A drop fee is an extra logistics charge applied when equipment, freight, or a vehicle is dropped at a location instead of being handled through a standard live pickup or delivery process. In trucking and container logistics, it may relate to dropping a trailer or container at a warehouse, yard, or customer facility for later loading or unloading. The fee can cover equipment use, driver time, yard handling, repositioning, or the cost of collecting the empty equipment afterward.
A drop fee is charged when a drayage trucker drops a loaded or empty container at a location (such as a warehouse or terminal) and leaves without waiting for it to be unloaded or loaded. It compensates the carrier for the time and equipment while the container sits at the drop location.
- Applied when a container is left at a warehouse for live unloading at a later time
- Included in drayage quotes as a separate line item
- The drop fee period begins when the container is left and ends when the trucker picks it up
Drop fee arrangements are common for importers who need flexibility in scheduling unloading.
For related logistics context, see glossary entries on Drayage, Detention, Live Unload, and Chassis Fee.
