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 Oakland, CA 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 Oakland, CA, 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 Oakland, 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 Oakland, 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.
843-885-3082When Ruby Room announced its permanent closure on Dec. 6, fans of the popular dive bar flocked to social media to share stories about what made it special. “The wildest time with the best people,” one person commented. “Where will I go when when I visit home each summer that has both an acceptable amount of daylight expo...
When Ruby Room announced its permanent closure on Dec. 6, fans of the popular dive bar flocked to social media to share stories about what made it special. “The wildest time with the best people,” one person commented. “Where will I go when when I visit home each summer that has both an acceptable amount of daylight exposure AND maraschino cherries?” another posted on Instagram.
But it wasn’t a forever farewell. To pursue potential buyers, current owners Alfredo Botello, Trevor Latham, and Tim Tolle had to open the bar at least once a week to keep the liquor license active and pursue potential buyers. In early January, Botello launched Ruby Fridays.
Shortly after Ruby Room’s final bash on New Year’s Eve, Botello said he was approached by Dawit Kidane and his wife Gibtsawit Abraha, owners of Blue Nile, a Nigerian restaurant about a block from the bar, who wanted to buy the bar.
Kidane and Abraha opened Blue Nile as a family-owned-and-operated restaurant in 2018. For the couple, investing in keeping a legacy establishment like Ruby Room active in the community made sense.
“My vision is to keep it the same. I’m not changing anything,” Kidaee told The Oaklandside. “It’s sad that a lot of places are closing around here.”
Kidane grew up in Fresno and moved to Oakland in 2011. He and his wife are raising three kids in Oakland and will soon handle the restaurant and the bar.
The couple has already hired several former employees, and a family member will help as a bartender on the weekend. They also did not seek out investors to purchase the bar, using their savings instead.
Kidane said purchasing the bar, much like when he first opened Blue Nile, is about “taking chances.”
The stretch on 14th Street where Blue Nile, Ruby Room, and the Oakland Public Library main branch are located has changed throughout the years, with less foot traffic since the pandemic, according to Kidane, and crowds gathering in front of shuttered businesses along the street. Pre-pandemic, Kidane said, there was much more foot traffic during the lunch rush, which carried into the dinner hour.
Despite the risk in their investment, the couple is excited to continue building community in Oakland and welcome back Ruby Room patrons who thought they had seen the last of the bar’s crimson-hued interior and cheap drinks.
“Everybody is welcome,” Kidane said. “We are just trying to grow and be successful business owners.”
The Ruby Room will open one last time under the stewardship of Alfredo Botello, Trevor Latham, and Tim Tolle for Ruby Fridays on Feb. 23. The bar will reopen under the new ownership on Thursday, March 1. It will be open every day from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Oakland’s favorite “living room” isn’t going anywhere. After announcing its closure late last year, the Ruby Room, an iconic dive bar near Lake Merritt, has found new owners and will stay open for the foreseeable future.“Hear ye, hear ye! The Ruby Room will open again under new ownership on Friday, March 1,” the Ruby Room staff wrote in a Friday morning ...
Oakland’s favorite “living room” isn’t going anywhere. After announcing its closure late last year, the Ruby Room, an iconic dive bar near Lake Merritt, has found new owners and will stay open for the foreseeable future.
“Hear ye, hear ye! The Ruby Room will open again under new ownership on Friday, March 1,” the Ruby Room staff wrote in a Friday morning Instagram post.
The owners of Ethiopian restaurant Blue Nile are set to take over the beloved dive bar, the post said. Blue Nile is located just down the road from the Ruby Room (they're located at 160 14th St. and 132 14th St., respectively).
The owners of Blue Nile “love what the Ruby is - Oakland’s mid-century 'living room' - and intend to keep it that way,” read the Instagram post. According to Oaklandside, Blue Nile’s owners are Dawit Kidane and Gibtsawit Abraha.
“I couldn’t be happier. It’s been 24 years and I was ready to pass on the torch,” Ruby Room's soon-to-be-former co-owner, Alfredo Botello, said in a text message to SFGATE. “I can’t imagine two more kind, sweet people who love The Ruby Room and want to keep the flame burning.”
The Ruby Room opened in 1999, although the space had been a bar long before that. Known for its cheap booze and laissez-faire attitude towards smoking indoors, the Ruby Room has lured patrons for raucous nights which have been known to include wild motorcycle club brawls.
“Ruby Room,” a 2008 song from Green Day side project Foxboro Hot Tubs, described an average night at the bar:
Fourteenth street, booze and swallow I'm gonna drown my sorrow. Dirty floors and sticky tables. For the willing and the able. All the zombies on a hot Friday night. Going down to the Ruby Room. I'm gonna meet my doom.
When Botello and his co-owners announced their plans to close in December of last year, they received an outpouring of support from Ruby Room regulars and fans.
“They had met their partners there, they had cried over a breakup there, they went there when they celebrated a promotion or when they needed to cry after being fired, or just when they were bored and wanted to stop in or get away from the family on Thanksgiving, you name it…” said Botello at the time. “I was really moved.”
With new owners lined up, those regulars will be able to escape their families for many Thanksgivings to come.
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As the Athletics' Las Vegas relocation process chugs along, the team still doesn't know where it will play once its lease to play at Oakland Coliseum expires following the 2024 MLB season.While the A's reportedly are exploring several sites for their temporary home from 2025-2027, with their new stadium along The Strip anticipated by 2028, Major League Baseball Players Association executive director Tony Clark is ...
As the Athletics' Las Vegas relocation process chugs along, the team still doesn't know where it will play once its lease to play at Oakland Coliseum expires following the 2024 MLB season.
While the A's reportedly are exploring several sites for their temporary home from 2025-2027, with their new stadium along The Strip anticipated by 2028, Major League Baseball Players Association executive director Tony Clark is growing tired of the uncertainty.
“It needs to get done,” Clark told the San Francisco Chronicle's John Shea. “Players need to understand and appreciate both in the near term and longer term as they make decisions about their careers what tomorrow is going to look like in that regard.
“You would think there would be more control over the decisions that are made here. But unfortunately, it has dragged on to where questions remain. I remain hopeful that sooner rather than later something a little more concrete comes to fruition so we can have some conversations at that point in time with the league as opposed to wondering what next year or the next two years or perhaps even the next three years are going to look like.”
While Sutter Health Park in Sacramento originally was reported to be a front-runner in the A's search for a temporary venue, with a park in Utah also under consideration, the team is focused on playing in Oakland at the Coliseum until its new stadium is ready in four years, Las Vegas Review-Journal's Mick Akers reported Friday, citing a person with knowledge of the situation.
All of the unknowns, from the actual move to Vegas to where the A's will play in between, certainly did hinder the team in MLB free agency this offseason, as Clark hinted at.
"We have one more year left to play in our current stadium," A's general manager David Forst said at the MLB Winter Meetings in December. "Then three more years of uncertainty. And all of that affects what we can and will do on the field.
"Specifically, when I talk to a free agent about a two-year deal, the question comes up about where we're playing in the second year of the deal, and we don't have an answer for that yet. We feel that in all the conversations we have."
In speaking to Shea, Clark stated the topic is of great concern to players already on the team, too -- a situation he noted would make it "nearly impossible" to create a 2025 schedule if the union doesn't know where the A's are playing.
“Perhaps unsurprisingly, players had questions,” Clark told Shea after union reps met with A's players at spring training. “We know that management here is having some conversations with players, so it’s just an ongoing dialogue that you would like to see come to some higher level of clarity than what we’ve got right now.”
For the players, fans and the rest of the league, it could be some time before that clarity comes.
DuskThe internet has yet to catch up, but Oakland’s Dusk Coffee has shuttered, a fact lamented by its many fans. (There is also an eviction notice posted to the cafe’s door.) The handsome space at the foot of the Cathedral Building opened in the spring of 2022 inside a former Peet’s. Dusk Cafe was at 1615 Broadway in Oakland.Louisiana Famous Fried Chicken (Laurel)...
The internet has yet to catch up, but Oakland’s Dusk Coffee has shuttered, a fact lamented by its many fans. (There is also an eviction notice posted to the cafe’s door.) The handsome space at the foot of the Cathedral Building opened in the spring of 2022 inside a former Peet’s. Dusk Cafe was at 1615 Broadway in Oakland.
Thank you to an Oakland reader for alerting Nosh that the Laurel neighborhood location of Southern-style fried chicken franchise Louisiana Famous Fried Chicken has closed. Louisiana Famous Fried Chicken was at 4006 MacArthur Blvd. in Oakland.
A couple of backpedals were announced this past week, starting with Malibu’s Burgers. After a dramatic reopening in Uptown Oakland soon after closing its Piedmont Avenue location, the vegan fast-food eatery has decided after a little more than a month that its move to the former Lumpia Company space will not work after all, and is now closed. Going forward the team will focus on yet another new location, this time across the bridge in San Rafael. Malibu’s Burgers was at 372 24th St. in Oakland.
“We regret to inform you that our storefront will no longer be opening,” said an Instagram announcement for Berkeley’s Ono Hawaiian bakeshop, and fans of the little bakery might have seen this coming. Since going “temporarily” dark in October, regular check-ins through Ono’s windows have revealed no signs of a promised remodel. The good news for island-style dessert fans (that Queen Emma cake!) is that the business remains active as a caterer. “We’re transitioning to focus on cakes and catering,” continued the post. “So your celebrations can still be sweet — just on a larger scale!” Ono Bakehouse was at 1922 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way in Berkeley and remains available for catering orders only.
Happy Friday, Athletics Nation!Drake’s Brewing Company of San Leandro abruptly and without explanation pulled its sponsorship of this Saturday’s Fans Fest. Fest organizers Last Dive Bar lamented this development, which apparently will impose some sunk costs on them. We have some unfortunate news and are disappointed to announce Drake's Brewery has pulled their sponsorship, only three days before Fans Fest. LDB/68’s have incurred expenses purchasing sponsor banners, a digital marketi...
Happy Friday, Athletics Nation!
Drake’s Brewing Company of San Leandro abruptly and without explanation pulled its sponsorship of this Saturday’s Fans Fest. Fest organizers Last Dive Bar lamented this development, which apparently will impose some sunk costs on them.
We have some unfortunate news and are disappointed to announce Drake's Brewery has pulled their sponsorship, only three days before Fans Fest. LDB/68’s have incurred expenses purchasing sponsor banners, a digital marketing package and had rented equipment to set up a Drakes beer… pic.twitter.com/GZ52ZEjUMO
— Last Dive Bar (@LastDiveBar) February 22, 2024
There has been speculation that the A’s may have pressured Drake’s to pull out of the event. Drake’s sells their beer at Coliseum games.
But A’s representatives, including president Dave Kaval, vehemently deny any involvement in Drake’s bowing out of Fans Fest according to John Shea at the San Francisco Chronicle. Drake’s has not responded to the Chronicle’s requests for comment.
Thankfully, Last Dive Bar appears to have shored up some backup kegs.
Have no fear!!! We gonna buy more beer!!! Due to REAL CIRCUMSTANCES of guest needing a crisp cold beverage we have decided to invest into THE FANS! I mean shit, we’re a Dive Bar! 4 kegs secured! Happy to announce a new selection at fans fest: pic.twitter.com/s1ALMVpJ9J
— Last Dive Bar (@LastDiveBar) February 22, 2024
Five local breweries stepped up to sponsor the event shortly after the Drake’s announcement. So don’t worry about going thirsty at Fans Fest this weekend. And don’t forget that a solid contingency of former A’s will be at the event, including Coco Crisp, Trevor May, Billy North, Mike Norris, Grant Balfour and Ben Grieve. You can bet I’d be there, but for the six hour drive.
Moving on to some more sober analysis, if you’re a fantasy baseball enthusiast, you might be interested to know that Eno Sarris at The Athletic named Joe Boyle among his picks for the very end of your fantasy baseball draft.
On a non-A’s note, my favorite player of yore who never wore green and gold was Dwight Gooden, by a longshot. Jason Jones at The Athletic recalled Gooden’s remarkable and tragic career as part of the site’s Black Aces series celebrating Black History Month.
Have a wonderful weekend, AN.
New starters have a pretty low bar to clear.
Last season, Kaprielian, Muller, Fujinami & Rucinski made 33 starts for the A's before the All-Star break. They put up a 7.72 ERA pre-break. If Wood & Stripling can make 33 starts before the break & replicate their ERAs from last year (combined 4.82), that would be a big plus.
— Athletics Farm (@AthleticsFarm) February 23, 2024
A new pitcher shows up on Lockard’s radar.
One "keep an eye on name" for the A's system today just popped up on the transactions page: RHP Amlicar Medina, 19. Already has pitched in winter ball. Sits in the upper-90s with a good breaking ball. Could be a Daniel Palencia-type fast mover.
— Melissa Lockard (@melissalockard) February 22, 2024
The Swingin’ A’s had some legendary players—and mustaches.
Classic picture of a couple of A’s legends hanging in media workroom at Fitch Park. pic.twitter.com/hgKRgI1wdK
— John Shea (@JohnSheaHey) February 23, 2024