Picking a drayage carrier looks simple from the outside: find a trucker near the port, agree on a rate, hand over the delivery order. Then a container sits at the terminal because the “carrier” turned out to be a broker with no truck available, or a driver gets turned away at the gate for lacking interchange rights, and suddenly you are paying demurrage on freight you thought was handled.

The good news is that a short, specific checklist separates real drayage operators from the rest. Here is what to verify before you tender your first container, with notes on what each item actually protects you from.

1. UIIA interchange rights

The Uniform Intermodal Interchange and Facilities Access Agreement (UIIA) is the industry-standard contract that governs how motor carriers interchange containers and chassis with ocean carriers and equipment providers. A carrier that is not UIIA-certified, or is not activated with your specific steamship line, cannot legally pull your container out of the terminal.

Ask directly: “Are you UIIA-certified, and are you active with the ocean carriers on my bills of lading?” A serious carrier answers in seconds. Go Drayage maintains UIIA membership as a baseline requirement for the work it does at PortMiami and Port Everglades, and that is the standard you should hold every candidate to.

2. Insurance that matches container work

Drayage has its own insurance profile. Beyond auto liability and cargo coverage, UIIA participation requires specific coverage levels, and many terminals and equipment providers have their own minimums. Request certificates of insurance, confirm the coverage is current, and make sure cargo limits fit the value of what you ship. If you move high-value or hazardous freight, say so up front and confirm the carrier’s coverage and credentials extend to it.

3. TWIC-carded drivers and real port access

Every driver entering a secure seaport facility needs a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) issued by TSA. A carrier without enough TWIC-carded drivers becomes a bottleneck the moment volume rises. Ask how many port-qualified drivers the company runs and whether they are employees or owner-operators, and ask how the carrier handles terminal appointment systems at the ports you use. Familiarity with PortMiami and Port Everglades gate procedures is not a nice-to-have; it is the difference between a smooth pickup and a rolled appointment.

4. A clear chassis strategy

Chassis availability quietly makes or breaks drayage service. Some carriers rely entirely on pool chassis, which are subject to shortages; others own or lease their own fleets. Neither model is automatically wrong, but the carrier should be able to explain exactly how it sources chassis at your port, what happens during a shortage, and how chassis costs appear on your invoice. Vague answers here predict surprise charges later.

5. Tracking technology you can actually use

“Where is my container?” should never require three phone calls. Look for a carrier that offers real-time visibility through a transportation management system, with status updates you can check yourself. Go Drayage provides live tracking through its Go Truck Hub TMS, and customers can follow moves through the shipment tracker rather than waiting on callbacks. Whatever carrier you choose, ask for a demo of their visibility tools before you commit.

6. Asset-based carrier vs. broker

A broker finds a truck; an asset-based carrier owns the truck. Brokers add flexibility in some situations, but for repeat port work, asset-based operators offer real advantages: direct control over drivers and equipment, accountability when something goes wrong, and capacity that does not evaporate when the spot market tightens.

Go Drayage is an asset-based 3PL with company-owned trucks, vans, flatbeds, and transloading equipment. When you call dispatch, you are talking to the people who control the trucks, not a middleman relaying messages. If you are comparing providers, ask each one plainly: do you own the equipment that will move my freight? Then verify the answer against their FMCSA authority.

7. Yard capacity and storage options

Port free time is short, and warehouses are rarely ready the moment a container clears. A carrier with its own secure yard can pull your container before demurrage starts and stage it until your dock is ready. Ask about fencing, cameras, access hours, and capacity. Go Drayage operates a 5-acre secure yard in Miami with 24/7 access, room for more than 450 containers and trailers, and forklifts rated at 19,000 and 40,000 pounds for transloading. A carrier without any yard answer at all is betting that your schedule and the port’s schedule will always align. They will not.

8. Credentials, references, and track record

Finally, look at the paper trail. Meaningful signals include:

• Customs bonded status, which allows the carrier to move in-bond freight under CBP supervision. Go Drayage is a U.S. Customs bonded carrier (bond # LBR8).
• TSA participation and security vetting for port and air-adjacent freight.
• EPA SmartWay partnership, indicating measured attention to fuel efficiency and emissions.
• Better Business Bureau accreditation and an inspectable complaint history.
• Industry memberships such as TIA, COSTHA, SC&RA, and DGAC, which signal specialization in areas like hazardous materials and heavy haul.
• Independent recognition such as Go Drayage’s Inc. 5000 honoree status, which reflects sustained, verifiable growth rather than marketing copy.

No single credential guarantees good service, but a carrier holding several of them has been vetted repeatedly by third parties. Ask for shipper references in your industry and actually call them.

Putting the checklist to work in South Florida

Run every candidate through the same eight questions and score them side by side. For port drayage in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, also weigh local specifics: published pricing (Go Drayage advertises base rates of $500 for Port of Miami and $450 for Port Everglades, with rates varying by move), terminal familiarity, and how quickly the carrier can scale when a vessel bunches your arrivals into a single week.

If you want to see how an asset-based operator answers all eight, start with an overview of container drayage services, then request a quote or call (786) 445-0150. Bring your hardest questions; a good carrier welcomes them.

Frequently asked questions

Why does UIIA certification matter when choosing a drayage carrier?

UIIA is the standard interchange agreement between motor carriers and ocean carriers or equipment providers. Without UIIA certification and an active relationship with your steamship line, a trucker cannot pull your container from the terminal, no matter what rate they quoted you.

Is an asset-based drayage carrier better than a broker?

For recurring port freight, asset-based carriers usually offer more reliable capacity and clearer accountability because they own and dispatch their own trucks. Brokers can be useful for overflow, but you should always know whether the company you hired controls the equipment moving your container.

What credentials should a drayage carrier have?

At minimum, look for UIIA certification, adequate insurance, and TWIC-carded drivers. Stronger candidates add customs bonded status, TSA participation, EPA SmartWay partnership, BBB accreditation, and relevant industry memberships. Go Drayage, for example, is a U.S. Customs bonded carrier (bond # LBR8), a UIIA and TSA participant, an EPA SmartWay partner, BBB accredited, and an Inc. 5000 honoree.