Cartage is the local movement of goods over a short distance, usually within the same city, port area, airport zone, or metropolitan region. In logistics, cartage often connects freight terminals, warehouses, ports, rail ramps, distribution centres, or final delivery points. The term can also refer to the fee charged for this local transport service. Cartage is commonly used for first-mile pickup, final-mile delivery, short-haul transfers, and movement between main freight hubs and local facilities.
- Picking up LCL cargo from a consolidation warehouse for delivery to port CFS
- Moving freight from a trucking terminal to the final delivery address
- Short-distance repositioning of cargo within a port complex
Cartage fees are assessed per shipment, per hundredweight, or per hour. Often used interchangeably with drayage for short local hauls. Cartage is one short form of domestic inland transit, which covers all movement within a single country by truck, rail, barge, or another inland mode.
Related terms: Final Mile.
