Drayage Companies
in Western Canada
Your container has landed and the free time clock is already running. Every day it sits at the terminal, the charges build. Fortress Forwarders has coordinated container drayage out of Vancouver, Prince Rupert, and the CN and CP rail terminals since 1992.
Tell us the terminal, the container number, and when you need it delivered.
What We Move
Drayage is the short haul that decides whether the long haul was worth it. We move FCL and LCL freight in 20ft and 40ft boxes out of marine and rail terminals across BC and Alberta.
YEARS IN BUSINESS
YEARLY
LOADS
CANADIAN
OPERATED
Port Drayage
Container moves from Vancouver, Prince Rupert, and other Western Canadian ports directly to your warehouse or distribution center.
Rail Drayage
First and last mile moves between CN and CP intermodal terminals and your facility. We book the appointment, pull the box, and return the empty on time.
Transloading
We strip the ocean container locally and reload onto a domestic 53ft trailer or flatbed. The empty goes straight back, which stops the per diem.
Cross-Docking
Sorting and reloading between inbound and outbound trailers on the same dock. Freight already sold never becomes warehouse inventory.
Need the inland leg after the box is stripped? We also run full truckload and LTL lanes, and cross-border moves into the United States.
Built For High-Volume Container Flow
Demurrage starts when your container sits at the terminal past its free days. Detention starts when the box sits at your dock past its free time. Both are avoidable with an appointment booked early and a driver who shows up.
We work directly with:
One box a month or thirty pulls a week, you get a coordinator who knows your account. Seasonal peaks get planned ahead of the vessel.
Port and Rail Drayage in British Columbia
Deltaport, Vanterm, and Centerm handle most containers entering British Columbia, and Prince Rupert takes the rest. Inland, CN runs Thornton Yard in Surrey and CP runs Vancouver Intermodal. We work all of them.
Our Drayage Process: Simple, Transparent, Reliable
Three decades of container moves have settled this into four steps. Each one stops a charge you would otherwise pay.
Step 1: Request Your Quote
Send us the container number, the terminal, the size, and the delivery address. You get a rate that names the chassis, the fuel, and waiting time up front.
Step 2: Planning & Coordination
We track the vessel or the train, book the appointment against your free days, and line up the chassis. Release status is checked before dispatch.
Step 3: Pull and Delivery
The driver pulls the box, runs it to your dock, and waits the agreed free time while you unload. You hear about a terminal delay from us first.
Step 4: Empty Return and Paperwork
The empty goes back inside the free period, the interchange receipt is filed, and you get the full document set.
Every shipment is unique. Our process adapts to the specific requirements of your equipment and destination.
Ready to experience logistics done right?
Why Companies Trust Fortress Forwarders
Container work punishes guesswork: every wrong assumption has a daily rate attached. Importers and brokers stay with Fortress because we provide:
Fortress has moved freight since 1992 and has been woman-owned since November 2025. You get the coordinator who booked your appointment, not whoever answers the queue.
Service Coverage
We run container drayage throughout:
The primary corridor runs from the Lower Mainland terminals to Calgary and Edmonton. Southbound moves are handled as cross-border shipments. Our Abbotsford office sits on Highway 1 between the port and the border.
Drayage FAQ
Drayage is the short truck move between a terminal and a nearby facility. You need it the moment a container lands in Vancouver or Prince Rupert and has to reach a warehouse.
Port drayage moves containers in and out of marine terminals like Deltaport and Centerm, working to vessel schedules. Rail drayage is the same move at intermodal yards such as CN Thornton, working to train arrivals.
Demurrage is charged when your container sits at the terminal past its free days. Detention is charged when it sits at your facility past its free time. Both come down to booking early and returning the empty.
For most moves we arrange the chassis as part of the drayage, so you do not need a pool account to receive a container. If your line requires a specific type, tell us at quote time.
Yes to all four. A 20ft box often needs a tri-axle chassis to stay legal on BC roads. Full loads run straight to your door. LCL freight is deconsolidated first, then forwarded as LTL or a full truckload.
Deliver direct when the freight is going to one address near the terminal and you can unload it fast. Transload when the destination is inland or when three ocean containers would fit into two domestic trailers.
Yes. Southbound freight moves through the Pacific Highway and Huntingdon crossings, a short run from our Abbotsford office. Customs paperwork is lodged before the truck reaches the line. See cross-border shipping.
Ready to Move Your Freight with Confidence?
Have questions about your shipment or need immediate assistance? Our team is here to help—reach out by phone, email, or stop by our office.
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