Whether you refer to it as “drayage” or “material handling”, it is a necessary process that can be your ticket to exhibiting success or your source of logistical nightmare.

So here are drayage tips and techniques I’ve come across at TSEA’s website, which will help you minimize last-minute costs and eliminate headaches in preparing for your next show:

• Check the service manual for deadline dates. Do not pay unnecessary late charges by missing deadlines or target dates.

• Check with the service contractor to make sure your materials have arrived. The sooner you know there is a problem, the easier it is to solve it.

• Save money by consolidating your shipments. There is a minimum charge for each individual shipment.

• Make sure containers are really empty before applying an EMPTY sticker. It is expensive and sometimes impossible to retrieve a container once it has been removed from your booth.