A container discharged at Seagirt is on a clock. Terminal free time ends in days. Chassis detention starts the moment the box leaves the gate. One missed appointment turns a routine move into a demurrage invoice. Container drayage from Baltimore 3PL is built around that clock. The desk books the move before the vessel docks, assigns a drayage partner whose permits fit the cargo, and returns the empty inside free time.
Seagirt Marine Terminal is the container terminal at the Port of Baltimore. Ports America Chesapeake operates it. It moved a record 1,113,309 TEU in 2025 on 15 weekly container services, with 50-foot berths, 12 ship-to-shore cranes and on-dock CSX rail. Dundalk Marine Terminal next door handles ro-ro, breakbulk and some containers, with Norfolk Southern direct.
How it runs at the Port of Baltimore
The move starts with your booking and your delivery order. We confirm the container is available, the holds are released and the appointment is set. Customs clearance is coordinated through our licensed customs broker partners before the box is ready to pull.
Then the lane decides the truck.
- Seagirt to Dundalk, Sparrows Point or Tradepoint Atlantic: a short surface-road hop on the east side of the harbor. This lane never needed the Key Bridge.
- Seagirt to Curtis Bay, Glen Burnie, BWI, Hanover or Jessup: south and west through the I-95 Fort McHenry Tunnel or the I-895 Harbor Tunnel.
- Seagirt to Washington DC, Harrisburg, Philadelphia or the Midwest: I-95, I-83, I-70 or rail. See intermodal rail for the double-stack option to Chicago.
The empty goes back to the terminal or to the depot the line names. Daily status by email tells you which boxes pulled, which delivered and which empties returned.
Container storage, pre-pulls and chassis
When a warehouse cannot receive before free time ends, the drayage partner pre-pulls the box to a yard and holds it. You pay yard storage instead of terminal demurrage, and yard storage is cheaper. Chassis come from the pool or from the carrier partner. We tell you which before the move so the invoice matches the quote.
What the partner network brings
Baltimore 3PL does not own trucks. We own the relationship with drayage carriers who work the Seagirt and Dundalk gates every day, and we own the result. That network took 50 years to build. No fleet to fill, so the right truck wins every time.
The right truck changes by box. An overweight container needs a tri-axle chassis and a permit. A Class 9 lithium battery container needs a hazmat-endorsed driver and a route that avoids the tunnels. A reefer needs a genset and a driver who checks the set point. We place freight only with partners whose permits fit the cargo. You get one desk, one quote and one invoice. Reach it at (419) 745-9492 or operations@sams3pl.com, Monday to Friday, 07:00 to 18:00 Eastern.
What it costs and what moves the price
Drayage is quoted per container, each way, with fuel included. The price moves with:
- Distance and zone. Dundalk is the shortest lane. The longest lanes cost the most.
- Chassis. Pool chassis bill per day. Carrier chassis are built into the rate.
- Weight. Overweight boxes add a tri-axle and a permit.
- Hazmat and over-dimension. The I-695 west loop adds 30 to 35 miles and 45 to 60 minutes.
- Terminal wait. Time at the gate above the free window bills per hour.
- Live unload versus drop. A drop-and-hook saves wait time and often saves money.
- Storage and pre-pull. Yard days bill per day.
Read the drayage, demurrage and chassis guide if you want the definitions before the quote.
The tunnel rule until 2030
The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed on March 26, 2024. The rebuild now runs $4.3 billion to $5.2 billion and opens in late 2030. Until then every cross-harbor truck uses the I-95 Fort McHenry Tunnel or the I-895 Harbor Tunnel. Both tunnels bar hazmat, loads over 14 feet 6 inches high and loads over 11 feet wide. Those loads loop the west side of I-695. That is about 30 to 35 extra miles and 45 to 60 extra minutes per leg.
For a standard container, the tunnels add a few miles and nothing else. For a lithium battery container or a machine on a lowboy, the detour is the single largest line in the drayage quote. We price it up front, we route it legally and we never send a hazmat load through a tunnel to save an hour. The full guide is at Key Bridge truck routing.
From 2028 the Sparrows Point Container Terminal at Tradepoint Atlantic adds a second container gateway on the east side with on-dock rail. Partner warehouses in Dundalk and Sparrows Point will be a short hop from two terminals.
What to send for a quote
Email operations@sams3pl.com or use the quote form. We reply within one business day. Include:
- Container count, size and type: dry, high-cube, reefer or open top
- Vessel, line and estimated arrival, or the booking number
- Delivery address and receiving hours
- Gross weight per container
- Hazmat class and UN number, if any
- Live unload or drop, and whether you need yard storage or a pre-pull
Questions shippers ask
01Do you run your own trucks?
No. We book drayage carriers from a partner network we have curated for 50 years and we stay accountable for the move. No fleet to fill, so the right truck wins every time.
02Can you move hazmat containers out of Seagirt?
Yes, through drayage partners with the right endorsements. Hazmat cannot use the Fort McHenry or Harbor tunnels, so the route loops the west side of I-695 and we price that up front.
03What happens if my warehouse cannot receive before free time ends?
The drayage partner pre-pulls the container to a yard. Yard storage costs less than terminal demurrage and the box is ready the morning your dock opens.
04Who handles customs?
Customs clearance is coordinated through our licensed customs broker partners. We confirm the release before a driver is dispatched.
05Do you handle overweight containers?
Yes. Overweight boxes move on tri-axle chassis with the permits the route needs. Send the gross weight with the booking so the quote is right the first time.
06How far can a drayage move go?
Anywhere a truck can reach in a day: Washington DC, Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Richmond or New York. Past that, intermodal rail is usually the better price.