Drayage Dispatch Service
Drayage dispatch covers port and rail container moves: terminal appointments, UIIA interchange paperwork, chassis sourcing, TWIC compliance, and per diem and demurrage tracking. JackRick dispatches drayage carriers from Hampton Roads, home of the Port of Virginia, at 10% flat per load with Friday invoicing, no retainer, and no long-term contract.
Drayage is the short-haul movement of containers between ports, rail ramps, and nearby warehouses, and it runs on a completely different rhythm than over-the-road trucking. Appointments are booked in tight windows, chassis availability can make or break a day, and per diem and demurrage clocks start ticking the moment a container leaves the terminal. A drayage dispatch service exists to manage that rhythm so drivers spend their hours pulling loads instead of refreshing appointment portals.
JackRick Logistics is based in Hampton Roads, Virginia, home of the Port of Virginia, one of the busiest container gateways on the East Coast. That geography means drayage is not an abstract concept here. It is the daily freight our dispatchers understand: terminal appointments, empty-return instructions, chassis splits, and the paperwork trail that follows every container move from the port to the customer door.
This page explains what drayage dispatch covers, how the operational details work, who it is for, and how to start. Everything about our service is stated plainly: 10% flat per load, invoiced every Friday, no retainer, no minimum, no long-term contract, and 30 days written notice if you ever decide to leave.
What Drayage Dispatch Actually Involves
Drayage dispatch centers on container moves, and the first thing a dispatcher manages is the appointment. Most marine terminals and rail ramps require a booked appointment window before a truck can pick up or return a container, and those windows fill quickly during peak import surges. Missing an appointment can mean a wasted trip to the terminal and a rescheduled day, so a dispatcher watches appointment availability, books windows that fit the driver's hours, and adjusts when a window slips.
The second core task is equipment and interchange paperwork. Drayage carriers operate under UIIA interchange agreements with the ocean carriers and equipment providers, and each container move generates pickup numbers, container numbers, seal numbers, and empty-return locations. The dispatcher tracks all of it: which container goes where, when the empty must be returned, and whether the chassis comes from a pool, a private fleet, or a street turn arranged directly with another carrier.
The third task is access and compliance. Most ports require a TWIC card for unescorted terminal access, and terminals enforce their own registration, vehicle, and insurance requirements. A drayage dispatcher keeps the carrier's credentials current, confirms the driver holds a valid TWIC, and makes sure the truck and trailer meet the terminal's entry standards before a driver ever rolls up to the gate.
The Port of Virginia and Hampton Roads Drayage
Hampton Roads sits at the center of one of the strongest drayage markets on the East Coast. The Port of Virginia moves millions of containers a year through its terminals, and the surrounding region holds dense warehouse and distribution capacity in cities like Chesapeake, Suffolk, Portsmouth, and Norfolk. For a drayage carrier based here, that density means short hauls, frequent turns, and the chance to run multiple revenue moves in a single day.
Rail intermodal adds a second layer of drayage demand. Containers arriving by rail at inland ramps need drayage to their final consignees, and outbound loads need to be positioned at the ramp before the train cutoff. Dispatchers working this freight track train schedules, ramp cutoff times, and the handoff between the rail leg and the final-mile truck leg.
JackRick Logistics has dispatched freight from Hampton Roads since 2022, and port-area freight is part of the everyday mix. Carriers here benefit from a dispatcher who already knows how the local terminals operate and who answers the phone during the same working hours you run.
Chassis, Per Diem, and Demurrage: The Details That Decide Profit
Chassis are the quiet constraint in drayage. When the chassis pool is tight, a dispatcher may need to secure a chassis separately, arrange a street turn, or reposition equipment before the container can even move. A dispatch service that understands drayage plans for this instead of treating every load as a simple hook-and-go. It asks where the chassis comes from on every order and confirms availability before committing the driver to the appointment.
Per diem and demurrage are the other profit drivers. Ocean carriers charge per diem for containers held beyond the free time, and terminals charge demurrage for cargo dwelling on the terminal. These fees accumulate daily and can erase the margin on a load in a matter of days. A careful dispatcher tracks free-time expiration dates on every container, prioritizes empty returns before the clock runs out, and flags at-risk containers early so the carrier can act instead of paying.
None of this is exotic. It is the ordinary discipline of drayage: watch the dates, watch the equipment, and keep the container moving. The difference between a profitable dray week and a break-even one often comes down to whether someone was watching those details on your behalf.
Who Drayage Dispatch Is For
Drayage dispatch fits owner-operators and small fleets running day cabs and container chassis in port and rail markets. If you run one to five trucks pulling containers in and out of a terminal, you know the workload: appointments to book, empties to return, per diem dates to watch, and rate confirmations to chase. A dispatcher takes that office work off your plate so you can run turns.
It also fits carriers who want to enter drayage from another segment. An over-the-road carrier adding a day cab for port work faces a learning curve: UIIA setup, terminal registration, TWIC enrollment, and a completely different daily cadence. A dispatcher who already knows the process shortens that curve and helps you avoid the credential and paperwork mistakes that delay new drayage operations.
JackRick works with carriers nationwide, not just in Hampton Roads. The mechanics of drayage, appointment systems, interchange agreements, and per diem tracking, are the same at every major port. What changes is the local terminal detail, and a good dispatcher learns the rules of whichever port you run.
Get a Drayage Dispatch Quote
Starting drayage dispatch with JackRick Logistics is straightforward. Call (757) 744-2484 or email [email protected] and tell us about your operation: how many trucks, which port or rail ramp you run, whether your drivers hold TWIC cards, and what kind of container freight you want to focus on. We will talk through how the service works and whether it fits your operation.
You can also reach us through the contact page to request a quote. There is no retainer and no minimum, so you can start with a single truck and see how the service performs before adding more. Invoicing runs every Friday on a 10% flat fee per load, and there is no long-term contract. If the service ever stops working for you, 30 days written notice ends the arrangement.
Shay Denise, our freight strategist and licensed commercial insurance broker, has run JackRick from Hampton Roads and Virginia Beach since 2022. Drayage carriers get a dispatcher who knows port freight, answers during working hours, and treats your trucks like the business they are.
Key takeaways
- Drayage runs on appointments, chassis availability, and per diem clocks, not just miles.
- TWIC cards and UIIA interchange agreements are the credential foundation for port work.
- Tracking free-time dates is one of the highest-value dispatch tasks in drayage.
- Hampton Roads and the Port of Virginia form a dense, high-turn drayage market.
- JackRick drayage dispatch: 10% flat per load, Friday invoicing, no minimum, no long-term contract, 30 days written notice.
Questions carriers ask
How much does drayage dispatch cost?
JackRick charges a 10% flat fee per load, invoiced every Friday. There is no retainer, no weekly minimum, and no long-term contract. The percentage model means the dispatcher only earns when you earn, which aligns the dispatcher's incentive with yours: finding loads that actually pay.
How do I start drayage dispatch with JackRick?
Call (757) 744-2484, email [email protected], or use the contact page. We will ask about your trucks, your TWIC status, which port or ramp you run, and your UIIA and terminal credentials. Once your carrier packet is in order, dispatching can begin. There is no minimum fleet size.
Do my drivers need TWIC cards for drayage?
For unescorted access to most secure marine terminals, yes, drivers need a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC). Enrollment runs through the federal TWIC program, and processing takes time, so apply before you need terminal access. Your dispatcher can confirm which of your terminals require TWIC and help you track the status.
What is included in drayage dispatch?
Load booking, terminal appointment scheduling, container and chassis tracking, empty-return coordination, per diem and free-time date tracking, rate confirmation review, and communication with brokers and terminals. The goal is to handle the office side of every container move so the driver focuses on driving.
How does the dispatcher handle per diem and demurrage risk?
By tracking free-time expiration dates on every container and prioritizing moves and empty returns before the clock expires. The dispatcher flags containers approaching their deadlines so you can act early. Avoiding these fees is one of the highest-value parts of drayage dispatch because the charges accumulate daily once free time runs out.
Can I leave the dispatch service if it is not working out?
Yes. There is no long-term contract. You can end the arrangement with 30 days written notice. That term is in writing before you start, so you know exactly how the relationship ends before it begins.