One of the most common budget busters when it comes to trade shows is drayage costs. You can plan for the exhibit space, the travel costs, estimate labor costs, but then you can get hit with an exorbitant drayage bill that puts you over budget. However, you don’t have to be blindsided every time you exhibit at a trade show. Despite increased drayage rates expected in 2018, there are some ways to minimize the pain and save your budget.

What is Drayage?

Drayage is the process by which your trade show booth is delivered from a warehouse, port of entry, or exhibition hall dock to your actual exhibit space. If you’re an exhibitor who traditionally occupies larger spaces with your trade show booth, it’s likely you’ve been surprised by high drayage fees.

In some instances, exhibitors have noticed they paid more in drayage fees than they did in shipping their trade show booth. But how can this be? The reason is that drayage depends on a number of factors. This includes labor rates, how you packed your shipment, and weight. Consider the following ways in which you can save money on drayage:

Packing Your Trade Show Booth

Often, one of the reasons why drayage rates are so high is that an exhibitor’s trade show booth is packed in multiple pieces. While this can save money on shipping, it could also trigger increased costs for drayage. Consider crating options as crated and palletized shipments are much easier to move in a single forklift trip. Also consider removing mixed freight shipments to make it easier for the drayage company to get your trade show booth to your exhibit space.

Minimize Your Weight

It seems so much easier to include your trade show giveaways and marketing collateral in your tradeshow booth shipment, but this can increase the weight significantly. The more your shipment weighs, the higher your drayage fees will be. Consider shipping these types of supplies to your hotel room itself or asking someone to pack them in their suitcase. They don’t have to accompany your trade show booth.  While it may be cumbersome to assemble these in the trade show booth later, it will save you on fees.

Also consider leaving your furniture at home and renting from the trade show contractor. By leaving heavy sofas, tables, chairs and more at home, you can significantly lower your weight and pay less in drayage fees. These kinds of items are often relatively inexpensive to rent at a trade show in comparison.

Know Your Labor Rates

Labor rates across the country can differ wildly.  This can depend on union versus non union fees, the drayage company, and regional wage trends.  Knowing the labor rates at each show  can help you identify where to ship your trade show booth.  Depending on the rates, you may opt to ship it to the exhibit floor instead of to the dock.

Change Carriers

Shipping is expensive. Drayage is expensive. But what if you found a carrier that will deliver your trade show booth to the exhibit floor instead of the dock? A carrier who delivers to the exhibit floor could save you significant drayage fees. Before you abandon your usual carrier, read through the exhibitors’ rules to see if this is allowed. Otherwise, you could pay twice.

Drayage is often a costly part of the trade show process, but it doesn’t have to be a budget busting surprise. Examine where you may be able to make some adjustments that could save you money in the long run.