How to Become a Drayage Carrier: Everything You Need to Know

Drayage carriers play an integral role in logistics. They get goods from ports to warehouses and intermodal facilities smoothly and ensure supply chains run correctly and on time.

There are around 3.5 million truck drivers in the US, and with 11 million shipping containers arriving in US ports every year, drayage is an in-demand industry.

Are you wondering how you can jump in on the lucrative business that is being a drayage trucker? Learn how to become a drayage carrier in this quick guide.

Drayage Trucker Shortages Equal Better Benefits for Drivers

There are numerous reasons you should become a drayage carrier today. The business provides steady and consistent work and in recent years has started offering better benefits.

Fewer people are entering the truck driving trade. These labor shortages are encouraging logistics companies to get creative and make jobs more enticing.

Base pay for truckers across the US has increased over the past decade. Also, benefits and working conditions have improved to target new demographics.

Only 8% of truck drivers are women. Some concerns such as improving driver safety, automatic transmissions in vehicles, and adding cameras to the trucks have been addressed to make jobs more inviting for women. Women are often also more vocal about needing free time for family, and as such, working hours have become more flexible. These are just a few of the considerations that have been made to attract more women to the field.

Commercial Drivers License

Now that you know a bit more about the benefits of being a drayage carrier, you probably want to learn how you get started. Becoming a drayage trucker is a fairly simple process. The first step involves obtaining your Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) if you don’t have one already. Getting the license is usually simple and, on average, takes around seven weeks in a full-time driver training program. You’ll also need to pass a physical examination.

License to Enter Ports

Drayage truckers pick shipping containers up from ports. As such, having a license to enter ports is essential.

The first thing to consider is that your truck will need a DTR sticker. DTR stands for Drayage Truck Registry and lets ports know that your vehicle is compliant with regulations and registered.

It’s a sticker that you must obtain to enter ports. Not to worry though, it’s not difficult to get.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Tags

Radio frequency identification tags and readers have become commonplace in ports across the country. This system speeds up the processing of trucks at terminal gates.

RFID tags are added to vehicles in a port’s drayage truck registry (DTR) system and speed through entry by allowing port authorities to know it is compliant with that port’s regulations. It increases security within the port, ensuring only registered vehicles enter.

Shippers also hold interest in RFID tags as they allow their goods to be monitored and traced from port to warehouse.

Finding Drayage Carrier Jobs

You know the basics of what being a drayage trucker involves. But, how do you find a job and start transporting goods?

There are many great places to look, but sometimes the information about bidding on loads or registering with a 3PL company can become overwhelming.

Here at Draydex™, we make things simple. You can join us as a drayage carrier, and the process is easy.

You simply sign up to become a contracted carrier. Once your application is approved, you will receive access to Draydex™, our proprietary Transportation Management Software (TMS).

You can use the web-based system to search available loads and post your available equipment and make it highly visible to our vast agent offices network.

We put our drivers first. Working with Draydex™ is an excellent choice as our priorities include fair treatment and payments promptly. We are a member of the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) and currently maintain a $100,000 surety bond.

On top of this, we offer nationwide services and work with over 85% of the nation’s top freight forwarders meaning there are always jobs to take when you want them.