Today, more than 80% of global shipping involves containers. They're packed with everything from personal storage items in dry containers to heavy machinery on flat rack containers. For business owners shipping products, getting a container from point A to point B requires precise planning and high-level tracking. But that's easier said than done when global supply chains become over-congested, leading to loading time issues and delays.
That's bad news for business owners who are already under a massive amount of stress. The truth is that container storage delays can cripple a business, but there's a viable solution: drayage brokers in Austin, TX like RelyEx. Drayage companies provide unique solutions to minimize demurrage and help ensure the successful delivery of your freight.
With more than 30 combined years of experience and a solutions-oriented team, RelyEx has quickly become the first choice for streamlined, efficient drayage services. To understand the true value of RelyEx's offerings in the global logistics industry, it helps to understand first what drayage is and why it's used.
If you're a seasoned business owner who uses port drayage to transport your products, you know exactly how important the service can be. But if you were to poll a group of random people, you may get five different definitions of the term "drayage." That begs the question, how is one of the most crucial steps in the supply chain and most vital components of global trade such a confusing concept? When you break it down, it's not too difficult to grasp.
Drayage, by definition, means the transportation of freight from an ocean port to another destination. Today, drayage is also used to describe the process of transporting products and goods over short distances or over "the first mile."
While drayage often means short-distance movements during the supply chain process, it's primarily used in the container shipping space. Drayage loads usually have arrival and departure points in the same city and don't include long-haul, national transportation.
Because a drayage load can mean a few different things, confusion among carriers is common. Many carriers link drayage with going into a port, but that isn't always true. While all drayage loads typically originate from a port of entry, there are often several legs of a drayage journey before a container turns up at its final stop. Legs of a drayage load may include:
You may be thinking, what's so important about drayage? It's such a small step in the container storage transport process. In reality, it's an integral piece needed in the logistics industry and a crucial part of U.S. supply chain management.
To truly understand the importance of drayage, let's use flowers as an example. Most cut flower shipments enter the market from areas in South America until they end up at Dutch auction houses. Once there, wholesalers purchase flowers in bulk and send those products to retail outlets worldwide. Because flowers are perishable, they typically need to be refrigerated and are often shipped in reefer containers. These refrigerated vessels must maintain a certain temp to prevent loss.
Drayage companies like RelyEx allow flower shippers to send their products from Argentinian ports to airports in the Netherlands with peace of mind because their products are protected. The only way to accomplish this feat is with the help of swift, meticulous port drayage services. Drayage companies allow flower shippers to send their products from Argentinian ports to airports in the Netherlands with peace of mind, because their products are protected. The only way to accomplish this feat is with the help of swift, meticulous port drayage services.
If port drayage is compromised, it can cause delays and even fines. You know the packages you get delivered to your front door from apps like Amazon? Without drayage and drayage brokers, one or two-day shipping times wouldn't even be possible.
As a multi-billion-dollar industry in the U.S. alone, it seems like drayage shipping issues shouldn't exist. But the fact is inefficiencies and congestion are still major problems at ports. Whether it's a lack of carriers, absent chassis, or overburdened terminals, delays lead to missed deadlines, lost revenue, and worse.
But anytime challenges exist, so too do innovative solutions.
QUOTE REQUESTRelyEx was created because our founders saw a need in the logistics space for more reliability and efficiency. The reality of the shipping and logistics industry is that it has become very transactional. It's an odd evolution, because most businesses seek a third-party logistics partner that is accessible, transparent, and committed to providing solutions.
As the logistics space continues to grow, it creates newfound expenses and complexities. Clients like ours know that and need a supply chain partner who is genuinely interested in their business. By understanding the needs of our customers and carriers, we can provide the most reliable, effective drayage services possible.
Unlike some drayage companies in Austin, TX, we begin managing your containers before they ever hit the ports by mapping out the most efficient pathways of delivery. That way, our team can discover the best drayage pathways to expedite delivery time and reduce fees that cut into profits.
Our valued drayage customers choose RelyEx because:
At RelyEx, we like to consider ourselves problem solvers. The nature of the container drayage industry presents new challenges every day, but we're firm believers that there's a solution to every hurdle we encounter. And while some drayage businesses implement a reactive approach, RelyEx customers choose us for our proactive mindset. We take pride in solving your company's drayage challenges to help you avoid frustrating fees, missed expectations, and delayed shipments. We strive to make every transaction successful and streamlined by partnering with shippers who prioritize transparent, prompt, and accurate communication.
RelyEx approaches your business from the customer's perspective - a unique approach that helps us provide high-quality, effective drayage services. We've been in the customers' shoes, know their pain points, and because of that, provide first-hand solutions to stressful supply chain issues. With over 30 years of collective knowledge, our team excels in:
Our varied, high-level drayage shipping experience helps us achieve our overarching goal: expertly managing your freight movement needs. That way, you can direct your time and focus on growing the core aspects of your business while we handle the heavy lifting. Throw in proactive planning to avoid bottleneck situations and strong communication for transparent customer relations, and you can see why so many companies trust RelyEx.
When it comes to shipping logistics, it only takes one mistake by a mediocre worker to disrupt your business. That's why, at RelyEx, we pride ourselves on forming and nurturing relationships with carriers who match our standards of care. Our founding partner started his career transporting freight for companies as an on-demand carrier. He uses that knowledge to maximize the resources of our carriers so that our customer's expectations aren't just met - they're exceeded.
Based in the port city of Austin, RelyEx has a keen understanding of the challenges of managing the inbound and outbound flow of containers. Our team of container drayage experts provides your business with unique solutions to nuanced shipping problems, minimizing demurrage and ensuring the successful delivery of your freight.
Customers choose RelyEx because:
Some drayage brokers don't care how customers feel about their service as long as they sign a contract and get paid. As a solutions-oriented team, RelyEx takes the opposite approach. We're motivated by the opportunity to overachieve for our customers and to provide them with the best logistics experience possible. With professional experience as carriers and shippers ourselves, we know the roadblocks and challenges you're facing. We excel at mapping out the best plans of action to solve those problems. But that's just the start.
Our tracking experts monitor and manage every aspect of your drayage shipment from booking to delivery, 24/7. Once booked, we look for the availability of your containers hourly once they're at port. When they arrive, our team acts quickly to access your storage containers when they're available.
Plus, RelyEx ensures your company's requirements are met by the carrier during loading and delivery and provide necessary documentation as fast as possible. With real-time tracking updates and access to our customer service professionals, your team has complete visibility throughout the shipping process.
Over the years, RelyEx has built a strong network of drayage carriers, transloading locations, and container storage spaces to provide you with the best possible options to match your drayage service needs. We know that searching for quality service presents an added layer of complexity and stress to our customers. That's why we work hard to take that off your plate by connecting you with our reliable shipping partners.
With a background moving freight as an on-demand carrier, our founding partner understands how to maximize the resources and equipment of our carriers to match your needs.
Like other industries, the global logistics space is complex. Mistakes will be made, and problems will happen. With those truths in mind, RelyEx has built its reputation as problem solvers. Unlike other drayage companies, we don't shy away from this industry's complexities because we take pride in solving problems. Even better, we aim to do what's needed to avoid those problems altogether.
As your logistics partner, we will provide your company with accurate, transparent, and prompt communication. If there are unexpected issues, we'll notify you immediately and will provide several options to remedy the problem. We even offer custom reporting for large clients who need at-the-moment updates and quick access to shipment documentation.
Why let the unpredictability of your industry dictate your success? With a background working in manufacturing, our founders are familiar with the demands of managing production schedules and sales orders. That experience makes it abundantly clear to us that every business and industry is different. If you struggle with seasonal surges or other factors, our team supports your business with a mapped-out plan and schedule, so you stay ahead of the game.
QUOTE REQUESTBased in the port city of Austin, RelyEx has a keen understanding of the challenges of managing the inbound and outbound flow of containers. Our team of container drayage experts provides your business with unique solutions to nuanced shipping problems, minimizing demurrage and ensuring the successful delivery of your freight.
Demurrage is a charge issued by a port, carrier, or railroad company for storing containers that do not load and unload their cargo promptly. Once the daily limit of free time is exceeded, shippers are charged daily demurrage fees until their cargo is shipped. Though different ports have different policies, charges can range from $75 to $150 per container, per day, for a set number of days. Additional demurrage fees are incurred if a shipper exceeds the port's parameters.
Even when shippers maintain a tight schedule for unloading freight, external factors can play an uncontrollable part. Typically, shipping mistakes caused by human error trigger the most demurrage charges. Some of the most common causes of demurrage include:
Typically, shippers need four specific documents to clear shipments through customs: A Bill of Lading (or BOL), a commercial invoice, a packing list, and an arrival notice. Seasoned drayage brokers like RelyEx are used to preparing these documents, but new shippers tend to miss this step due to inexperience.
If a shipper only pays for part of their shipment, a vessel operator may refuse to release their freight until their bill is fully paid. Payment delays lead to cargo detention at the port of entry, which triggers demurrage charges.
QUOTE REQUESTPaperwork is needed when you're shipping goods with a drayage company. When documents like the Certificate of Origin or Bill of Lading arrive at their destination late, you can expect demurrage fees. RelyEx avoids this situation entirely by being proactive when submitting paperwork.
Additional causes for demurrage fees can include:
At RelyEx, we know first-hand how stressful supply chain problems can be for business owners. Though drayage shipping might seem minor on the surface, it affects every stage of your shipping process. And when inevitable hurdles manifest, RelyEx propels you over the proverbial roadblocks with a proactive mindset and a passion for challenging projects. We believe that all problems have a solution, and our unique vantage point allows us to provide first-hand solutions to customers in a wide array of industries.
When it comes to your business, don't settle for anything less than RelyEx. Contact our office today to learn more about how we make your shipping experience streamlined and stress-free.
AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Senate has approved ...
AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Senate has approved a preemption bill colloquially labeled the "Death Star Bill" that largely turns local control in several jurisdictions over to the state government. It could head to Governor Greg Abbott's desk as soon as this week.
House Bill 2127 has garnered significant attention this session for its preemption provisions. In governmental terms, "preemption" involves a higher government authority, in this case, the state, limiting or stripping the authority of local governments.
Across the state, local governments have operated under the precedent that cities, particularly what are known as "home rule" cities, have significant oversight over themselves, particularly if the state or federal government does not have contrasting ordinances.
When the bill was taken up for debate on Monday, Senator Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, who sponsors the bill, acknowledged that the legislation "changes that interpretation of the Texas constitution," when asked by Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, D-Austin.
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KEYE
Supporters of the legislation, which was originally authored in the House by Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, have called for a need for regulatory consistency across the state for business owners to be able to functionally operate anywhere in Texas without fear of legal gray areas in local ordinances.
"We’ve never seen cities step into the realms that they have been stepping into," Annie Spilman, the Texas director of the National Federation of Independent Business, or NFIB, told CBS Austin. "About 99.9% of what cities and counties have done, they will continue to retain."
The bill would effectively block cities from enacting ordinances within the agricultural, business and commerce, finance, insurance, labor, local government, natural resources, occupations, or property codes, ensuring that each of those codes would fall under the state government's jurisdictions in order to maintain consistency.
At different moments during the bill's path, lawmakers have specifically named progressive-leaning city governments, like Austin, as causes for enacting the legislation. On Tuesday, ahead of the bill's passage, Austin CM Vanessa Fuentes called the legislation "a wolf in sheep's clothing" on social media, writing "It’s disguised as a measure for consistency when, in reality, it seeks to undermine local governance."
They keep saying all we’re doing is clarifying is an existing practice here, I don’t believe that’s true," Adrian Shelley, the Texas office director of Public Citizen, a progressive advocacy organization, told CBS Austin. "I think we’re up-ending more than a century of precedent, I think that we are creating a whole lot of ambiguity, and I think very quickly we’re going to see a significant number of lawsuits.”
HB 2127 was passed out of each chamber of the Texas legislature, largely along party lines. The bill needs one final vote from the House of Representatives before it heads to Governor Greg Abbott's desk for approval.
Sophie Marie (@soph4president), a third-grade teacher in Austin, Texas, recently came under fire for certain ways she conducts her class. Her attire was also a point of con...
Sophie Marie (@soph4president), a third-grade teacher in Austin, Texas, recently came under fire for certain ways she conducts her class. Her attire was also a point of contention.
“you’d think I was teaching way out west but this is downtown Austin…,” she writes.
“OK, so today I got pulled into a ‘check-in meeting’ with my administrator at school, and she had this lovely list of concerns that she wanted to bring to my attention,” Sophie explains in the video.
Included in the list is the concern that Sophie is “intentionally” teaching her third-grade students about their rights.
“But my favorite amongst them is, ‘We’ve noticed an intentional attempt at teaching your students about their legal and constitutional rights.’ That’s the concern,” she reveals. “Why are you concerned? Why is that a concern? Why does that concern you?”
Sophie, who is “queer until proven straight,” is outspoken about human rights on her social media platforms. She covers a plethora of current events, including the Queer Capitol March and Texas legislation.
“I have no other choice but to be political. life is depending on it,” reads her Instagram bio. “unwilling to die for the dow. abortion advocate.”
Commenters are equally upset that the notion of teaching young students about their own rights is seen as threatening. Others are unsurprised by this behavior, especially given that it’s taking place in the state of Texas.
“It’s such a mystery why there is a teacher shortage,” one user wrote sarcastically.
“Former Texas teacher here. This is why I can’t anymore,” a fellow teacher declared. “Also, leaving Texas this summer.”
“Are you not allowed to read Harry Potter to your students? My 3rd grade teacher Mrs. Papish read us HP & I fell in love with reading,” someone asked, referencing Sophie’s administrator’s questioning of the book series’ relevance to “grade level lesson plans.”
“I 100% wanna know what bs they had to say about your clothes too lol,” another TikTok user wrote regarding the write-up about Sophie’s “dress code” violation.
Despite Sophie’s best efforts, it seems the educational system in Texas views her integrity as a threat to the development of their youth. In actuality, however, educators like Sophie deserve an even greater platform — and stifling their practices feels dangerously ill-advised.
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AUSTIN (KXAN) – The City of Austin found itself in the unusual spot of being outside of the top ten in a national ranking this week.The U.S. News and World Report 2023-24 survey of Best Places To Live ranks Austin as No. 40 in the nation.The survey ranked Austin ...
AUSTIN (KXAN) – The City of Austin found itself in the unusual spot of being outside of the top ten in a national ranking this week.
The U.S. News and World Report 2023-24 survey of Best Places To Live ranks Austin as No. 40 in the nation.
The survey ranked Austin No. 13 in 2022, no. 5 in 2021, no. 3 in 2020.
According to Austin Business Journal, U.S. News ranked Austin No. 1 in the nation 2017, 2018 and 2019 and No. 2 in the nation in 2016.
The good news for Austin is that the city still ranked No. 1 in terms of cities in Texas.
U.S. News and World Report said on its website, “to make the top of the list, a place had to have good value, be a desirable place to live, have a strong job market and a high quality of life.”
Top 10 places to live in the U.S., according to U.S. News and World Report 2023 survey
Top 10 places to live in Texas, according to U.S. News and World Report 2023 survey
Although U.S. News did not say why Austin was ranked so low in the 2023 survey, in 2021 it said a rising cost of living was a factor in why Austin fell to no. 5 in that’s year survey.
On Wednesday, city leaders sat in on a summit to explore how to make things better for everyone.
To know Austin is to love it. However, for those who grew up here, there’s no denying, it’s changing.
“It’s pretty sad,” long-time Austinite, Joseph Quinn said. “I love the city, but it’s just getting kind of expensive.”
Quinn is a chef on the East Side. He said he might possibly move to Houston, because it’s more affordable.
Others like Shay Ryan, a barber was pushed out of city limits.
“My wife and I just just had a baby, and we couldn’t afford to buy here, So we moved out to Lockhart.”
According to the U.S. News site, it scores cities on several categories. Affordability holds most of the weight when deciding where a city lands on the list.
“That’s one of the reasons we have to be relentless about it,” Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said.
The mayor at an affordability summit Wednesday, said the city is working to make it better.He said one big issue to tackle is development laws.
“McKinsey Consulting…they’ve come in, and they’ve agreed to look at our site plan process…so that it doesn’t take so long and the time value of money doesn’t add to the cost of what’s being built,” Watson said.
Pricilla Hanson, a realtor with Moreland Properties said there are a combination of problems leading to affordability issues in Austin.
“I think that the city really needs to take a look at all of their, their cost structure even to set up utilities for someone that’s renting,” Hanson said. “I would love to understand why city of Austin is so much higher to do development costs than any other city in Texas.”
Questions that need solutions, fast, before the city so many love fizzles out.
Georgetown, Leander and Kyle took three of the top five spots as fastest growing large cities in the U.S.AUSTIN, Texas — The numbers are out from the U.S. Census Bureau, and Central Texas has several cities that stand out.According to new census data, Austin is now the 10th most populous city in the U.S., with a population just shy of 1 million people.For now, Austin remains the fou...
Georgetown, Leander and Kyle took three of the top five spots as fastest growing large cities in the U.S.
AUSTIN, Texas — The numbers are out from the U.S. Census Bureau, and Central Texas has several cities that stand out.
According to new census data, Austin is now the 10th most populous city in the U.S., with a population just shy of 1 million people.
For now, Austin remains the fourth-largest city in Texas, trailing Houston (2.3 million), San Antonio (1.5 million) and Dallas (1.3 million). Austin also sits just three spots ahead of Fort Worth nationally.
Below is the full list of the most populous cities and their population numbers, following New York and Los Angeles:
Austin isn't the only Central Texas city getting recognition. New census data also showed the fastest growing cities. Topping the chart was Georgetown, with Kyle and Leander also in the top five.
Georgetown reported a 14.4% year-over-year (YOY) growth, and Kyle and Leader each reported 10.9% YOY growth. Round Rock was listed at 86th on the report with 2.1% YOY growth.
Credit: U.S. Census Bureau
“Job growth in Georgetown and across the Austin metro continues to bring new residents to our city,” Georgetown Mayor Josh Schroeder said. “People are moving here for the same reasons that brought many of us to Georgetown – wonderful and safe neighborhoods, fantastic parks and events, and welcoming people. We continue to adjust our plans and build new infrastructure to maintain the great quality of life for all of us who are proud to call Georgetown our home.”
Georgetown has been in the top 10 fastest-growing cities since 2015 and topped the list in 2016 and 2022.
Overall, the Austin metro moved up to 26th place from 28th, with 2.42 million people according to the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), moving up two spots passing Sacramento and Pittsburgh.
The Lone Star State is also the only state to have nine cities listed among the 15 fastest-growing largest cities and the most populous cities.
The census report also showed that the housing stock also grew by about 1.6 million units. Two Texas counties are among five counties with the largest numeric gains in housing units between July 1, 2021, and July 1, 2022. Travis County reported 27,927 units and Harris County reported 32,694 units.
Boomtown is KVUE's series covering the explosive growth in Central Texas. For more Boomtown stories, head to KVUE.com/Boomtown.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Pre-K teacher at Wayside Schools in Austin was arrested Monday night on charges of possession of child pornography, according to Travis County records.Records showed that 33-year-old Irving Perez was arrested by the Texas Department of Public Safety.KXAN reached out to Wayside Schools for comment. The school confirmed the arrest of the teacher and said the arrest was made offsite.“Parents in this classroom were personally notified [Wednesday,]” the school said.The school said it...
AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Pre-K teacher at Wayside Schools in Austin was arrested Monday night on charges of possession of child pornography, according to Travis County records.
Records showed that 33-year-old Irving Perez was arrested by the Texas Department of Public Safety.
KXAN reached out to Wayside Schools for comment. The school confirmed the arrest of the teacher and said the arrest was made offsite.
“Parents in this classroom were personally notified [Wednesday,]” the school said.
The school said it was notified of a DPS investigation into Perez Monday afternoon.
“We pressed DPS for more details, as Mr. Perez was on duty and actively working. As more details could not be provided, Wayside Leadership made the decision to immediately escort the staff member off campus and to place him on administrative leave as our primary interest is always the safety of our scholars,” the school said.
According to an arrest affidavit, an account was flagged by Instagram in July 2022 and reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which then sent a cyber tip to authorities.
Records show Perez was linked to the account with the assistance of the DPS Intelligence and Counterterrorism Division analysts.
In the files included in the tip, officials found that Perez sent a video file containing child pornography to another Instagram user.
After obtaining a search warrant for the Instagram account linked to Perez, officials also found he used the platform to obtain child pornography materials in October 2022, according to the affidavit.
As of Wednesday, Travis County jail records listed Perez in its system on possession of child pornography charges under a $20,000 bond.
“This is an active investigation and DPS has shared very little with us at this time but has stressed that this incident did not occur at our school and does not involve any students at our school,” a representative from Wayside Schools said.