What is a street turn in drayage, and what it takes to do one

What a street turn is

In a standard move, a truck delivers a loaded import container to the consignee, waits while it is emptied, and takes the empty back to the terminal. A street turn skips that last leg. The empty goes from the import consignee to an exporter nearby, gets loaded, and then goes to the terminal as an export.

How it works, step by step

1. The import container is delivered and unloaded at the consignee.
2. The drayage carrier or its dispatcher looks for an export booking that can use the same container. Miami Drayage describes this matching step as the carrier identifying compatible export opportunities.
3. The ocean carrier is asked to approve the reuse of its container for the export.
4. The empty moves from the import consignee directly to the export shipper.
5. The container is loaded and later delivered to the terminal for the export sailing.

What has to line up

Miami Drayage lists the conditions that decide whether a street turn is possible. If any one of them fails, the empty goes back to the terminal the usual way.

• Same size and type: a 40-foot high-cube cannot serve a booking for a 20-foot standard.
• Same shipping line: the container belongs to one line and generally has to be reused for that line's export.
• Cargo fit: the container has to suit what the exporter is shipping, including cleanliness or special requirements.
• Nearby locations: the import consignee and the export shipper need to be close enough for the move to make sense.
• Timing: the empty has to be free when the export is ready, and both parties' hours have to overlap.

Who decides

The container belongs to the ocean carrier, so reuse needs its agreement. Each line may have its own way of taking the request, so ask each line how it wants street turns requested before you plan around one.

Cost is a separate question. Devine Intermodal reported that Zim, Hyundai and Maersk announced fees in the range of $30 to $100 per street turn in February 2019, and argued against them. That is a 2019 report from a drayage firm, not a current tariff. Check the line's own current terms for any fee.

On the regulatory side, the Federal Maritime Commission has published a container return proposal by Commissioner Rebecca Dye that includes this line: truckers must have an option to return empty containers to another location to facilitate double moves. FMC invited comments on it until September 15, 2023. It is a proposal published by one commissioner, and this guide does not claim it is a rule in force.

Street turn versus returning the empty

A street turn saves a trip to the terminal and back. It does not by itself end the container's clock. Per diem is charged on a container that is out of the terminal beyond its free days, and the days between the empty and the export's return to the terminal still count. Who carries those days depends on the line's terms and on the booking.

The example shows why dispatchers compare the days before agreeing to a street turn. The saved trip has a value, and so can the days on the clock, so the right answer depends on the terms.

When to ask for one

A street turn is worth asking for when an import delivery and an export pickup are close together in place and time and the container matches the booking. If the export is days away, or the exporter is across the metro area, returning the empty may be the simpler move. Dispatchers who street turn often keep a short list of nearby exporters and their usual container needs, so the match can be made while the import is still being unloaded.

What goes wrong

• The line declines the request, or the answer arrives after the export pickup window.
• The empty arrives at the exporter dirty, damaged or with a defect that blocks loading.
• Timing slips on either side and the container sits.
• The export booking falls through after the empty has already moved.
• Miami Drayage also points to information gaps among the parties, which is the usual root of the failures above.

What to record on the container timeline

A street turn is easy to dispute afterward if nobody wrote down who agreed to what and when. These entries belong on the container's timeline.

• Container number, size, type and shipping line.
• Date and time the import was delivered and the empty was released.
• The request to the line: when it was sent, who answered and what the answer was.
• The export booking number.
• Pickup and loading times at the exporter.
• Gate-in time at the terminal for the export.
• Per diem or chassis days, and which party carries them.

Frequently asked questions

What does street turn mean?

It means reusing an empty import container for an export load without returning it to the terminal in between.

Do I need the shipping line's approval?

The container belongs to the line, so plan on asking it before the empty moves. How the request is made depends on the line.

Does it save per diem?

Not by itself. It saves a trip to the terminal. Per diem depends on how many days the container is out and on whose terms apply, so compare the days before you agree.

What is a dual move?

The FMC proposal quoted above uses the phrase double moves for pairing an empty return with another job. This guide does not define the term further.

Can a chassis be street turned?

The chassis is a separate piece of equipment with its own owner and its own charges. The container's approval does not settle the chassis question, so confirm both.

General information, not legal advice. Fees and line procedures change; check the ocean carrier's current terms before you plan a street turn.