Container Drop

What is a container drop?

Otherwise known as a drop and hook or drop and pick, a container drop is a trucking delivery option, usually reserved for high volume FCL.

A container drop refers to when a truck driver drops off a container at the destination warehouse and leaves instead of waiting for it to be unloaded, known as a live unload. The driver then returns to pick up the empty container after it has been unloaded, usually within the next 48 hours.

A drop and pick, however, is when a driver drops off a container and picks up a different, empty container and leaves with that. This is the most cost effective delivery method for a trucker, but it only works if the warehouse has containers arriving every few days.

When is container drop or drop and pick implemented?

Companies often engage in container drop when they’re trying to avoid delivery appointments, wait time charges from the trucking company, or hiring extra labor. This process is implemented at warehouses that have secure yards or dock bays that can be closed with the containers inside. With that, the warehouse becomes responsible for the containers until they are picked back up by a trucker.