How do imported building materials get from the port to the jobsite?
Quick answer
After customs release, a drayage truck pulls the container from the port terminal. It then goes straight to the site on a chassis, or to a warehouse where goods are moved onto box trucks or flatbeds. Smaller loads travel LTL with a liftgate. The crew counts and checks everything before signing the delivery receipt.
| Job | US average (typical range) | Typical |
|---|---|---|
| 20 ft container freight (estimate) | $3,000–$5,500 | $4,200 |
| 40 ft container freight (estimate) | $4,000–$7,500 | $5,500 |
| Shared container (LCL) freight | $900–$2,000 | $1,400 |
| Air freight | $3,000–$9,000 | $6,000 |
| Inland delivery to the jobsite | $350–$1,500 | $750 |
US national averages for 2026, labor and standard materials included, from published cost guides (sources at the end of this page). Local prices differ: see the city table below, or enter your ZIP code in the calculator.
The delivery lines in the table are working estimates. Real quotes depend on distance from the port, the load's weight, site access and any extra services the truck needs.
Three ways to deliver an imported order
Choosing the delivery method early saves money, because the choice affects which truck is booked, how long the container stays out, and how much labor the site needs.
| Method | How it works | Good fit | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Container to site | A drayage truck brings the sealed container on a chassis. The crew unloads it, and the truck returns the empty. | Full container for one large site with room for a 40 ft chassis | Space, ground conditions, unloading time and detention on the empty |
| Transload, then deliver | The container is unloaded at a warehouse near the port. Goods go out on a flatbed, box truck or several smaller loads. | Tight urban sites, staged deliveries, several jobsites | Extra handling fees and one more chance of damage |
| LTL or parcel | Part of an order moves on a shared truck through carrier terminals. | A few pallets, replacement parts, items shipped by air | Accessorial fees, freight class, and more handling |
Drayage: the first move out of the port
Drayage is the short truck move that takes a container from the marine terminal to a nearby warehouse, rail yard or jobsite. The container usually needs to leave the terminal before its free time runs out. After that, the terminal can bill demurrage, and once the container is out, the ocean carrier can bill detention until the empty box is returned. Under Federal Maritime Commission rules, those invoices must be issued within 30 days of when the charges were last incurred, and you have at least 30 days to dispute them.
Two drayage choices affect cost. A live unload means the driver waits while your crew empties the container, usually under a time limit before waiting charges start. A drop means the driver leaves the container on its chassis and returns later to pick up the empty, which gives the crew more time but can add a second trip charge.
LTL versus FTL
Full truckload (FTL) means you book a whole truck. Nothing else is on it, it goes straight from pickup to delivery, and the goods are handled only at each end. It suits a full container's worth of transloaded material or any load heavy enough to fill most of a trailer's weight capacity.
Less than truckload (LTL) means your pallets share a trailer with other shippers' freight. The shipment usually moves through one or more carrier terminals, where it is unloaded and reloaded. LTL is cheaper for small loads but adds handling, and every transfer is a chance for a forklift to hit a carton.
LTL pricing depends on freight class. Since July 19, 2025, many products use density-based classes under the National Motor Freight Classification, on a 13-step scale. Freight under 1 pound per cubic foot is class 400, and freight at 50 pounds per cubic foot or more is class 50. Lower classes cost less per pound. Dense goods like tile and stone fall into low classes. Light, bulky goods like cabinets and doors fall into higher ones, so accurate pallet dimensions and weights on the bill of lading matter. If the carrier remeasures and finds a different density, it can reclass the shipment and bill more.
Weight, hours and access limits
A few rules shape what a truck can carry and when it can arrive.
- Weight. On the Interstate system, federal limits are 80,000 pounds gross vehicle weight, 20,000 pounds on a single axle and 34,000 pounds on a tandem axle. States set their own limits on other roads. A 40 ft container can carry a payload of over 63,000 pounds, so with the tractor, chassis and the container's own weight, a fully loaded box of tile or stone can be too heavy to drive legally without a permit. Heavy goods are often loaded lighter at origin for that reason.
- Driver hours. Federal rules let a property-carrying driver drive up to 11 hours after 10 hours off duty, and not past the 14th hour after coming on duty. A delivery far from the port, plus a long port wait, can push arrival to the next day.
- Site access. Check overhead wires, tree limbs, narrow streets, soft ground and weight-restricted bridges. A tractor with a 40 ft chassis needs room to back in and pull out.
Liftgate and residential delivery
Most jobsites have no loading dock and no forklift. That changes what the truck needs.
A liftgate is a powered platform at the back of the truck that lowers pallets from trailer height, about 48 inches, to the ground. An industry survey of the largest US LTL carriers put 2026 liftgate charges at about $115 to $185 per shipment. Carriers also add a residential delivery charge when the address is a home, and the two together ran about $265 to $410 per shipment in the same survey. Each carrier publishes its own rules tariff, so confirm the charges on your quote.
Practical points for residential and small sites:
- Book the liftgate up front. Adding one after pickup can bring a separate reconsignment charge.
- Liftgates have weight and size limits. Stone slabs, long doors and full crates of tile may be too heavy or long, and then you need a forklift, a telehandler or a truck with its own crane.
- Ask for "call before delivery" or an appointment so someone is there to receive.
- Drivers deliver to the curb or the truck's tailgate. Moving goods into the house or garage is extra, if the carrier offers it at all.
- Know where the truck will stop. A residential street may not allow a tractor-trailer, in which case the load moves to a smaller truck at the terminal.
Prepare the site before the truck arrives
- Pick a delivery spot that is flat, firm and close to where the materials will be used, but out of the way of other trades.
- Arrange unloading equipment: a forklift with the right forks, a pallet jack for paved areas, or enough hands for floor-loaded cartons.
- Have the packing list, purchase orders and the photos from origin loading ready to compare against.
- Plan where each product goes. Windows and glass stand upright. Cabinets stay dry and off the ground. Slabs go on A-frames.
- Set up covered, lockable storage for finished goods, or plan to hold them at a warehouse until the rooms are ready.
- Confirm the time window with the dispatcher and have one named person on site to sign.
Receiving and inspecting materials
The delivery receipt is the document that decides most damage disputes. A clean signature tells the carrier everything arrived in good condition.
At the truck
- Check the container seal number against the bill of lading before the doors open, if the container comes sealed to site.
- Count pieces or pallets against the delivery receipt.
- Look for crushed corners, torn wrap, wet cartons, tipped "this side up" crates and broken bands.
- Photograph the load before and during unloading, including any damage, the seal and the trailer number.
- Write specific notes on the delivery receipt before signing, such as "2 cartons crushed, 1 pallet shrink wrap torn." Vague notes carry less weight.
After unloading
Open and inspect cartons as soon as possible, even if installation is weeks away. Check quantities, sizes, finishes, color lots and hardware against the order and the factory inspection report. Concealed damage is harder to prove the longer you wait, so report it to the carrier in writing quickly and keep the packaging.
Filing a freight claim
For interstate truck moves, federal law says a carrier cannot give you less than 9 months to file a loss or damage claim, or less than 2 years to sue after it denies the claim in writing. The claim must be in writing, identify the shipment, say the carrier is liable and state an amount. The carrier must acknowledge it within 30 days and pay, decline or make a firm offer within 120 days. Damage that happened before the truck move is handled separately, which is one more reason to document the condition at each handoff.
Storing materials safely on site
OSHA's construction storage rule, 29 CFR 1926.250, applies to materials kept on a jobsite. Stacked materials must be stacked, racked, blocked or otherwise secured so they cannot slide, fall or collapse. Aisles and passageways must stay clear. A few limits that apply to common materials:
| Material | OSHA rule |
|---|---|
| Brick | Stacks no more than 7 ft high; loose brick tapered back above 4 ft |
| Masonry block | Above 6 ft, tapered back one-half block per tier |
| Lumber | Piles no more than 20 ft, or 16 ft if handled by hand |
| Bagged materials | Layers stepped back and cross-keyed at least every 10 bags high |
Inside a building, the maximum safe floor load in pounds per square foot must be posted in storage areas. Pallets of tile and stone are heavy, so check the floor rating before staging them on an upper floor.
How GOLDGCP handles delivery
Delivery to the jobsite is the last stage of the GCP Source & Ship service, which also covers overseas sourcing, factory inspection, ocean freight or air freight, and customs clearance through licensed customs brokers (see customs clearance). When the site is not ready, goods can be held and released in batches through warehousing and consolidation. The import hub explains the full landed cost.
Share site access, unloading equipment and the name of the person who will sign when you request a quote, so the right truck is booked. Payment is in milestones, each one after you approve that stage, and you can follow progress in the client portal.
Estimate your full landed cost
Add inland delivery to the product, freight, duties and fees to see what the order costs at your site. The landed cost calculator also runs on its own page.
Frequently asked questions
What is drayage?
Drayage is the short truck move that takes a container out of a port terminal to a nearby warehouse, rail yard or jobsite. It usually needs to happen before the terminal's free time ends, or demurrage charges start. The empty container must then go back to the carrier.
Do I need a liftgate for a jobsite delivery?
Usually, if the site has no loading dock and no forklift to reach the trailer floor. A liftgate lowers pallets to the ground. Book it when you schedule the shipment, because adding it later can bring an extra charge, and very heavy items may need a forklift or crane truck instead.
How much does liftgate and residential delivery cost?
A 2026 industry survey of large LTL carriers found liftgate charges of about $115 to $185 per shipment, and about $265 to $410 when a residential delivery charge is added. Each carrier sets its own fees, so check your quote.
Can a full container be delivered to a house?
Sometimes. The street and site must fit a tractor with a 40 ft chassis, the ground must be firm, and the loaded weight must be within legal road limits. Many residential jobs transload at a warehouse and deliver on smaller trucks instead.
What should I write on the delivery receipt if something is damaged?
Write specific notes before you sign, such as the number of damaged cartons and what the damage looks like, and take photos. A clean signature suggests the goods arrived in good shape, which makes a later claim harder.
How long do I have to file a freight damage claim?
For interstate truck shipments, carriers cannot give you less than 9 months to file. The carrier must acknowledge a written claim within 30 days and pay, decline or offer a settlement within 120 days. File as soon as you find the damage.
What is the difference between LTL and FTL?
LTL shares a trailer with other shippers and moves through carrier terminals, so it costs less for small loads but adds handling. FTL books the whole truck for one shipment, with handling only at each end. Large or fragile orders usually do better on FTL.
How we calculate these prices
GOLDGCP starts from national price ranges for each job, taken from published 2026 cost guides and checked against local price guides where they exist. To get a local price, we multiply the national range by the construction cost factor for the metro from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Area Cost Factors (US average = 1.00). For ZIP codes outside the 50 largest metros, the calculator uses the state's price level from the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities. Ranges include labor and standard materials but not unusual site conditions, so a written quote after an inspection is always the final price.
Sources
- Summary of Hours of Service Regulations · Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
- Commercial Vehicle Size and Weight Program · Federal Highway Administration
- 2025 NMFC Changes · National Motor Freight Traffic Association
- Liftgate Service Fees: What LTL Carriers Charge and When You Need It · FreightRate
- 49 U.S. Code 14706, Liability of carriers under receipts and bills of lading · Cornell Legal Information Institute
- 49 CFR Part 370, Principles and Practices for the Investigation and Voluntary Disposition of Loss and Damage Claims · eCFR
- 29 CFR 1926.250, General requirements for storage · Occupational Safety and Health Administration
- FMC Publishes Final Rule on Detention and Demurrage Billing Practices · Federal Maritime Commission
About this guide
Written by the GOLDGCP editorial team. Prices come from national cost guides; rules and statistics come from the agencies and reports linked in the text. We update this page when prices or codes change.
