Drayage from PortMiami and Port Everglades is the first inland move for ocean containers entering South Florida, and with the right carrier it can reach anywhere in the state. A container discharged at the port can be drayed to a local Miami or Doral warehouse for the same day, or transloaded and trucked onward to Orlando, Tampa, Fort Myers, or Jacksonville. The key is coordinating the port pickup, chassis, and onward transport so the box never sits accruing fees.
Two ports, one regional strategy
South Florida is unusual in having two major container gateways within about 25 miles of each other. PortMiami and Port Everglades each serve different carriers and trade lanes, and an importer’s optimal choice depends on sailing schedules, terminal congestion, and final delivery point. Being able to dray from either port gives shippers flexibility when one terminal is congested. For a side-by-side comparison, see our PortMiami vs. Port Everglades importer guide.
From the port to anywhere in Florida
Local South Florida delivery
For consignees in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties, a straight drayage move delivers the container directly to the warehouse or distribution center, often within the same business day when pickups are timed against gate availability.
Statewide reach via transload
For destinations farther north, containers are frequently transloaded at a Miami facility, where ocean container freight is moved into domestic trailers for the long haul to Central and North Florida. Transloading avoids per diem on the ocean box and lets shippers consolidate or deconsolidate freight before the final leg.
Bonded and in-bond moves
Cargo that has not yet cleared customs can move in-bond from the port to a bonded facility for clearance or storage, which is useful for high-value or time-sensitive imports.
Why timing beats everything
The difference between a clean drayage move and an expensive one is timing. Containers that miss free time at the terminal rack up demurrage and detention fast. An asset-based carrier with owned trucks, its own chassis pool, and AI gate-time prediction can schedule pickups when terminals are flowing rather than jammed. Go Freight operates 100+ owned trucks and a 104,000 sq ft bonded Miami warehouse, pairing port drayage with warehousing and transload so containers move from vessel to final mile without idle time.
Frequently asked questions
Can drayage from PortMiami reach the whole state of Florida?
Yes. Containers can be drayed locally in South Florida or transloaded into domestic trailers for onward delivery to Orlando, Tampa, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, and beyond, giving statewide reach from a single port gateway.
What is the advantage of using both PortMiami and Port Everglades?
Serving both ports gives importers flexibility to choose the gateway with the best sailing schedule and least congestion for a given shipment, and to shift moves between terminals when one is backed up.
How does transloading help statewide drayage?
Transloading moves cargo out of the ocean container into a domestic trailer at a Miami facility, which stops per diem on the ocean box, allows consolidation, and makes the long haul to Central or North Florida more cost-effective.
Florida drayage rate zones: what to budget in 2026
Drayage costs from PortMiami and Port Everglades scale with distance and complexity. These are realistic all-in benchmarks for a standard 40-foot container in 2026:
Local South Florida (Doral, Medley, Hialeah): $350–$550. Closest industrial zones, 10–20 miles from port terminals. Same-day delivery is realistic when gate appointments align.
Greater Miami / Broward (Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach): $450–$700. 25–45 miles. Most moves complete within one business day.
Palm Beach County (Boca Raton, West Palm Beach): $600–$900. 60–75 miles. Typically a half-day move with same-day return possible.
Treasure Coast / Central Florida (Orlando, Tampa): $850–$1,400. These lanes typically require overnight dispatch and early morning gate appointments to make the return feasible.
North Florida (Jacksonville, Gainesville): $1,100–$1,600. Usually structured as a one-way drop, often combined with transload at a Miami facility to switch to a domestic trailer before the long haul.
Surcharges that apply statewide: chassis split fee ($75–$150), overweight fee ($150–$400 for containers over 44,000 lbs.), pier pass or terminal gate fee (varies by terminal), and fuel surcharge (FSC — ask for the current percentage, not a bundled estimate). Always request an itemized quote before comparing carriers.
Transloading in Miami: the right move for Central and North Florida distribution
For destinations more than 150 miles from PortMiami or Port Everglades, transloading is almost always the right call. Here is why:
Stop per diem on the ocean box: Ocean carrier containers accrue per diem charges the moment free time expires — typically $75–$250 per day depending on the carrier. A transload moves cargo into a domestic trailer at a Miami facility, returning the ocean box to the terminal the same day and stopping the per diem clock entirely.
Consolidate multiple containers: If your Florida distribution pulls from multiple containers arriving on the same vessel, transloading at a Miami facility lets you consolidate into fewer domestic truckloads — reducing total linehaul cost to Tampa, Orlando, or Jacksonville.
Right-size for the final-mile: Ocean 40-foot containers cannot always deliver to every consignee address. Transloading into a 53-foot domestic trailer, a box truck, or individual pallets gives you the delivery flexibility a raw ocean dray does not.
Go Freight’s 104,000 sq ft bonded warehouse at 6901 NW 26 Ave is positioned for both same-day transload from PortMiami (7 miles) and Port Everglades (30 miles). Cargo can be received, broken down, and dispatched on outbound domestic trailers within the same business day for most shipments.
In-bond drayage across Florida: what it means and when you need it
In-bond cargo — freight that has not yet cleared U.S. Customs — can be drayed from the port to a CBP-bonded facility anywhere in Florida under a Transportation Entry bond. This is used in three common scenarios:
Immediate Transportation (IT): Cargo moves from the port to an inland CBP exam station or bonded warehouse for clearance away from the congested port. Common for shippers with bonded warehouse locations in Orlando or Tampa.
Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) entry: Cargo moves to an FTZ facility where it can be stored, processed, or re-exported without triggering U.S. duty. Miami-Dade has active FTZ capacity — WTDC and Go Freight’s bonded warehouse are frequently used for this.
Re-export: Cargo arriving in Miami intended for Latin American or Caribbean markets can move in-bond to a bonded facility, be processed or repackaged, and re-exported without paying U.S. duty. This is one of Miami’s strongest advantages as a distribution hub.
Not every drayage carrier is authorized to move in-bond cargo. The carrier must hold a CBP custodial bond and — for bonded warehouse delivery — the receiving facility must be CBP-authorized. Confirm both before booking an in-bond move.
How to time a Florida drayage move to avoid demurrage
Demurrage at PortMiami and Port Everglades runs $150–$450 per container per day depending on the shipping line, and free time periods have shortened in recent years (many lines now offer only 4–5 days). Here is the sequence that prevents it:
Step 1 — Pre-advise your carrier at least 72 hours before vessel arrival. For statewide moves, pre-advising 5–7 days out is safer. Appointment windows at PortMiami terminals (APMT, Seaboard Marine, MSC) can fill 3–5 days in advance during peak season (October–January).
Step 2 — Confirm chassis availability. Miami has a recurring chassis shortage. An asset-based carrier with its own chassis pool can commit to a pickup date; a carrier relying on pool chassis (DCLI, TRAC, Flexi-Van) cannot.
Step 3 — Track your last free day (LFD), not just your vessel ETA. Free time starts from vessel discharge, not vessel arrival. The LFD can arrive before you expect it on vessels with slow discharge sequences.
Step 4 — For statewide moves, plan the return leg before dispatch. Carriers hauling to Orlando or Tampa need a clear return load or a drop-and-hook arrangement. Without it, a carrier may delay dispatch until they can pair the lane — costing you free time.
Related guides
Container Drayage in Miami — AI-Routed to PortMiami & Port Everglades
PortMiami vs Port Everglades: Which Port Should You Use?
Top 10 Container Drayage Companies in Miami (2026)
What Is Transloading? How It Works and When to Use It
Dray from either port, deliver anywhere in Florida
See our location-specific drayage guides: PortMiami drayage services and drayage to Doral warehouses.
Looking for drayage in Miami? Go Freight AI operates 100+ owned trucks and a private chassis pool at both PortMiami and Port Everglades — the only asset-based drayage carrier in South Florida with AI-routed gate-time prediction.
Go Freight is a Miami-based, asset-based, AI-powered 3PL serving PortMiami and Port Everglades. Get a quote at go-freight.ai/quote or call (786) 445-0150.