Drayage that respects the customs file.
Customs brokers spend a lot of time fixing problems caused by Charleston drayage carriers who didn't wait for the release. Cate Freight is the opposite — we don't dispatch until 1C is on file, freight is released, and line holds are lifted. Boring, predictable, and exactly what your importer customers need.
How we coordinate with your customs entry
- 1C verification before dispatch. No truck rolls until customs release is in. Period.
- Direct broker contact. If you're our customer's broker we'll deal directly with you on release timing and any exam issues.
- Hold awareness. Freight holds, line holds, demurrage holds — we check before sending the driver to the gate.
- EIR back to you. Equipment Interchange Receipt back the same day so your file closes cleanly.
What we won't do
- Pretend release is in when it isn't to take the move
- Run on a "we'll deal with it at the gate" basis
- Hand the importer a sloppy file your team has to clean up
Exam (CET, MET) handling
If a container is selected for exam, we route it to the assigned facility, capture the EIR, and coordinate the post-exam pickup so demurrage exposure stays bounded. We'll also notify you immediately so the file can be flagged on your side.
In-bond drayage from Charleston (IT, T&E, IE)
Not every container clears at the port. When your file moves in-bond — an Immediate Transportation entry to an inland port, a Transportation & Exportation move, or an Immediate Exportation — the dray leg has to match the bond paperwork exactly. We handle in-bond container moves out of Wando Welch, North Charleston, and Hugh Leatherman with customs bonds in place where applicable (certificates on request).
- 7512 in hand before dispatch. The driver carries the in-bond paperwork; nothing moves on a verbal.
- Seals stay intact. An in-bond container arrives at the bonded destination with the seal it left the terminal with. Seal number recorded at pickup and delivery.
- Arrival coordination with your team. You control the bond; we deliver against it and confirm delivery same day so your arrival posting isn't waiting on the trucker.
- No mixing with cleared freight. In-bond moves are dispatched as in-bond from the start — flagged in our system so a well-meaning dispatcher can't reroute one to a non-bonded door.
If the destination is a bonded warehouse or CES in the Charleston area, this is a standard port drayage move for us with extra paperwork discipline. If it's an inland port of entry, quote it like any other over-the-road dray — just tell us it's in-bond up front.
Common questions