Most surprise costs in container shipping do not come from the ocean freight invoice. They come from the drayage operation. Two techniques — street turn drayage and pre-pull — can each remove a significant portion of those costs. Yet most Canadian importers have never had either term explained clearly.
This guide covers what street turn and pre-pull mean in drayage operations. It explains how each one works at Canadian ports and rail terminals, when to use them, and what to ask your carrier before the next shipment.
What is a street turn in drayage?
A street turn in drayage is a container repositioning arrangement. The carrier delivers an import container, picks up the empty, and drives it directly to an export shipper. Instead of returning the container to the terminal first, it goes straight to whoever needs it for outbound cargo.
In a standard drayage operation, the empty container makes two extra moves after delivery. First it goes back to the terminal. Then it leaves again to reach the export shipper. A street turn eliminates both of those legs. It cuts one full round trip from the carrier’s schedule.
Why street turns matter in Canada
Container and chassis availability are frequently tight in Vancouver and Toronto. This is especially true during peak import season, which runs from May through October. Every street turn removes one container from the congestion cycle at CN MacMillan Yard in Brampton or at Deltaport in Delta, BC.
Carriers complete more deliveries per day when street turns are in place. This keeps rates more stable. It also improves appointment availability for everyone on the lane.
For the individual shipper, the benefit is direct. Carriers pass a portion of the cost savings back through a reduced rate or a street turn credit. This credit typically ranges from $75 to $150 per move. The exact amount depends on the market and the carrier.
How street turn drayage works step by step
A street turn requires coordination between three parties: the import carrier, the export shipper, and the ocean carrier. Here is the typical process at a Canadian port or rail terminal:
- The carrier picks up a loaded import container from the terminal — for example, from CN MacMillan Yard in Brampton or Centerm in Vancouver.
- The carrier delivers the container to the import consignee’s warehouse. The consignee unloads the cargo.
- Instead of driving the empty back to the port, the carrier contacts the ocean carrier to request authorization. The ocean carrier must approve the container going directly to the export shipper. Without this approval, the street turn cannot proceed.
- Once authorized, the carrier drives the empty container to the export shipper’s location. The export shipper loads the outbound cargo.
- The carrier returns the full export container to the terminal for outbound processing.
The authorization step is where most street turns fail. Many carriers do not have established relationships with ocean carrier partners. Metropolitan Logistics manages this coordination directly. As a result, street turns on our lanes are executed reliably rather than declined at the last moment.
What is pre-pull in drayage?
Pre-pull in drayage means the carrier retrieves a container from a port or rail terminal before the scheduled delivery appointment. The carrier acts before free time expires and stores the container at a secured yard facility. It stays there until the consignee is ready to receive it.
This is a proactive move, not a reactive one. The carrier does not wait for the delivery window. They pull the container first and hold it safely outside the congested terminal yard.
When pre-pull is the right call
Pre-pull works best in three situations at Canadian terminals:
- Free time is running out and the facility is not ready. Demurrage at Port of Vancouver or CN Brampton can reach $150–$300 per container per day. Pre-pull moves the container to a private yard at $40–$80 per day — a much lower daily rate.
- Terminal congestion makes appointment slots unpredictable. Pre-pulling removes the container from the terminal yard. This eliminates the risk of missing the free time window because no appointment slot was available.
- Rail cut-off times do not align with the consignee’s schedule. This situation is common at Halifax CN Intermodal and Calgary CN Logistics Park, where rail delivery windows can be narrow.
Pre-pull adds a fee of $75 to $150 per move in most Canadian markets. However, this is nearly always less than one day of demurrage. One day of demurrage at Port of Montreal averages $180–$250 per container. Pre-pull eliminates that risk entirely.
Street turn vs pre-pull: how they compare
Street turn and pre-pull solve different problems. They are not competing strategies — they work at different points in the drayage operation.
| Street turn | Pre-pull | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Reduce empty container repositioning trips | Avoid demurrage by pulling container early |
| Who benefits | Import + export shippers on the same lane | Import consignee with tight free time or facility delays |
| Requires | Ocean carrier authorization + export shipper coordination | Carrier yard capacity near the terminal |
| Typical saving | $75–$150 credit per move | Avoids $150–$300+/day demurrage |
| Best market | High-volume lanes: Toronto, Vancouver | Any Canadian port or rail terminal |
The two strategies can also combine. A carrier can pre-pull a container to yard storage and deliver it when the consignee is ready. After delivery, the carrier executes a street turn with the empty — routing it directly to an export shipper. Both moves happen on the same container. The result is zero wasted trips.
How these strategies connect to broader drayage operations
Street turn and pre-pull are two tools within a larger drayage operations framework. They work best when a single carrier coordinates the full operation.
Transloading is a closely related operation. It involves transferring cargo from an ocean container into a domestic trailer at a facility near the port. Drayage handles the move to and from the transload facility. A street turn can feed directly into a transload workflow. The empty from an import delivery goes to an export shipper who just completed a transload and needs outbound equipment immediately.
When street turns, pre-pulls, and transloading are coordinated under one carrier, the savings compound. The container spends less time idle. The carrier makes fewer empty miles. The importer avoids both demurrage and chassis fees across multiple shipments.
Metropolitan Logistics coordinates all three operations across Canada’s major ports and rail terminals. These include CN MacMillan in Brampton, CP Vaughan, Deltaport and Centerm in Vancouver, Port of Montreal, and CN Halifax Intermodal. Metropolitan Logistics manages both the drayage fleet and the yard facilities. This eliminates coordination gaps that occur when multiple vendors handle separate parts of the operation.
How to ask your carrier about street turns and pre-pulls
Most drayage carriers can offer both services. However, most do not suggest them proactively. When evaluating a provider, ask these four questions:
- Do you manage your own chassis fleet, or do you rely on pool chassis? Street turns require flexible chassis assignment. Pool-chassis carriers have less room to manoeuvre.
- Do you have yard facilities near the terminal for pre-pull storage? A carrier without nearby yard access cannot offer true pre-pull. Moving the container further away removes most of the cost saving.
- Can you coordinate ocean carrier authorization for street turns on our lane? This is the step most carriers skip. Authorization must happen before the empty goes to the export shipper.
- What is your pre-pull storage rate per day? Compare this directly against your ocean carrier’s demurrage rate. The decision becomes obvious.
Carriers who cannot answer these questions with specifics are unlikely to execute either strategy reliably.
To understand how drayage works in Canada more broadly, or to compare drayage vs cartage vs intermodal, see the related guides on our blog.
Ready to reduce your drayage costs in Canada?
Metropolitan Logistics provides street turn coordination, pre-pull storage, and full-service container drayage across all major Canadian ports and rail terminals. If your containers move through Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, or Halifax, we can model both strategies against your current drayage setup and show you the actual cost difference.
Frequently asked questions
What is street turn drayage?
Street turn drayage is a container repositioning arrangement. The carrier delivers an import container, picks up the empty, and drives it directly to an export shipper — without returning to the terminal first. This eliminates two repositioning trips and reduces drayage costs for both shippers involved.
What is pre-pull in drayage?
Pre-pull in drayage means the carrier retrieves a container from a port or rail terminal before the scheduled delivery date. The carrier typically acts before free time expires. The container is held at a secured yard facility at a lower daily storage cost until the consignee is ready to receive it.
How much does a street turn save per move?
Most Canadian drayage carriers pass $75 to $150 per move back to the shipper through a reduced rate or a direct credit. In high-volume lanes like Toronto and Vancouver, the savings can be higher. The carrier benefits from fewer empty miles and passes a share of that back.
When should an importer use pre-pull instead of waiting for standard pickup?
Use pre-pull when terminal free time is running low, when the consignee’s facility is not yet ready, or when terminal congestion blocks appointment availability. A pre-pull fee of $75 to $150 is nearly always less than one day of demurrage. The math is clear in almost every case.
Do all drayage carriers in Canada offer street turns and pre-pulls?
Not all carriers can execute these strategies reliably. Street turns require ocean carrier authorization and flexible chassis management. Pre-pulls require secured yard facilities near the terminal. Carriers without private chassis fleets or local yard access typically cannot offer either service with consistency.