Street Turn
A street turn is the reuse of an import container for an export load without returning the empty to the terminal or depot in between: the drayage driver delivers the import, the box is unloaded, and the same container is loaded with export cargo and taken straight to the terminal. It needs the ocean carrier’s approval, because the carrier owns the box and must agree to the export booking using it. The alternative, called a double move, returns the empty and then picks up a different empty for the export.
Why it matters
A street turn saves two trips and the gate fees, chassis days and per diem that come with them, which is why exporters near a port chase them. It also removes an empty from the terminal queue, so terminals and carriers approve them freely when the equipment matches. The catch is timing: the import must be unloaded and the export ready inside the box’s free days.
When to use it
Look for a street turn when a facility both imports and exports through the same gateway in the same container type, or when a drayage carrier pairs an importer and an exporter in the same market. Ask the ocean carrier for the reuse approval before the import is delivered, since an unapproved reuse is billed as a new empty pickup.
How Warp thinks about it
Warp prices the import leg from the port to your door and, when the box goes back loaded, the export leg to the terminal, each as its own booking in the Warp dashboard. Both moves are priced live with the extras named, so a street turn shows up as two trips priced instead of four.
Container drayage
Quote a container from the port to your door
Live prices for port and rail drayage, booked in the Warp dashboard.
Frequently asked questions about street turn
What is street turn?
A street turn is the reuse of an import container for an export load without returning the empty to the terminal or depot in between: the drayage driver delivers the import, the box is unloaded, and the same container is loaded with export cargo and taken straight to the terminal. It needs the ocean carrier’s approval, because the carrier owns the box and must agree to the export booking using it. The alternative, called a double move, returns the empty and then picks up a different empty for the export.
Why does street turn matter in freight?
A street turn saves two trips and the gate fees, chassis days and per diem that come with them, which is why exporters near a port chase them. It also removes an empty from the terminal queue, so terminals and carriers approve them freely when the equipment matches. The catch is timing: the import must be unloaded and the export ready inside the box’s free days.
When should you use street turn?
Look for a street turn when a facility both imports and exports through the same gateway in the same container type, or when a drayage carrier pairs an importer and an exporter in the same market. Ask the ocean carrier for the reuse approval before the import is delivered, since an unapproved reuse is billed as a new empty pickup.
How does Warp handle street turn?
Warp prices the import leg from the port to your door and, when the box goes back loaded, the export leg to the terminal, each as its own booking in the Warp dashboard. Both moves are priced live with the extras named, so a street turn shows up as two trips priced instead of four.