Complete Guide to Import Freight Costs: Ocean, Drayage, Trucking & Warehousing

The Four Legs of an Import Shipment

When goods move from a factory in China (or Vietnam, or Bangladesh) to an Amazon fulfillment center or your warehouse, they typically pass through four distinct freight legs — each with its own market, its own rates, and its own opportunities for overpaying or saving.

• Ocean freight — from origin port to US arrival port
• Drayage — from the port to your warehouse or 3PL
• OTR trucking — from your warehouse to FBA, DC, or customer locations
• Warehousing — storage and fulfillment at your 3PL or FBA

Understanding the benchmark for each leg is what gives you leverage. Most SMB importers have at least one leg where they're paying significantly above market.

Ocean Freight: FCL vs. LCL

Full Container Load (FCL)

FCL means you book an entire container — either a 20ft, 40ft standard, or 40ft high cube. You pay for the box regardless of whether it's completely full. FCL is almost always cheaper per CBM than LCL once you're moving more than roughly 12–15 CBM of cargo.

These are base ocean freight rates, excluding origin charges, destination charges, and fuel surcharges (BAF/CAF). Real all-in rates are typically 20–40% higher once surcharges are included. Always compare quotes on an all-in basis.

Less-than-Container Load (LCL)

LCL means your cargo is consolidated with other shippers' goods in a shared container. You pay per CBM (cubic meter) or per metric ton, whichever is greater (the "W/M" basis).

• China → US West Coast: $80–$160/CBM
• China → US East Coast: $110–$200/CBM
• Vietnam → US West Coast: $90–$180/CBM

At these rates, LCL starts losing competitiveness versus FCL once you consistently ship 10–15 CBM or more. A 15 CBM LCL shipment at $130/CBM costs $1,950 — while a 20ft FCL on the same lane might be $2,200. At that point, FCL also offers faster transit and better cargo security.

Drayage: Port to Warehouse

Drayage is the local trucking move from the port terminal to your warehouse or 3PL. It's often the most opaque leg of the journey — rates vary significantly by port, chassis availability, and whether the move is live-load or drop-and-pick.

Common sources of drayage overcharges: congestion surcharges during port congestion events, demurrage (daily container rent when you don't pick up promptly), and detention (daily charge when you keep the chassis too long). Negotiate your free time allowances upfront, and make sure your warehouse team is ready to receive containers promptly.

OTR Trucking: FTL vs. LTL

Full Truckload (FTL)

FTL means a single truck, dedicated to your load. It's appropriate when you have enough freight to fill a 53-foot trailer (typically 22–26 standard pallets) or when speed and cargo security justify the cost of a dedicated truck.

• National average FTL dry van: $1.80–$2.80 per mile (all-in, including fuel surcharge)
• Los Angeles to Dallas (1,430 miles): approx. $2,600–$4,000
• Savannah to Chicago (840 miles): approx. $1,500–$2,350

Less-than-Truckload (LTL)

LTL is for smaller shipments that don't fill a truck. You pay for the space your freight occupies (by pallet or by hundred-weight), and your freight travels with other shippers' goods. It's more complex to price but often significantly cheaper for small loads.

• LTL rates: typically $28–$65 per hundredweight (CWT), depending on freight class, distance, and density
• Minimum charges apply — most LTL carriers have a minimum of $75–$150 per shipment
• Accessorial charges (liftgate, residential delivery, appointment) can add 20–40% to the base rate

Third-Party Warehousing (3PL)

If you're not sending everything directly to FBA, you're likely using a 3PL for storage, kitting, prep, and FBA inbound shipment creation. 3PL costs vary by geography, volume, and the services needed.

Where Importers Overpay Most

Based on freight audit data, these are the most common sources of above-market spend:

• Staying on LCL too long. Importers who started small and never benchmarked FCL once their volumes grew. The savings from switching are often $400–$800 per shipment.
• Not negotiating drayage free time. Demurrage and detention fees from a single port delay can exceed what was saved on freight.
• Single-carrier freight forwarding. Importers who use one forwarder for everything rarely get competitive rates. Running a spot market bid across 2–3 forwarders on the same lane typically saves 10–20%.
• 3PL contracts not reviewed in 2+ years. Market rates for warehousing have shifted. If you haven't benchmarked your 3PL rates recently, you may be on above-market pricing from when you first signed.

Run a freight audit on lgistics.ai to benchmark your specific lanes and legs against current market data and get actionable recommendations ranked by savings potential.