Your drayage operation makes money when you're profitable on every move—and that means knowing exactly what services you're selling and how to price them. A confused service menu kills margins, confuses customers, and leaves money on the table. Let's build a service package structure that actually works for your bottom line.
Start with Your Core Service Tiers
Most successful drayage operators organize offerings into 2–4 tiers. The simplest model separates standard local drayage, expedited/guaranteed time-slot service, and specialty handling (containers requiring reefer units, hazmat certification, or oversized cargo).
Standard local drayage typically runs $150–$400 per container move depending on distance, equipment type, and your market. You're competing on availability and reliability, not speed. This is your volume business.
Expedited or guaranteed-slot service commands a 30–50% premium because shippers need containers moved within specific windows—think port cutoff times or appointment-based warehouse receiving. Price these at $200–$600 per move. The upside: you can tightly schedule these and maximize your driver utilization.
Specialty services (hazmat, reefer, oversized) are where you protect margin. These require certified equipment, trained staff, and insurance riders. Charge $400–$800+ per move and don't apologize for it.
Define What's Included (and What Costs Extra)
Customers get confused when they don't know what's bundled. Be explicit:
- Standard move: pickup, delivery, basic documentation, standard labor for load/unload at dock
- Not included: Wait time beyond 30 minutes, shipper/consignee labor, detention at warehouse, gate fees, fuel surcharges (spell out your trigger price), customs brokerage, or cargo handling inside facilities
Detention fees (the container sits at your yard) should start around $50–$75/day after a 3–5 day grace period. Make this crystal clear in your service menu—it's a huge revenue lever and source of customer friction if not explained upfront.
Add Value-Added Services as Line Items
Don't bundle everything. Offer these as add-ons with transparent pricing:
- Expedited empty returns: $75–$150 for same-day repositioning
- Tarp/seal verification: $25–$50 per container
- Weight documentation: $15–$30 if shipper needs certified scale tickets
- Documentation prep (bill of lading, commercial invoice compilation): $40–$100 depending on complexity
- Storage (per day): $30–$50 after grace period, scaling down for longer-term warehouse contracts
- Gate/port fees pass-through: Bill at cost plus 5–8% processing fee
These line items make your service menu modular and let customers pick what they actually need. It also clarifies your cost structure.
Build Pricing Around Your Real Operating Costs
Never price without knowing your numbers. Calculate:
- Fuel: Current diesel prices + anticipated surcharge trigger (typically 8–10% margin increase when diesel exceeds $3.50/gal)
- Labor per move: Driver + dock labor (whether you self-perform or subcontract). Most operators budget $60–$120 in labor per move
- Equipment depreciation + maintenance: Allocate roughly $30–$60 per container move
- Insurance + licensing: Roughly $15–$25 per move
If your total cost per standard move is $200 and you're pricing at $250, you're operating on razor-thin 20% margin. That's dangerous. Aim for 30–40% gross margin on standard moves; specialty services should hit 50%+.
Present Your Menu Clearly
When you list your drayage services online—whether on your website, on Mercoly (where you can list and win leads directly from shippers searching for drayage providers), or via quote request systems—use a simple format:
Service Name | Distance/Scope | Base Price | Typical Add-Ons
Example:
- Local drayage (5–25 mi) | $175–$300 | Detention, storage, rush handling
- Port-to-warehouse | $250–$400 | Reefer units (+$50), hazmat certification (+$75)
- Expedited (4-hour slot) | $400–$550 | Tarp verification (+$25)
This clarity converts inquiries to quotes faster and reduces back-and-forth emails.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Should I charge different rates for loaded vs. empty container moves? Yes—empty repositioning typically runs 40–60% of loaded rates since you're covering distance without revenue. Set your empty rate clearly (often $100–$200 for local moves) and stick to it.
Q: How do I handle fuel surcharges without confusing customers? Lock a baseline diesel price into your rates (e.g., $3.00/gal), then add a simple formula-based fuel surcharge that activates if diesel exceeds that threshold—usually $0.05–$0.10 per gallon difference, passed to the customer as a line-item adjustment.
Q: What's a realistic turnaround time for a standard drayage move? Same-day or next-day for local moves (within 25 miles) is standard; port-to-warehouse typically runs 24–48 hours depending on port congestion and facility availability.
Build this menu, test it with 5–10 customers, then refine based on what actually moves volume and margin for your operation.