Cost guide
What is drayageat a trade show?
Drayage is the single most misunderstood line on an exhibitor invoice, and usually the one that blows the budget. Here is what it actually covers, how it is priced, and the decisions that move the number.
In short
Drayage, also called material handling, is the show contractor moving an exhibitor's freight from the advance warehouse or show dock to the booth space, storing the empty crates during the show and returning them at close. It is billed separately from shipping, priced per 100 pounds with a minimum charge per shipment.
What drayage actually is
Drayage — the show’s own paperwork usually calls it “material handling” — is the general service contractor moving your freight once it arrives: from the advance warehouse or the show-site dock to your booth space, storing the empty crates during the show, returning them at close, and moving the repacked crates back to the dock.
It is not shipping. Your carrier brings the crates to the building; drayage is everything that happens inside it. You pay the show contractor for drayage and your freight company for transport, which is why exhibitors who budget only for shipping get caught out.
How it is priced
Drayage is quoted per 100 pounds — the industry writes it as CWT — with a minimum charge, usually around 200 lb, even if your crate weighs less. Weight is rounded up, and every separate shipment gets its own minimum.
The rate changes depending on where the freight arrives and in what form. Crated freight to the advance warehouse is the base rate. Uncrated or loose items, shipments that arrive outside the target window, or deliveries that need special handling all carry surcharges on top.
How to pay less drayage
Three things move the number more than anything else: total weight, number of shipments, and whether the freight is crated and on time. Consolidating five boxes into one crate, shipping to the advance warehouse inside the discount window, and designing a lighter booth are where the savings are.
This is one reason modular structures pay for themselves across a season: aluminium frames and tension-fabric graphics weigh a fraction of a fully built custom wall, and the weight is what you pay for.
What drayage covers and what it does not
| Service | Who you pay | Included in drayage? |
|---|---|---|
| Trucking your crates to the city | Your freight carrier | No |
| Storage at the advance warehouse | Show contractor | Usually yes, within the window |
| Dock to your booth space | Show contractor | Yes |
| Empty crate storage during the show | Show contractor | Yes |
| Returning crates at close | Show contractor | Yes |
| Booth assembly labor | Show contractor or your builder | No |
| Electrical, rigging, internet | Venue or show contractor | No |
| Outbound trucking home | Your freight carrier | No |
What drives the cost up
| Trigger | Why it costs more | What to do instead |
|---|---|---|
| Loose or uncrated items | Handled piece by piece, higher rate | Crate everything, label by crate number |
| Many small shipments | Each one hits the minimum charge | Consolidate into one shipment |
| Arriving outside the target window | Off-target and overtime surcharges | Ship to the advance warehouse early |
| Heavy custom wall panels | Priced per 100 lb | Modular frames with fabric graphics |
| Weekend or after-hours move-in | Overtime rates apply | Book inside the straight-time window |
Rates and rules differ by show and venue — we read your exhibitor manual and estimate drayage with you before the budget is signed.
Projects
Booths builtto ship well
How it works
Brief to boothin four moves
One project lead from first call to final crate. No hand-offs between a design agency, a fabricator and an I&D crew.
- Week 001
Brief
A 30-minute call about goals, footprint, budget and show rules. We read the exhibitor manual so you don’t have to.
- Days 5–702
Concept & 3D
Photoreal renders of your booth on the actual floor plan, with a line-item estimate. Revise until it’s right.
- Weeks 3–1003
Engineer & Build
Shop drawings, fabrication, graphics and AV. Critical parts are pre-assembled in our workshop before anything ships.
- Show week04
Install & Support
Our crew installs, a project lead stays on-site through opening, and we dismantle, repack and store after close.
Questions
Good toknow
Drayage, or material handling, is the show contractor moving your freight from the advance warehouse or show dock to your booth, storing the empty crates during the show, and returning them afterwards. It is separate from the shipping you pay your carrier for.
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