What Is a Pre-Pull in Container Drayage? Miami Port Guide

What Is a Pre-Pull in Container Drayage?

If you’ve worked with a drayage provider at PortMiami or Port Everglades, you may have heard the term pre-pull. Understanding this service — and when to use it — can save you significant money on container drayage and demurrage charges.

Pre-Pull Defined

A pre-pull is when a drayage carrier picks up your container from the port terminal and moves it to a nearby yard or facility before your scheduled delivery date. Instead of going directly to your warehouse, the container is temporarily staged off-terminal. When you’re ready to receive it, the carrier delivers it from the yard to your facility.

When Pre-Pulls Make Sense

Demurrage deadline approaching: If your container’s free time is running out but your warehouse isn’t ready to receive it, a pre-pull stops the demurrage clock by removing the container from the terminal. A $150 pre-pull fee is far cheaper than $300+/day in demurrage. Terminal congestion: During peak season, pulling containers early avoids the risk of terminal delays on your actual delivery day.

Pre-Pull Costs vs Demurrage Savings

A typical pre-pull at Miami ports costs $150-$250 for the extra move. Compare that to demurrage charges of $150-$400 per day, and the math is clear: if your container would sit at the terminal even one extra day beyond free time, the pre-pull pays for itself. For multiple containers, the savings multiply quickly.

Potential Drawbacks

Pre-pulls add a second handling of your container, which means slightly more wear. The container sits in a yard rather than the port, so you’re trading terminal demurrage for potential yard storage fees (usually $25-$50/day vs $150-$400/day for demurrage). You also add delivery distance from the yard to your facility.

Go Freight’s Pre-Pull Service

Go Freight offers pre-pull services at both PortMiami and Port Everglades. We pull containers to our own secured yard near the ports, eliminating third-party storage fees. When you’re ready, we deliver directly to your facility. Our dispatch team monitors your free time windows and proactively recommends pre-pulls when demurrage is imminent.