Trade Show Material Handling Calculator

This trade show material handling/drayage calculator was created to illustrate the various elements that comprise the final drayage prices that you pay at trade shows. We hope that by making customers aware of the major cost components that go into the final rate formulas, and the dramatic increases that will occur when you fail to meet certain deadlines, that you will become a more knowledgeable consumer and put youself  in a positon to save your company a considerable amount of money each year.

The formulas that go into creating this calculator, are averages from a variety of show contractors material handling price sheets, in a wide variety of markets and venues, (eliminating the highest and the lowest) and tracks prices increases from a base rate which is the advance warehouse rate for straight time on the set up and dismantle, up to special handling, overtime, and off target rates which is fcharged when freight arrives outside  predetermined target dates or times.

Every show contractor sees the drayage landscape a little differently which is why a calculator such as this will never be 100% accurate, but we hope that the pricing that you receive by using this calculator will be within +/– 10%  about 90% of the time when compared to your actual invoice. Cities like Boston tend to skew the numbers quite a bit. Also remember that the dollar amount you see is determined to a large part by the information you provide, so first understand what you are shipping and how and when you’re shipping it  in order to receive the most accurate quote. 

NOTE: One final word of caution! If you're  using your own shipper to pick up the freight at the end of the show, be sure to find in the fine print of your service kit, the day and hour that your driver must show up and sign in at the marshalling yard. Failure to meet this deadline will disqualify him from picking up your freight and the general service contractor will ship it back using their preferred contractor at a rate that you didn't want to pay.