Drayage (port/rail container) freight rate per mile

$2.50 - $4.50/mile

National-average reference range (DAT 2026 basis, all-in including fuel surcharge). Reference ranges only, your lane, season, and fuel will move these. Always price your own load. Price your load with the calculator below.

Low end

$2.50/mi

High end

$4.50/mi

Typical fuel economy

6 mpg

What drives the Drayage rate

  • Port congestion and chassis shortages tighten available capacity and push rates up quickly.
  • Chassis fees, fuel surcharges, and port fees are itemized on top of the base drayage rate.
  • Distance from the port to the warehouse determines the effective per-load total cost.
  • Import/export volume imbalance at a given port affects inbound drayage demand directly.

How to price your Drayage load

Build your quote from the port base rate plus each itemized surcharge (chassis, fuel, port fees). The Rigbird load calculator works with total revenue vs. total cost, making it useful for per-load drayage pricing.

Open load profit calculator

Frequently asked questions

Drayage (port/rail container) is $2.50-$4.50/mile all-in (DAT 2026 national average). Your specific lane, season, and fuel costs will move these numbers significantly in either direction, so always price from your actual lane data before accepting a load.

Track your loads and know your $/mile

Rigbird is free for owner-operators.