Drop-and-hook, or simply, drop, is a term for shipping preloaded trailers directly to facilities. At the simplest level, shippers preload trailers on their own schedule, and then call a carrier to haul the trailer directly to a facility, where it’s dropped off. Drop programs generally are efficient, lower-cost, and they limit waiting time for shippers and drivers.
By preloading trailers on their own time, shippers avoid the headaches that come with live shipments, such as coordinating carrier appointments, or paying detention fees from trucks waiting to unload. For carriers, drop is an opportunity to earn more in an industry that pays by the mile, and their overhead is lowered by not having to rent or own trailers. Drop reduces average carrier unload wait times from three hours to under one hour, which in turn results in fewer detention fees paid by shippers.