Trade Show Material Handling Calculator and Infographic

Trade Show Blog

Drayage or Material Handling

Drayage or Material Handling CalculatorIf you are familiar with trade shows, you are all too familiar with material handling or drayage. These two terms, which mean the same thing, often elicit a very strong emotional response from exhibitors.

So what is drayage? Drayage refers to the movement of your trade show booth items from your carrier’s delivery vehicle to your booth space. This service includes:

  • Unloading the trade show freight once it has arrived at the receiving dock,
  • Transporting the goods to the trade show booth space,
  • Removing empty shipping items (such as crates and pallets) from the trade show booth space,
  • Ttemporarily storing empty shipping items during the show,
  • Returning empty shipping items once the show is over,
  • Transferring the freight back to the loading dock, and
  • Loading the items into your carrier’s delivery vehicle.

Is it expensive? Yes. Is there a logical reason? No. So, rather than age six months each time you receive your material handling bill, it might make more sense to manage your freight to minimize your bill. Use this drayage calculator to estimate your charges. Note how overtime and special handling will significantly increase what you pay.

If you are not already suicidal about drayage, this blog post from three years ago might be the tipping point. It discusses the rising cost of material handling:  You Can’t Fix Stupid — Material Handling.

Helpful Advice:  Although shipping to the Advanced Warehouse is more expensive, it’s a better financial decision since you are less likely to pay for waiting time from your carrier, and you have greater control over scheduling the delivery of your exhibit to your booth space during regular straight-time hours.

For an overview of material handling, see this informative infographic by TS Crew, an exhibit-appointed contractor for installation and dismantle.

Drayage Infographic

**********************************************

Classic Exhibits Inc. designs and manufacturers portable, modular, and custom-hybrid exhibit solutions. Classic Exhibits products are represented by an extensive distributor network in North America and in select International markets. For more information, contact us at 866-652-2100 or www.classicexhibits.com.

[subscribe2]

Recent Posts

Top Technology Trade Shows and Exhibit Setup Tips

Technology companies understand that a successful trade show can boost their sales for the year. As a result, they take their trade show planning seriously. They develop a comprehensive strategy for their pre-show, show, and post show activities.

Hybrid Booth Layout Tips for Hardware & Software

In the days of yore, trade show exhibits were simple:  graphics, products, and lights. Today’s exhibits feature hybrid booth layouts blending hardware and software. This physical and digital combination creates both design complexity and marketing opportunities.

EuroShop 2026 Design Trends

Recently, Kevin Carty and Katina Rigall Zipay from Classic Exhibits attend EuroShop 2026 in Duesseldorf, Germany. While there, they posted two videos of their experience including exhibition design trends like colors, shapes, materials, and lighting

Small Booth Strategies for First-Time Fancy Food Exhibitors

Are you a first-time exhibitor at the Summer Fancy Food Show in NYC? Congratulations! The SFFS is a marathon of tasting, networking, and business deals, open only to qualified members of the food trade. Think retail buyers, distributors, chefs, and the press. Expect to see over 32,000 attendees, 2500 exhibitors, and 180,000 specialty food and beverages on display.

Booth Design Ideas That Help Biotech Brands Stand Out at BIO 2026

Are you an exhibitor or an attendee at BIO? If you’re an exhibitor, you’re probably wondering how individual biotech brands stand out at the BIO International Convention? The key is knowing your audience, creating a comprehensive strategy, and designing a stunning biotech booth design.

Trade Shows are a Journey. Send Sacagawea.

The Sacagawea Portable Hybrid Display is an American-engineered and built system designed for professional exhibitors. It’s meant to last for years, look amazing, and setup fast from the first to the fiftieth show. No compromises.

Introducing the New Classic Website!

Good websites are never fully done. They evolve… and the new Classic website makes changes much easier. So, if “stuff” moves around or we add new features, it’s because we’re antsy about the status quo at Classic Exhibits. Which shouldn’t surprise you.

What Makes a Good Trade Show Booth?

When it comes to creating a good trade show booth, you are in luck. The booth design is the fun part for most exhibitors. You get to work with an exhibit designer who has your trade show goals and budget, along with an understanding of your customers, your culture and your branding. While the question “What makes a good trade show booth?” depends on the exhibitor, there are commonalities to every good trade show exhibit. We’ll explore those similarities in this article.

More Mix & Match Rentals from Classic Rental Solutions

About a month ago, we launched Classic’s Mix & Match Rental Guide as a tool to streamline the rental decision process with a comprehensive set of towers, counters, lightboxes, and kiosks. This “smarter not harder” approach was intended to make your job easier.

Our Membership in the Xperiential Marketplace

Classic Exhibits announces our membership in Xperiential Marketplace (XM), an innovative buying and education group for the exhibit industry. XM was founded by two industry veterans, Jason Weddle and Rob Cohen with a mission to unlock savings, create stronger partnerships, and increase growth.

The Power of a Branded Trade Show Exhibit: Strategy + Examples

Marketing professionals and exhibit designers know how to create a branded trade show exhibit that attracts traffic to the booth and maximizes the attendee’s experience. It starts with understanding the brand’s identity and creating a detailed strategic plan for the trade show.