Smarter Drayage Delivers Profit and Reliability
This episode of Hammer Down explores how Wayfair manages drayage procurement through its CastleGate Forwarding arm. Summer Griffin, Drayage Procurement Manager at Wayfair, discusses carrier negotiations, profit optimization, and the specialized role drayage plays in domestic distribution. The conversation also offers career guidance for supply chain professionals entering the field.
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Key takeaways
Wayfair's CastleGate team balances drayage rate negotiations with margin optimization to keep port-to-warehouse costs competitive.
U.S. containerized imports reached 28.2 million TEUs in 2024, a 13% year-over-year increase, intensifying pressure on drayage efficiency.
Cross-training across supply chain functions is key preparation for effective drayage management, according to Griffin.
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Drayage, the short-haul transport of containers from ports to warehouses, has become a critical link in global logistics. E-commerce growth and shifting supply chain strategies have pushed this step into sharper focus. U.S. containerized imports totaled 28,196,462 TEUs in 2024, a 13 percent increase from the previous year, underscoring the rising demand for port-to-warehouse transport. Delays at this stage create ripple effects across entire networks, impacting both costs and customer expectations.
How do major retailers like Wayfair ensure drayage is reliable, efficient, and profitable while maintaining long-term supplier relationships?
On this episode of Hammer Down, host Mike Bush speaks with Summer Griffin, Drayage Procurement Manager at Wayfair. Griffin shares her path from ocean carriers to her current leadership role at CastleGate, Wayfair’s freight forwarding arm. Their conversation explores how her team manages procurement, profit optimization, and supplier partnerships to keep goods moving smoothly.
Key Points from the Conversation:
- The dual role of procurement and profit management: Griffin explains how her team negotiates drayage rates while optimizing margins for CastleGate.
- What makes drayage unique: From port arrivals to warehouse delivery, drayage plays a specialized role in domestic distribution.
- Career insights for supply chain newcomers: Griffin emphasizes the importance of cross-training across supply chain functions for effective drayage management.
Summer Griffin is the Procurement Manager for Drayage at Wayfair, where she leads carrier negotiations, profit management, and cost-saving initiatives for CastleGate Forwarding. She brings over eight years of experience in supply chain operations, beginning her career with K-Line and Ocean Network Express, where she developed expertise in equipment management, procurement, and large-scale system integrations during a global merger. Griffin is recognized for strengthening drayage networks through vendor partnerships, operational improvements, and cross-functional collaboration.
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About the author
Beginning his career by learning how to tell a brand’s story, leveraging marcom to build market share, utilizing PR to get people engaged, and innovating trust-based relationships between products and people, He took on diverse challenges and continually grew. Mike created the first ever SEO practice in Washington DC — generating $10M+ in revenue for 10+ clients. Throughout my career, Mike gained unique experiences such as spearheading marcom for a company after a real-time suicide (incident inspired a Law & Order SVU episode) with minimal negative publicity. And advising a client in PR best practices after an employee had committed a highly publicized terrorist attack in the US. Company was able to maintain all major financial relationships (JPM, BofA, Well Fargo, AmEx, etc.). He worked for a leader in the automotive services industry — building a reputation as nationally recognized expert on road rage (including an appearance on Court TV as a Subject Matter Expert). This included creating media that generated 100M+ impressions.
