How To Reduce Tradeshow Drayage: 13 Proven Tips

Don’t Let Drayage Dominate Your Tradeshow Exhibit Budget

You’re ready to attend an industry tradeshow with an impactful exhibit design, but have you accounted for behind-the-scenes costs, including drayage? Drayage can be one of the larger cost centers for any brand’s tradeshow budget. With decades of tradeshow experience, we can guide you through the drayage process and provide top insights to reduce drayage costs and maximize your total marketing spend.

 

What is Drayage?

Drayage, or material handling, is the unloading of exhibit properties, their transportation over short distances, the delivery of properties to the tradeshow booth space, the handling of empty crates before and after the show, and reloading exhibit properties onto outbound carriers. It often involves equipment such as box trucks, semi trucks, and forklifts. The process, managed by show organizers, can be a significant cost factor for exhibitors due to labor, equipment, and time required to handle and move goods to and from events.

What is the Drayage Process?

The drayage process involves several steps that ensure materials are efficiently transported from their arrival point to their final destination, such as a tradeshow space or a storage area within a venue.

The drayage process is highly organized but can be complex, involving tight schedules, specific rules, and coordination between multiple parties, including exhibitors, show contractors, and freight carriers. Proper planning and communication are key to a smooth drayage operation.

A typical tradeshow drayage process may involve the following eight steps:

 

 

1. Pre-Event Planning and Documentation

• Exhibit Shipping Coordination: Exhibitors or shippers arrange to send their materials either directly to the venue or to an advance warehouse designated by the tradeshow’s general contractor.
• Booth and Material Documentation: Proper documentation, including bills of lading and labels, is prepared to ensure shipments are accurately tracked and delivered.

 

2. Advance Warehouse Receipt (if applicable)

• Storage at the Advance Warehouse: Exhibit materials can be shipped to an advance warehouse weeks before the event. This helps organize deliveries to the venue in a systematic manner.
• Inspection and Preparation: Goods are inspected, sorted, and prepared for delivery to the show site when scheduled.

 

3. Exhibit Arrival at Show Site

• Unloading at the Dock: When shipments arrive at the venue, they are unloaded at the designated loading dock. The timing of this step is crucial to avoid extra fees or delays.
• Check-In and Inspection: Exhibits and supplemental goods are checked against shipping documents to ensure everything has arrived and is correctly labeled for delivery.

 

4. Movement to Booth or Assigned Area

• Transport to Booth: The drayage team moves the shipment from the loading dock to the exhibitor’s tradeshow booth using forklifts, pallet jacks, or hand trucks, depending on the size and type of materials.
• Placement in Booth: Materials are placed in the booth area according to the exhibitor’s instructions, ready for setup.

 

5. Empty Container Storage

• Storage of Empty Exhibit Crates: Once the goods are unpacked, empty crates, boxes, and packing materials are taken to an offsite or on-site storage area for the duration of the event. This step helps keep the show floor clear and organized.

 

6. End of Show Exhibit Breakdown

• Return of Empty Exhibit Crates: At the end of the show, empty crates are returned to the booths for exhibitors to pack up their tradeshow materials.
• Repacking and Labeling: Exhibitors repack their materials and ensure they are correctly labeled for outbound shipping.

 

7. Outbound Drayage

• Exhibit Collection and Loading: Packed goods are collected from the booth and moved back to the loading dock. They are then loaded onto trucks for outbound shipping, based on pre-arranged logistics with freight carriers.

 

8. Post-Show Documentation and Billing

• Billing: Drayage services are billed based on weight, labor, and any special handling requirements. Accurate documentation helps ensure exhibitors are charged correctly.

 

 

Why Do Drayage Costs Vary?

Drayage and its associated costs vary considerably from city to city, from facility to facility, and even from show to show. At most tradeshows, drayage tasks are completed by a third-party company, such as GES or Freeman, called a general contractor or “GC” for short. This is an exclusive service that cannot be undertaken by the exhibitor, their exhibit house, or another entity.

Tradeshow drayage costs vary due to several factors that can influence the complexity, time, and resources needed to move goods within a short distance. These factors collectively contribute to the variability in drayage costs, making it essential for exhibitors and shippers to plan and budget accordingly to manage these expenses effectively.

Here are the top seven key reasons for the variation in drayage costs:

 

 

1. Weight and Volume of Exhibit Goods

Heavier and bulkier shipments require more labor and equipment, leading to higher costs. Drayage fees are often calculated based on the weight and size of the shipment.

2. Distance and Location

Costs can vary depending on the distance goods need to be moved within the tradeshow venue, such as from the loading dock to the booth. Longer distances or challenging routes can increase costs.

3. Time and Labor

Timing for both move-in and move-out plays a significant role; drayage services during peak times, weekends, holidays, or after-hours can incur higher fees due to overtime or premium labor rates.

4. Complexity of Exhibit Handling

Special handling requirements, such as fragile, hazardous, or oversized items, can increase drayage costs because they may require additional equipment or specialized labor.

5. Venue-Specific Fees

Different event venues and tradeshows have unique drayage fee structures based on their contracts with service providers. Some venues have unionized labor, which can also affect costs.

6. Advance Warehousing vs. Direct Shipments

Shipping to an advance warehouse before the event can lower drayage costs since tradeshow materials are prepped and ready for delivery to the show floor. Direct-to-show-site shipments often cost more due to the immediate need for handling upon arrival.

7. Material Handling Surcharges

Additional surcharges may apply for special equipment (like forklifts or cranes), non-standard delivery times, or if shipments arrive without proper labeling and documentation.

How to Reduce Tradeshow Drayage

When exhibiting at a tradeshow, convention or expo, drayage is not an optional expense, but rather something that can be planned around and strategically integrated into your tradeshow marketing budget. To help prevent your post-show invoice from exceeding the event budget, Condit recommends these 13 expert tips to reduce drayage costs.

 

 

 

1. Know your target times and dates to avoid overtime charges.

Warehouses only accept freight between certain hours. For example, normal hours may be 8:00 am to 3:30 pm.  Beyond those hours, anything after 3:30 pm or before 8:00 am would be considered overtime, which increases labor costs. Additionally, each tradeshow has specific arrival dates to accept inbound freight at the warehouse. If you miss these dates, you could be charged an additional 30%.

2. Learn the scheduled exhibit move-in and move-out dates.

Each tradeshow has scheduled move-in and move-out dates. Work with your transportation manager to have your exhibit moved in and out during “straight time” to save costs if possible. Coordinate deliveries to occur during standard work hours to avoid overtime rates. Deliveries outside of these times incur premium charges.

3. Review your material handling rates.

Always check the event’s drayage policy before signing up to exhibit. Your exhibit kit will include several rate options from which to choose. In some instances, drayage may be included with the purchase of your booth space. There is often a difference between shipping directly to show site and shipping to the event’s advance warehouse. Thoroughly review the show’s drayage rate sheet to understand what services are included and how they are billed. Knowing this can help you plan and avoid unexpected charges.

4. Be aware of special handling.

Special handling fees are incurred when exhibit materials are a non-standard size, extremely heavy, or otherwise out of the ordinary for the warehouse team. Special handling fees can also apply to uncrated items, stacked shipments, and other irregularly packed goods. Pack materials conventionally to avoid these surcharges. Special handling is significantly more expensive than the moving and storing of regular materials.

5. Understand the minimum drayage amount.

Typically, the minimum drayage weight is 200 lbs., but show kits will provide this figure in greater detail. Weight is often billed per 100 lbs., rounding up as needed. Some show organizers use a per pound exact rate, which can be more costly.

6. Consolidate your shipments.

To reduce costs, shipments should be consolidated to base billable costs on total weight rather than individual charges and one-off small shipments. Try to avoid sending small parcels separately, as they often have higher handling costs relative to their size. When shipping samples or giveaways, it can be beneficial to compile your inventory together and send as one skid rather than multiple smaller shipments, which often get charged the 200 lb. minimum charge even though the box or crate is considerably lighter!. Lighter, portable modular exhibits and any last-minute add-ins should travel with the exhibitor or ship to the hotel – though in some cases, shipping to the hotel may result in hotel handling fees.

7. Combine your booth flooring.

Flooring handling costs extra when carpet, vinyl, etc. are shipped separately. Though it may appear to be initially less expensive to ship flooring directly from the vendor, the drayage costs are higher to receive and move these materials. It may save money to ship flooring to the client or the exhibit house to then combine with the remaining exhibit elements, which would then be transported to the warehouse or direct to show all together.

8. Consider lighter exhibit materials.

While not possible for some exhibits, depending on their particular fixtures and features, it is helpful to note in the exhibit design phase when lighter structural components are preferable to purchase or to rent. Sturdy, bulky counters are usually the heaviest item to ship, so those may be a good place to start when looking to reduce shipping weight.

9. Pack exhibits carefully.

After being received on the facility’s dock, crates and boxes are most often moved by forklift, and this can be a rough journey for unique or fragile exhibit components. At a minimum, shrink wrap, moving blankets, foam padding and varying types of tape should be utilized to prevent damage.

10. Label booth materials clearly.

Most shows provide specific labels for exhibitor crates, but a single label on such a large surface could easily be missed or could fall off in transport. Multiple copies should be affixed to each side of the crate with details provided as needed, such as marking a hanging sign for pre-assembly or noting that food samples need to be placed in cold storage. Without clear labeling, including your booth name and booth number, boxes can easily get lost within the convention center! Include return shipping labels to avoid confusion and extra fees during the outbound process.

11. Check your facts.

Additional drayage fees are tacked on for incorrect booth number and for other erroneous details. For example, some regulations dictate that the registration must match exactly to the company name label, which could be an issue for exhibitors registering under a parent company or undergoing a brand name change.

12. Look for discounts.

Drayage discounts can appear unexpectedly! A recent trend includes offering the first 200 lbs. of drayage with the purchase of the exhibit floor space. Additionally, show organizers may offer discounts for meeting early arrival deadlines.

13. Regroup with a pre-show meeting.

A final regroup meeting to estimate drayage costs, review show-site contacts, circle back on event budgets, and determine how best to avoid last-minute show-site deliveries of common items like collateral, giveaways and other loose items is a valuable exercise. Train your team on the drayage process, including packing, labeling, and booth setup, to avoid errors that can lead to additional charges.

 

Don’t Be Discouraged by Drayage

By implementing these strategies, exhibitors can significantly reduce their drayage costs, making their tradeshow participation more cost-effective. Proper planning, clear communication, and understanding the nuances of drayage services are key to achieving these savings.

Managing Drayage Costs with Condit

At Condit, our decades of experience in tradeshow exhibit design, construction, and transport have allowed us to streamline drayage reduction across the entire company. In our front office, Condit’s dedicated account managers understand the ins and outs of tradeshow drayage, working to get the best deals for clients every day. In the shop and warehouse, our exhibit crates are the best in the business, custom built for every single new project that comes through the door. Finally, at the shipping and receiving bay, our team knows how to best pack and load the trucks of our logistics partners with care and attentiveness to detail.

If you’d like to learn more about saving money on drayage or about Condit’s tradeshow design, manufacturing, and logistical expertise, contact us using the form below or start a project with any ideas you already have in mind.