Spot drayage rates at US ports are climbing sharply. As of August 31, 2026, rates are up 12 percent year over year on the East Coast and 17 percent on the Gulf Coast, with specific ports running even hotter. Norfolk is up 23 percent year over year. Savannah is up 19 percent. The increases are not random. Four compounding pressures are driving them simultaneously, and none of them are resolving before Q4 freight demand arrives.
What is actually happening at the ports
Drayage is the short truck move that gets a container from a port or rail ramp to its next destination. It is the first and last mile of every import shipment, and when drayage rates climb this fast this quickly, it means something structural has changed in the supply and demand equation at the ports handling the freight.
Four things are changing at once right now.
The first is frontloading volume. Shippers pulling freight forward ahead of tariff uncertainty have kept import volumes elevated well above seasonal norms. More containers arriving means more drayage demand on the same pool of compliant drivers and equipment. Port terminals that were managing predictable volume are now managing surge-level throughput heading into what is normally a pre-peak buildup period.
The second is diesel costs. ULSD futures are up 71.5 percent since the Iran war began in February 2026, driven by refinery disruptions and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Drayage carriers price fuel into their rates, and when diesel climbs this fast for this long, rate increases follow. The 12 to 23 percent year-over-year gains at individual ports reflect months of accumulated diesel cost pressure finally moving through to the spot market.
The third is chassis constraints. Chassis, the wheeled frames that carry shipping containers on truck chassis, remain in short supply at several major East Coast and Gulf Coast terminals. When a driver arrives to pick up a container and cannot find available chassis equipment, the container sits on the terminal clock accumulating demurrage and the driver waits without earning. That dynamic reduces the effective productivity of the drayage pool and pushes rates higher as carriers price in the risk of equipment delays.
The fourth is a narrowing driver pool from greater carrier safety scrutiny. A smaller percentage of available drivers meet the compliance standards carriers now require, particularly following the freight broker liability verdict earlier this month that raised the bar on what documented carrier vetting means in practice. Carriers working with stricter compliance requirements have access to a smaller driver pool, which reduces effective capacity and adds further upward pressure to rates.
Why East Coast and Gulf Coast are running hotter than West Coast
The geographic concentration of the rate increases tells part of the story. East Coast and Gulf Coast ports have been the primary beneficiaries of the shipping route diversions caused by the Strait of Hormuz closure and Panama Canal capacity reductions. Vessels that previously transited the canal or routed through the Gulf of Aden have shifted to longer routes that arrive on the East or Gulf Coast. That rerouting has concentrated volume at ports that were already handling elevated import volumes from the frontloading surge.
Norfolk’s 23 percent year-over-year rate increase and Savannah’s 19 percent increase reflect ports that have absorbed more than their historical share of diverted volume while operating with the same infrastructure constraints as before the diversions began. The West Coast, by contrast, has been a routing alternative that some vessels have moved to as a way of avoiding Panama Canal slot competition. West Coast port volumes are elevated but have not received the same concentration of rerouted traffic.
What Typhoon Dolphin adds to this picture
The Typhoon Dolphin vessel backlog at Shanghai and Ningbo that disrupted operations in early August is still working through the network. Cargo delayed at those ports is arriving at US ports now, adding inbound container volume on top of the frontloading surge that was already keeping terminals busy. When delayed cargo catches up to the port system in waves, drayage capacity struggles to absorb the bunching.
A container that was expected to arrive at a US port in the first week of August and is arriving in the last week of August instead represents a week of compressed drayage scheduling. The carrier that had that container on their August pickup calendar now has it competing with September appointments in a September drayage market that is already tighter than August was.
What shippers should do before Q4 compounds this further
The drayage rate increases confirmed today are not the ceiling. Q4 holiday freight peak begins building in September, and the container volumes that support Q4 retail inventory are already moving through the import pipeline. Every container arriving at a US port in September and October needs drayage capacity to move it to its next stop. That demand is arriving into a market already running at the elevated rate levels reported today.
Confirm your drayage carrier relationships at the specific ports you use.
Drayage capacity is port-specific. A carrier relationship at one port does not help you at another. Knowing that you have confirmed coverage, adequate equipment, and a reliable chassis relationship at your specific port before Q4 volume builds is the minimum preparation the current market requires.
Build container pickup appointments into your inbound logistics planning.
Port terminals operating at elevated throughput are managing appointment windows more tightly than they were a year ago. A container that misses its appointment window at a busy terminal goes back into the queue and resets the demurrage clock. Getting pickup appointments confirmed early, not the day the container is available, is the difference between an on-time pickup and several days of avoidable demurrage.
Understand your demurrage and per diem exposure.
In a chassis-constrained, elevated-volume port environment, the risk of a container sitting on a terminal beyond its free time period is meaningfully higher than it was a year ago. Understanding the free time terms on your specific inbound containers and having a drayage carrier who can act quickly when containers become available reduces the exposure that compounds into significant cost when things go wrong.
At HighQ Logistics, we coordinate drayage services across major US ports through carriers with established terminal relationships and strong compliance records. If you have inbound containers at East Coast or Gulf Coast ports and want to confirm your coverage heading into Q4, talk to the HighQ team or get a freight quote .
Spot drayage rates at US ports are up 12 to 23 percent year over year as of August 31, driven by frontloaded import volumes, elevated diesel costs, chassis constraints, and a narrowing compliant driver pool. The increases are most acute at East Coast and Gulf Coast ports absorbing rerouted freight from Panama Canal and Strait of Hormuz disruptions. Q4 freight demand begins building in September into a drayage market that is already running at the highest rate levels in recent memory. Shippers with inbound containers at affected ports need to confirm carrier relationships, appointment coverage, and demurrage exposure before the next wave of volume arrives.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much have drayage rates increased at US ports in 2026?
As of August 31, 2026, spot drayage rates are up 12 percent year over year on the East Coast and 17 percent on the Gulf Coast. Specific ports are running higher: Norfolk is up 23 percent year over year and Savannah is up 19 percent. The increases reflect four compounding pressures: elevated frontloaded import volumes, diesel costs up 71.5 percent since the Iran war began, chassis constraints at major terminals, and a narrowing compliant driver pool from greater carrier safety scrutiny.
Why are East Coast and Gulf Coast drayage rates increasing faster than West Coast?
East Coast and Gulf Coast ports have absorbed a disproportionate share of freight rerouted away from the Panama Canal and Strait of Hormuz. Vessels that previously transited the canal or routed through the Gulf of Aden have shifted to longer routes arriving on the East or Gulf Coast, concentrating volume at ports that were already handling elevated frontloading surge volumes. The West Coast has been a routing alternative absorbing some of that diverted traffic but has not received the same concentration.
What is a chassis and why is chassis availability affecting drayage rates?
A chassis is the wheeled frame that carries a shipping container when it is transported by truck. When chassis are in short supply at a terminal, drivers arriving to pick up containers cannot complete the move until equipment becomes available. This reduces driver productivity, keeps containers on the terminal clock accumulating demurrage, and adds uncertainty to drayage scheduling that carriers price into their rates.
How does the Typhoon Dolphin backlog affect drayage at US ports right now?
Cargo delayed at Shanghai and Ningbo by Typhoon Dolphin in early August is arriving at US ports now, adding inbound container volume on top of the existing frontloading surge. When delayed cargo arrives in compressed waves rather than on its original schedule, drayage capacity struggles to absorb the bunching. Containers arriving a week later than planned compete with September drayage appointments in a market that is already tighter than August.
What is demurrage and how does it relate to drayage?
Demurrage is the charge a port terminal imposes when a container sits at the terminal beyond the free time period, typically three to five days after it is available for pickup. When drayage capacity is constrained or chassis are unavailable, containers can sit past their free time window, triggering daily demurrage charges that accumulate quickly. A drayage carrier with established terminal relationships and confirmed equipment access reduces this risk materially compared to a carrier who is working an unfamiliar terminal.
How should shippers prepare for Q4 drayage demand?
Confirm carrier relationships at the specific ports you use, not just a generic drayage provider. Build container pickup appointments into your inbound logistics planning rather than scheduling pickups only when containers are available. Understand the free time terms on your inbound containers and have a carrier who can act quickly when equipment is ready. Q4 freight demand begins building in September into a market already running at elevated rate levels, and preparation now costs less than reactive scrambling in October.
Why are specific ports like Norfolk and Savannah seeing larger increases than the national average?
Norfolk and Savannah have both absorbed significant volumes of rerouted freight from Panama Canal and Strait of Hormuz disruptions. Their geographic position on the East Coast makes them natural destinations for vessels rerouting from the Panama Canal. Both ports have also been handling strong agricultural export volumes, adding outbound freight activity to the elevated inbound container volumes. The combination of elevated inbound and outbound freight at ports with fixed infrastructure constraints produces the above-average rate increases reflected in today’s data.
