If you’ve ever looked at your trade show invoice and felt your eyebrows rise at the freight and drayage line items, you’re not alone. These costs can be confusing and are often a source of sticker shock, especially for newer exhibitors. But here’s the good news: while they’re a necessary part of exhibiting, they don’t have to be a mystery or a budget-buster. With a little knowledge and some smart planning, you can better anticipate and even reduce these expenses.
Freight vs. drayage: key differences
Although the terms are often used interchangeably, freight and drayage refer to different stages of your exhibit’s journey. Freight is the long-distance shipping that gets your booth materials to the venue’s loading dock, while drayage is the short-distance handling that gets them from the dock to your booth space. Put simply: freight gets your exhibit to the door, drayage gets it on the floor..
What is freight and how does it drive costs?
Trade show freight defined
In simple terms, freight is the transportation of your exhibit materials from one location to another, whether that’s by truck, air or courier. Your freight might go from your exhibit house to a warehouse, or directly to the venue. Often, your exhibit house or a logistics planner will coordinate these details for you.
What drives trade show freight costs up?
Freight charges are influenced by more than just the distance your booth materials travel. Shipping providers factor in weight, dimensions, handling requirements, and deadlines when determining costs. For exhibitors, this means even small design or planning choices can have a big impact on the bottom line.
Factors that increase freight costs include:
- Booth weight and dimensions. Heavier and bulkier booths cost more to ship.
- Oversized or awkwardly shaped crates. These can’t be packed efficiently and may require special handling.
- Number of crates. Each crate is treated as its own shipment and billed accordingly.
- Rush timelines. Last-minute shipping leads to premium pricing.
- Multiple destinations. Without a centralized logistics plan, costs can multiply quickly.
How can exhibitors manage freight costs?
The good news is that many freight expenses are within an exhibitor’s control. By planning ahead and making smart design decisions, you can significantly cut down on weight, volume, and handling needs — the biggest cost drivers in trade show freight.
Strategies to keep freight costs in check include:
- Use lightweight materials like aluminum framing and tension fabric graphics.
- Consolidate components into as few crates as possible using efficient packing strategies.
- Plan ahead to take advantage of standard shipping windows and avoid rush fees.
- Consider centralized storage to reduce shipping distance and complexity between shows
- Partner with logistics experts who understand the unique demands and timelines of trade shows.
What is drayage and why does it add up so fast?
Trade show drayage (a.k.a. material handling) defined
Drayage refers to the short-distance handling of your exhibit once it arrives at the venue. This includes moving your crates from the loading dock to your booth space, storing empty crates during the show, and returning them afterward. It may sound simple, but it’s a labor- and equipment-intensive process. And it comes at a cost.
How are drayage rates calculated?
Drayage is typically billed by the hundredweight (CWT), often with minimums applied. However, at Featherlite, we use actual crate dimensions and weight when ordering material handling to keep things more predictable.
What drives drayage costs up?
Drayage charges are often a surprise for exhibitors because they cover more than just moving crates from the dock to your booth. These costs are tied to how much labor and equipment is required, along with how efficiently your materials are prepared for handling. The heavier, bulkier, or more fragmented your shipments are, the higher your drayage bill will climb.
Factors that increase drayage costs include:
- Heavier or larger crates
- Multiple separate shipments. Each one is handled and charged separately
- Loose items that aren’t palletized or boxed
- Unlabeled or mislabeled freight which slows down sorting and delivery
- Special handling requests that require extra equipment or attention
How can exhibitors manage drayage costs?
While drayage is an unavoidable expense at U.S. trade shows, there are many ways to keep it under control. By streamlining shipments, preparing crates properly, and reducing unnecessary weight, exhibitors can make drayage services faster and easier, which often translates to lower bills.
Strategies to manage drayage costs include:
- Use compact, stackable, and uniform crates
- Clearly label every piece with your booth number and company name
- Avoid sending loose items. Palletize everything you can
- Consolidate your shipment to minimize the number of deliveries and associated handling fees
- Design your booth to pack down efficiently into fewer, self-contained pieces
Smart design choices to reduce trade show freight and drayage rates
Design plays a huge role in what you’ll pay for freight and drayage. The more efficient your exhibit is to ship and handle, the more savings you’ll see.
- Go modular. Modular booth systems are designed for easy packing, transport, and reconfiguration.
- Use lightweight materials. You don’t have to sacrifice looks. Many materials offer high-end finishes without the weight.
- Opt for tool-less systems. These simplify setup, reduce labor hours, and cut down on on-site complications.
- Choose integrated cases. Thoughtfully designed cases protect your components, reduce the number of crates needed, and simplify logistics.
Common exhibitor questions about freight and drayage
What is drayage?
Drayage (also called material handling in the trade show world) refers to the short-distance movement of your exhibit materials inside the venue footprint. It includes tasks like unloading crates from the dock, transporting them to your booth, storing empty cases during the show, and returning items afterward.
Why is drayage so expensive?
Drayage is labor- and equipment-intensive. Costs rise because of heavier or awkward crates, multiple separate shipments, loose or non-palletized items, mislabeled freight, or special handling requirements. Each step – dock handling, forklift movement, staging, storage – is billed.
Can I avoid drayage fees?
You can’t usually avoid all drayage charges (it’s part of show logistics), but you can reduce them. Strategies include consolidating shipments, using efficient crate design, palletizing everything, clearly labeling all pieces, and limiting the number of separate deliveries.
Plan smarter to spend smarter
Freight and drayage might seem like unavoidable and unpredictable costs of trade show exhibiting. But with smart planning, savvy design decisions, and the right partners, you can take control of these expenses and keep your overall exhibit program running smoothly and within budget.
Want help understanding where your current freight and drayage costs are coming from? Download our checklist or contact us to explore practical ways to reduce your costs.
Freight and drayage are just one piece of the total exhibit ownership puzzle. For a deeper dive into other hidden costs and how to manage them check out our blog: The true cost of ownership: What to consider before purchasing your trade show exhibit.
