Trade show & exhibit freight · Nationwide
Trade Show Freight & Exhibit Shipping
When an exhibit and its AV gear have to be at the show on time, Capital Site Logistics coordinates the over-the-road freight leg — to the show's advance warehouse or direct to the venue, and the return run after. Send the pickup, the show and the target date, and the run is quoted against the load, the route and the timing. The on-site move to your booth is the show contractor's; the transportation to the show is ours.
Overview
Getting the booth to the show floor, on time
Trade-show freight runs on the show's clock, not yours. Every exhibitor gets two shipping targets — the advance warehouse or direct-to-venue — and the show's deadlines decide which fits. CSL coordinates the freight leg to either; the on-site dock-to-booth move (drayage) belongs to the show's official contractor.
- Trade show freight
- Trade show freight is the transportation of exhibit, booth and audiovisual equipment to and from a trade show or convention — either to the show's designated advance warehouse in the weeks before the event, or direct to the venue during the move-in window. Capital Site Logistics coordinates the over-the-road leg of that move with an FMCSA-authorized carrier, planned around the show's target dates and the drive time from the origin. It is transportation coordination only: the on-site dock-to-booth move, known as drayage or material handling, is controlled by the show's official service contractor, and CSL does not handle, set up, place, receive or check in the equipment. Because shows and tours cross state lines, trade-show freight is a national run, quoted per lane against the load, the route and the timing.
Send the pickup, the show and the target date.
What CSL coordinates
The freight leg, planned around the show
You give us the pickup, the show and the target date. Availability, vehicle fit and routing come back with the quote.
- The leg to the advance warehouse
- Freight coordinated from your warehouse, shop or a supplier to the show's designated advance-receiving warehouse, timed to hit its receiving window ahead of the show. The advance warehouse then stores the freight and moves it to your booth — that on-site move is the show contractor's, not the carrier's.
- Direct-to-show delivery
- When the plan is direct-to-venue, the run is coordinated to arrive inside the show's move-in window. Timing is everything here — there is no buffer if a truck is late or the marshalling yard is backed up — so a direct-to-show run is planned around drive time and the target slot.
- Return transportation after the show
- After the event, return transportation can be coordinated from the venue or the advance warehouse back to your facility or the next city. Transportation only — the equipment is not received, inspected, or checked in by CSL.
- Multi-city and tour legs
- When gear moves from one show or venue to the next, each leg is coordinated between the two locations and quoted against the timing between them. Trade shows and tours cross state lines by nature, which is why this is a national run.
- Multi-stop consolidation
- Several pickups feeding one booth, or one load split across shows, can be coordinated as a single run and quoted together — one point of contact for the freight instead of a chain of separate shipments to chase.
- Planned around the show's deadlines
- Every show publishes its own target dates — the advance-warehouse receiving window and the direct-to-show move-in slot. The run is planned backward from whichever applies, so the freight hits the date rather than the show's late-arrival surcharge.
Where it fits
When a show is on the calendar
Trade-show runs
- An exhibit and its AV gear have to reach a trade-show city ahead of the advance-warehouse deadline
- A booth is shipping direct-to-venue and has to land inside a tight move-in window
- Production gear moves from one show to the next on the run of show
- Several suppliers' equipment has to reach one booth on the same target date
- Gear has to come back from the venue to the warehouse after the show closes
- A load is loading in out of state and the freight has to travel to the show on schedule
- An exhibit house needs one point of contact for the freight leg instead of chasing separate shipments
Every show publishes its own deadlines, so a run is planned from the kit rather than from the calendar alone — the freight reference for each show sets out the advance-warehouse cutoff, the move-in windows and the appointed general service contractor. For the buildings themselves, the Orange County Convention Center freight guide covers docks, bays and clearances at the venue behind most Orlando show runs — including the IAAPA Expo 2026 freight reference.
FAQ
Trade-show freight questions, answered
Don't see your question? Send us the details and we'll get you a clear answer.
Request a Quote
Have gear headed to a show?
Send the pickup, the show and venue, and the target date — advance warehouse or move-in. We'll confirm vehicle fit and availability, then send a quote for the run.
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