North Baltimore is going to need to learn a few things over the coming years as new types and kinds of businesses open up in conjunction with the new CSX Intermodal frieght handling facility. Several "new" terms are going to be talked about, thrown down, bantered about and written about as new companies, industries and regular folk move into our area.

TheNBXpress want to help us all to understand some of the words that we are going to start hearing and seeing. The first one is "drayage." We will go to various sources to get these meanings. If you have something to add or an issue with what we might post, you are certainly welcome to comment at the bottom of the page or email us at editor@thenbxpress.com.

drayage - In the 21st century shipping industry and logistics business, drayage is the transport of goods a short distance, often as part of a longer overall move. A drayage trip can typically be completed in a single work shift. The term drayage is also used for the fee paid for such services.

The term originally meant "to transport by a sideless cart," or dray. Such carts, pulled by dray horses, were used to move good between ships or railroad cars and factories, warehouses and shops.

In Intermodal freight transport, drayage is the transport of cargo by specialized trucking companies between ocean ports or rail ramps and shipping docks. In terms of logistics, a dray is when a container or piggyback is moved from a rail yard to another location, such as a Logistics Depot Distribution Center, and then returning that piggyback/container back to the initial pick-up point. It is important that these containers get unloaded quickly and returned back to the original point so as not to incur detention or delay charges.

( portions from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)