Trade Show Logistics

Why use Loadify for your trade show freight?

Common carriers and parcel services look cheaper on paper. Here's what that price difference actually costs you at the show floor.

"Product carriers charge less. What's the benefit of using a specialist?"

The value of using a company that specializes solely in trade show shipping shows up in the extra attention to detail at delivery and pickup.

A general product carrier — think of the more popular names you see advertised — will often drop all of their freight in a general drop area at your event. It's then sorted by the General Contractor, which frequently leads to additional special handling charges landing on your invoice.

Loadify's drivers check in at the marshalling yard: the holding area where trucks gather for organized dispatch to the loading dock or show site. Each piece is inspected and signed off by the General Contractor confirming receipt of the shipment in its entirety, and the General Contractor documents the condition it arrived in. You have access to that information through us while your shipment is still in transit.

We provide proof of delivery electronically, and our operations team verifies the location of your freight at the show site through a long-established network of contacts — so delivery is seamless and on time.

"FedEx or DHL costs less. Why choose Loadify?"

We're easier to work with and considerably more reliable when handling specialized materials.

Many trade shows use targeted deliveries, meaning your shipment must arrive or be picked up at a specific date and time set by the show. A parcel carrier comes to a convention center once a day for pickup. If paperwork is delayed or someone misses their freight, it may be shipped via the General Contractor's carrier or sent to their warehouse — and that means additional fees.

When a show dismantles on a weekend, the odds of a parcel carrier not showing up at all go up sharply. If they can't pick up at the designated time, you can be charged extra drayage fees for off-time pickup or, worse, have your freight forced with a show-appointed carrier you have no control over.

"Air ride trucks and line haul — doesn't every carrier use those?"

Line haul trucking means moving freight directly from origin to destination with no intermediate transfers.

Most carriers do use air ride trailers today. But most common carriers do not use line haul — they run a hub-and-spoke system, so your freight goes through multiple transfers and gets handled repeatedly along the way.

Loadify uses line haul carriers only. Fewer transfers means a materially lower chance of your freight being lost or damaged in transit.