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1. Confirm the correct terminal or ramp

Ports can have multiple container terminals.

Rail markets can have multiple ramps.

Know the exact facility.

2. Confirm the container/booking

Import:

  • container number,
  • ocean carrier,
  • size/type.

Export:

  • booking number,
  • container type,
  • vessel/voyage,
  • empty release.

One digit wrong can waste a gate trip.

3. Confirm actual availability

For an import, check that the box is:

  • discharged,
  • available,
  • not blocked by an operational hold.

Do not dispatch on vessel ETA alone.

4. Confirm Customs/PGA

Check the responsible broker/importer status.

A Customs or agency hold is not a trucking problem.

If an intensive exam is required, the move may change to an authorized exam transfer.

5. Confirm ocean-carrier/freight release

Customs release does not automatically mean the line has released the cargo.

6. Confirm terminal holds / fees

Check any applicable:

  • terminal hold,
  • exam hold,
  • program fee,
  • terminal payment.

7. Know Last Free Day

Record LFD in one place and make it visible to everyone coordinating the move.

Do not wait until LFD to start planning pickup.

8. Book the appointment

Where required, get the appointment.

Then verify that the other releases remain clear.

9. Confirm chassis

Standard or special?

Where is it?

Does the motor carrier have access?

Is a split required?

Do this before pickup.

For heavy containers, check the actual road configuration, not just cargo weight.

11. Confirm delivery

  • exact address,
  • appointment,
  • hours,
  • live/drop/transload,
  • unloading time,
  • contact,
  • equipment needed.

12. Plan the empty return before delivery

Know:

  • return location,
  • return deadline,
  • appointment,
  • equipment-provider instructions.

Empty-return instructions can change.

Check them again.

13. Watch terminal closures and operating changes

Port operations can be affected by:

  • holidays,
  • labor events,
  • weather,
  • congestion,
  • system outages,
  • local emergencies.

FMC decisions emphasize that D&D should maintain a real relationship to freight fluidity, but operationally the best protection is still good records and quick response.

14. Save evidence

Keep:

  • availability screenshots,
  • appointment attempts,
  • terminal messages,
  • hold screenshots,
  • return instructions,
  • gate receipts,
  • delivery timestamps.

15. Give the driver a clean dispatch packet

The driver should not have to reconstruct the shipment from six email threads.

Give:

  • terminal/ramp,
  • container,
  • appointment,
  • pickup number if needed,
  • delivery,
  • contact,
  • weight,
  • chassis instructions,
  • special notes,
  • empty return.

Red flags that should stop dispatch

STOP — NOT READY

  • customs hold,
  • terminal hold,
  • no carrier release,
  • box not available,
  • required appointment missing,
  • weight/equipment unknown,
  • delivery facility not accepting,
  • empty-return issue makes equipment cycle impossible.

Sending the truck can turn missing information into a dry run.

A simple readiness score

Ready

All required releases, equipment, appointment and delivery confirmed.

Ready with watch item

Move can proceed but one item needs monitoring — for example return appointment opens later.

Not ready

A required condition is unresolved.

That is a much more useful status than “vessel arrived.”

Bottom line

Drayage delays feel random when the move is scattered across emails and portals.

They become manageable when the critical facts live in one checklist.

Related:

Want the move to go cleanly?

Send the container details before the pickup rather than after the problem, and we will help check the shipment for the things that stop a driver at the gate.

Request a Freight Quote

Official references

  • CBP ACE: https://www.cbp.gov/trade/automated/how-to-use-ace
  • FMC D&D: https://www.fmc.gov/detention-and-demurrage/
  • UIIA: https://www.uiia.org/
  • PierPASS appointments: https://www.pierpass.org/appointments/