# Drayage > Drayage is the short-distance trucking of ocean or rail containers between a port or rail ramp and a nearby warehouse, distribution center or other terminal, usually as one leg of a longer intermodal move. A drayage move is short in miles but heavy in coordination. The trucker needs a container release from the ocean carrier or railroad, a chassis to put the container on, a terminal appointment for the pickup and another for the return, and a delivery window at the customer’s dock. A single missed appointment can turn a two-hour job into a two-day one. There are two common kinds. Port drayage moves international ISO containers off the marine terminal to an importer’s warehouse, or brings export boxes back to the vessel. Rail drayage handles the first and last mile of domestic [intermodal transport](https://transportial.com/en-us/glossary/intermodal-transport), where 53-foot containers or trailers ride long-haul on rail and are trucked from and to the ramp at each end. Because the equipment belongs to someone else and sits on the clock, drayage invoices carry more [accessorial charges](https://transportial.com/en-us/glossary/accessorial-charges) than a typical truckload: chassis rental or a chassis split (picking up the chassis at a different location than the container), pre-pull and storage when a box is pulled early to beat free time, [detention](https://transportial.com/en-us/glossary/detention) at the customer, and container charges passed through from the terminal or ocean carrier. ## Frequently asked questions ### Why is drayage so expensive for such a short distance? Most of the cost is time, not miles. Terminal queues, appointment windows, chassis availability and waiting at the customer all tie up a truck and driver. The linehaul rate is often small next to chassis fees, waiting time and the other accessorials on the invoice. ### What is the difference between demurrage and per diem in drayage? Both are container charges for running past free time. Demurrage is typically billed for a container that stays inside the terminal too long before pickup; per diem (sometimes called container detention) is typically billed for keeping the carrier’s container outside the terminal too long before returning it. Who ends up paying depends on your contract and on who caused the delay. ### Is drayage the same as intermodal? No. Intermodal is the whole door-to-door move using more than one mode with the freight staying in the same container. Drayage is the truck leg at the start or end of that move, between the port or rail ramp and the shipper or consignee. ### How do drayage carriers plan their day? Around appointments. Dispatchers sequence terminal pickups, customer deliveries and empty returns so that each truck and chassis stays busy, and they track free-time deadlines per container. A TMS with a [plan board](https://transportial.com/en-us/product/plan-board) and live status updates keeps those moving parts on one screen. --- Canonical page: https://transportial.com/en-us/glossary/drayage