Anyone with a truck can call themselves a drayage carrier. But moving ocean containers legally requires a specific stack of credentials that take time, money, and clean compliance history to earn. If a carrier is missing any of them, your container is not moving — or worse, it is moving with your cargo exposed. Here is what each credential means and how to verify it before you hand over a delivery order.
TWIC: the card that opens the terminal gate
The Transportation Worker Identification Credential is a biometric ID issued by the TSA after a federal security threat assessment. Every driver entering a secure port terminal — including the PortMiami and Port Everglades container terminals — must carry one. A carrier “with trucks” but without TWIC-carded drivers physically cannot pick up your box. Ask what percentage of the fleet’s drivers hold active TWIC cards; at an asset-based carrier like Go Drayage, the answer is all of them.
UIIA: permission to use steamship equipment
The Uniform Intermodal Interchange and Facilities Access Agreement, administered by IANA, is the master contract between motor carriers and equipment providers (steamship lines and chassis pools). Without a current UIIA agreement listing the specific steamship line, a trucker cannot interchange that line’s container or chassis. This is the credential that most often trips up small operators: UIIA participation requires continuously maintained insurance, and lapses suspend interchange rights immediately. You can verify any carrier’s UIIA status through IANA’s public lookup.
Customs bonds and bonded facilities
Cargo that has not yet cleared customs can only move under bond, and only bonded carriers may haul it — for example from a terminal to a container freight station or centralized examination station. A bonded carrier has filed a custodial bond with U.S. Customs and Border Protection; a bonded facility (like the Go Drayage yard, licensed under bond) may hold in-bond cargo. If you import freight that clears inland, or you regularly get exam holds, a bonded carrier with a bonded yard removes an entire class of delays.
Insurance: the minimums are not enough
Legitimate drayage carriers carry, at minimum: auto liability of $1 million (a UIIA requirement), motor truck cargo coverage of at least $100,000, general liability, and trailer interchange coverage for equipment in their possession. If you ship high-value goods, ask for a certificate of insurance naming you as certificate holder, and check that cargo limits match your typical container value. Reefer and hazmat operations need additional endorsements — see our guide to hazmat container drayage.
Operating authority and safety scores
Basics worth 60 seconds on the FMCSA SAFER site: active MC/DOT authority, no out-of-service orders, and a reasonable inspection history. Cross-check the DOT number the carrier gives you against the name on the truck. In drayage, double-brokering is a real problem: you hire one company and an unknown third party shows up at the terminal with your delivery order.
Voluntary credentials that signal a serious operator
- EPA SmartWay: emissions and fuel-efficiency benchmarking; increasingly requested by retail and CPG shippers for scope-3 reporting.
- C-TPAT participation: supply chain security certification that speeds customs treatment.
- TIA and SC&RA membership: industry accountability for brokered and specialized moves, including heavy hauling.
A five-minute verification checklist
- Look up DOT/MC authority and safety record on FMCSA SAFER.
- Confirm UIIA status and that your steamship line is listed.
- Request a current certificate of insurance directly from the carrier’s agent.
- Ask whether drivers are employees with TWIC cards or brokered owner-operators.
- For in-bond freight, request the custodial bond number.
Go Drayage operates under U.S. Customs bond, maintains UIIA interchange, and runs TWIC-carded company drivers — get a lane quote in seconds with our drayage calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check if a drayage carrier is UIIA-compliant?
Use IANA’s online UIIA participant lookup. It shows whether the carrier’s agreement is active and which equipment providers have accepted it. If your steamship line is not on the carrier’s list, they cannot legally interchange that line’s equipment.
What is the difference between a bonded carrier and a bonded warehouse?
A bonded carrier may transport cargo that has not cleared customs; a bonded warehouse or yard may store it under customs control. For in-bond freight you often need both, which is why carriers that operate their own bonded facility simplify the chain.
Does my freight broker’s insurance cover the drayage leg?
Usually not. Cargo coverage follows the motor carrier actually hauling the load. Always ask who is physically moving the container and request their certificate of insurance, not just the broker’s.