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What is freight procurement?

Freight procurement, a term used to describe the process of finding solutions to move cargo, is reliant on many different modes of transportation from start to finish. This is especially true if a shipper incorporates intermodal transportation, which utilizes ships, trucks and trains to move freight.

Finding transportation capacity for multiple modes can require a lot of time and effort. When intermodal is involved, rail space and equipment must be secured, in the form of a 53’ domestic intermodal container. There is also the need to find drayage truck capacity that gets this freight to and from the rail on each side of the intermodal move.

Not only is obtaining capacity a necessary process to handle in freight procurement, but one must also make sure that scheduling lines up so that each mode of transportation is able to handle moving this freight when it needs to go. From ship to train to truck, any issue that comes up can affect when each mode receives freight and therefore when the final delivery of this freight occurs.

Another important piece to consider in freight procurement, cost, can make or break what modes of transportation to utilize. For example, if the cost of truckload shipping spikes, it may be time to consider intermodal shipping, and vice versa. Freight procurement specialists will need to keep up with pricing trends so that freight can move cost effectively.

DrayNow’s role in freight procurement

DrayNow is a transportation service provider in the freight procurement process. We offer tech-enabled drayage service on the first and last mile of intermodal rail moves. Our drayage service is available in domestic intermodal markets across the country, giving us the ability to cover drays at the beginning and end of an intermodal load.

By using DrayNow as a drayage service provider, we’re providing the solution for a huge part of the intermodal freight procurement process. Every drayage load done by DrayNow is given visibility through tracking on our desktop platform, ensuring that freight will be on time. When it comes to shipping freight via rail, late groundings will happen, and that can affect the timing of the drayage load. Our capacity allows us to adapt to appointment changes in case freight grounds later than expected.

We offer a steady, consistent source of capacity, important for the procurement of intermodal freight solutions. Anyone looking for drayage service for a particular lane can get locked-in pricing and service from DrayNow for those loads, solving one piece of the freight procurement puzzle. Whether a load is in a lane or considered spot freight, we have transparent pricing that reflects intermodal cost trends.

If your freight procurement process involves intermodal transportation, we’re available to operate as your drayage carrier. Please reach out to us at the form below to learn more.

Freight Inquiry Submission

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