Canal Cartage

Canal Cartage has been a leading resource for drayage services to and from Port Houston, since 1983. We provide an essential service to American domestic commercial businesses, who import or export products, goods, supplies and hazardous materials (with specially trained HME drivers). Did you know that Port Houston Texas is one of the busiest ports... on the Gulf of Mexico? Every year, more than 247 million tons of cargo arrive or depart through the Port of Houston, which sees 8,200+ vessels and 215,000 barges annually. That's a lot of containers! To move that freight, logistics companies like Canal Cartage provide drayage services. But did you know that within that general term for cargo and freight, there are actually many different types of drayage that vary, depending on the method of transportation and type of freight? We would like to share a little more information on those different types of drayage, what is involved in pick-up or drop-off drayage, and review some of the options for commercial business owners who need domestic freight forwarding in the Houston area. When Did American Businesses Start Using Drayage as an Essential Service? For as long as businesses have been importing and exporting goods, drayage has been a vital service to acquire inventory and sell parts, finished goods and other materials. The first mention of the term drayage was in the late 1700s, when horse drawn carriages would pick up cargo from piers, to deliver to commercial customers. The term 'drayage' comes from the 'dray' which was a name for a sturdy wagon, drawn usually by two workhorses a short distance from the destination port, to the railroad for delivery. If you thought driving a truck with a container was hard, try convincing two tired horses to stand still, while you loaded the cargo. It wasn't until the early 1900s that commercial trucks were built to safely pick-up and deliver drayage.Read More