Drop Trailer / Drop and Hook

Drop and hook – sometimes called drop trailer – is an execution method where the carrier drops a trailer at the shipper's or receiver's facility and picks up a different (preloaded or empty) trailer, rather than waiting while the current trailer is loaded or unloaded. The driver spends minutes at the dock instead of hours, and the facility gains flexibility to load or unload on their own schedule.

The economics favor both parties when volumes support it. Drivers avoid detention – the costly waiting time billed when loading or unloading exceeds the free time window (typically two hours). Carriers get better asset utilization because drivers spend more time on the road and less time sitting at docks. Shippers avoid detention charges and gain scheduling flexibility – they can load trailers overnight, on weekends, or whenever dock capacity allows.

Drop trailer programs require physical space for trailer parking, enough volume to justify keeping trailers on-site, and coordination with carriers on trailer pool sizes and swap schedules. Facilities with limited yard space or inconsistent volume may find that live loading is more practical despite the detention risk. The dock scheduling system needs to manage both drop trailer swaps and live load appointments to avoid conflicts.

For high-volume shippers – particularly in food & beverage and CPG – drop trailer programs are a standard cost-avoidance and efficiency tool. The key is matching the trailer pool size to actual throughput and keeping the dock schedule visible to all parties.