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.
Dray from either port, deliver anywhere in Florida
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.