like LA/Long Beach reporting a staggering 19% jump in container traffic from last year. It’s also not getting any cheaper to move those containers smoothly from ship to shore to warehouse, with drayage rates up 5.4% year-over-year, according to the National Drayage Spot Market Index.  Meanwhile, chassis shortages are also blindsiding logistics managers from coast to coast, port congestion is testing everyone's patience, and that temporary ILA contract resolution isn't exactly helping anyone sleep better with January's deadline looming.

So, with this year’s peak season putting your drayage strategy through its toughest test yet, what can you do to strengthen your offensive line and turn these supply chain challenges into wins? We have five strategies for you to look at.

1. Strategize Early Booking and Volume Forecasting

Book early during peak season or pay the price — it's that simple. When everyone's scrambling for space during Black Friday or Chinese New Year, you don't want to be the shipper begging for capacity at triple the standard rate.

Smart planning goes beyond just securing early space, though. These days, it’s about prioritizing capacity rather than volume. Look at how you're actually using your containers. Are you booking ten containers when eight would work? Are you maximizing the space inside each one? Are you shipping half-empty containers just to meet a weekly quota? Are you splitting shipments that you could consolidate? That old "we need X containers per month" thinking costs you money.

Peak season success isn't just about having enough containers — it's about using them right. When you understand your real space needs, you can pack smarter and ship fuller, and often, you will need less capacity than you thought. That means better rates, guaranteed space, and carriers who see you as a preferred shipper.

2. Optimize Drayage Operations with Technology

Seasonality is very real, and when peak season hits, you're drowning in container moves. That’s why you need a drayage TMS (transportation management system) to optimize your operations. A drayage TMS is essentially your command and control center that handles all the route planning and scheduling tasks that used to eat up your day. Instead of burning hours on spreadsheets and phone calls, you're watching your entire fleet move in real-time on your screen, with GPS tracking showing exactly where every truck is and what's next on their schedule.

The system does the heavy lifting — figuring out the smartest routes based on terminal wait times and appointment slots while automatically adjusting when things get messy at the ports. Your drivers just use their phones to update container status and scan documents, and everyone stays in the loop without the endless back-and-forth calls.

The best part? Since it's all cloud-based, you can manage everything from anywhere, whether a customer needs an urgent update or you need to shuffle appointments because of a backed-up terminal. That’s the power of technology in a nutshell for you.

3. Develop Flexible Staffing Strategies

During peak season in drayage, container volume will double or triple, and deadlines will tighten. Inevitably, you’ll find your team stretched thin, but here's the thing — you don't have to watch them buckle under the pressure.

Smart operators have found a better way to handle market swings: flexible staffing solutions. They're tapping into a pool of experienced part-time drivers and teaming up with specialized staffing agencies to scale their workforce on demand. The best part? These agencies already have the right people ready to go — drivers who know port protocols, skilled dispatchers, and warehouse staff who can jump in when container volumes surge.

Cross-training your existing team is another intelligent tactic. When your dispatch pros can handle documentation, or your warehouse team can step in for basic customer service tasks, you have built-in flexibility that pays dividends during peak seasons. Not only will it help manage increased workloads, but it will also create a more engaged, versatile workforce that understands your operation from multiple angles.

4. Prioritize Communication and Collaboration

Your freight needs reliable movement, and solid communication makes it happen. Strong partnerships with carriers and ports aren't built overnight, but they're worth every effort when drayage volumes spike during peak season.

Quick morning huddles with your drayage team go a long way toward proactive planning. Share real container updates, flag port delays early, and tackle problems while they're small. Your carriers become true partners when you keep them in the loop — they'll prioritize your freight when capacity gets tight.

Text groups and shared tracking platforms also keep everyone aligned without endless emails. For instance, if your drayage provider spots a port delay, one message alerts the whole team. If a terminal changes its pickup hours, everyone knows instantly. Direct lines of communication mean faster solutions.

Monthly planning sessions with your core drayage partners also pay off big during peak season. Review performance, adjust strategies, and build backup plans together. When everyone understands your priorities and challenges, they work harder to protect your supply chain. Keep communication clear, consistent, and constructive.

5. Monitor and Adjust to Market Dynamics

With all that said, make your moves now — peak season drayage challenges loom larger than ever. Trump's return to office promises major trade shake-ups, while ILA negotiations could freeze East Coast ports by January. Couple that with port congestion and driver wait times stretching into hours at ports like LA/Long Beach while containers pile up, and even the strongest supply chains feel tested. But smart planning turns threats into opportunities.

Money-saving moves start with trusted partnerships. Spread your risk between coasts, lock in flexible chassis agreements, and build relationships with drayage carriers who understand your business. Honest volume forecasts and consistent communication keep your cargo flowing when others hit bottlenecks.

Success means staying agile and flexible. While unprepared shippers scramble, those who act now secure capacity, build contingency routes, and keep their supply chains resilient and moving.

Turn Peak Season Challenges into Your Competitive Edge

The drayage game isn't what it used to be — simply reacting to market swings and hoping for the best won't cut it anymore. Today's winners are the operators who turn industry pressures into opportunities, leveraging smart planning, tech tools, and strategic partnerships to stay adaptable and resilient when others get bogged down. When you combine all these elements, you're not just moving containers but building a resilient operation that thrives under pressure.

That’s exactly where Draying.io's drayage TMS and patent-pending algorithm become your ace in the hole. While others guess at rates and capacity, our AI-powered engine crunches real-time market data to predict drayage costs and availability with unprecedented accuracy. The TMS handles everything from route optimization and appointment scheduling to real-time GPS tracking, turning your operation into a well-oiled machine. And beyond just predictions, the platform's automated workflows eliminate manual tasks, while instant alerts keep your entire team synched through a single, intuitive dashboard. Whether you're managing ten containers or ten thousand, Draying.io's API/EDI integrations plug right into your existing systems, making the transition a piece of cake.

Ready to see how we can transform your drayage operations? Request a demo at Draying.io, and we’ll show you what's possible.

Share:
Thank you! You are now subscribed!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Sea freight containers stacked at a freight yard visible in the rising sun

Digitize Your Drayage Operation

Our TMS for shippers supports integrations through EDI & API so you can avoid any manual entries.