I recently sat down for a conversation on the Let’s Talk Supply Chain podcast about something that’s been on every drayage operator’s mind: how digitalization is changing rating and quoting. With market conditions shifting, customer demands rising, and automation becoming a necessity, drayage has never been more complex – or more in need of the right technology.
Three market trends shaping drayage today
When I talk to intermodal drayage operators across the U.S., I hear the same frustrations: pricing is unpredictable, too much work is still manual, and invoicing delays are choking cash flow. These challenges aren’t going away. In fact, they’re getting worse as three major trends reshape the industry.
1. Customers expect instant, accurate rates
Shippers and 3PLs won’t wait for back-and-forth emails or slow, outdated pricing. They expect real-time, accurate, and competitive quotes – whether through their own systems or via digital integrations. If your competitors can generate quotes in seconds while you're still calculating rates manually, you’re losing business.
Companies that invest in digital rate management eliminate manual errors, provide instant pricing, and secure more bookings. If you haven’t automated yet, the question isn’t if – it’s when, because customers are demanding it now.
2. Ramp-to-ramp pricing isn’t enough
The days of quoting ramp-to-ramp rates as a standalone service are fading fast. Shippers and 3PLs need door-to-door pricing with all costs upfront – including drayage, accessorial charges, and last-mile fees. Without a full breakdown, they’re flying blind, and hidden fees damage trust and derail margins.
More companies are shifting to transparent, all-inclusive pricing, giving customers accurate landed costs from origin to destination. This not only benefits shippers – it reduces invoice disputes, speeds up payments, and improves cash flow for carriers and 3PLs.
3. Automation is no longer optional
Spreadsheets, email chains, and manual rate calculations aren’t sustainable. The industry is moving fast, and outdated processes aren’t just inefficient – they’re costing you money.
Automating rating and quoting eliminates errors, speeds up workflows, and ensures accuracy from quote to invoice. It also improves cash flow, customer satisfaction, and overall efficiency. If you’re still doing things manually, you’re falling behind.
The path forward: good, better, best
If you’re looking to improve your drayage quoting and rating process, here’s a simple roadmap:
- Good: Standardize and centralize rate data so everything is in one place.
- Better: Digitize quoting workflows and automate repetitive pricing tasks.
- Best: Offer 24/7 rate access to customers and use analytics to fine-tune pricing strategies.
How DrayMaster is changing the game
With 500,000 truck drivers, 12,000 trucking companies, and 100 million container moves a year, intermodal drayage in the U.S is massive – but rate management remains fragmented and inefficient. That’s where DrayMaster, our CargoWise Landside rate management solution, comes in.
This centralized digital platform:
- Helps truckers simplify rate management and instantly share pricing with 3PL partners.
- Gives 3PLs and freight forwarders full visibility into drayage costs, eliminating surprises and enabling accurate quoting.
- Streamlines operations, reducing manual work, cutting errors, and improving billing accuracy.
And the results speak for themselves. Faced with growing customer demand, Inland Express needed a faster, more reliable way to manage drayage quoting across its seven U.S. East Coast locations, 25 terminals, and network of over 1,100 independent owner-operators.
By implementing DrayMaster, they tripled their quoting capacity, eliminated manual errors, and cut RFP response times from days to hours – transforming their operations. Read the full case study here.
Why digitalization is no longer optional
You’re under more pressure than ever – tighter margins, rising service expectations, and an industry that won’t wait for slow, manual processes. If you’re still relying on outdated methods, you’re falling behind. The companies embracing digital transformation are securing more business, reducing risk, and staying ahead of the competition.