A different way to get there
We run on your schedule, not the tide's.
For 30 years, getting freight to Daufuskie meant working around the big barge — and around the tide. We're different. Our landing craft, the Rum Runner, isn't tide-dependent: we come and go when you need us. Ship your freight to us and we handle it from there.
That's the whole idea behind this page — where to bring things, where the barge leaves from, where it lands, and what to do if you don't have a truck, a trailer, or a crew on the island side.
Before you ship anything: Call first. We staff the forklift and crew around arrivals at the warehouse, and we plan barge loads around vehicles and work crews. One quick call keeps everything moving.
(843) 417-9990 · daufuskietransport@gmail.com
Step by step
How it works
Five steps, dock to dock. Most customers only need to handle the first two — we do the rest.
Step 1 — Get your price
Freight is priced by the deck space it takes up. Use the freight calculator on our homepage or call (843) 417-9990. If we load your freight for you, add a flat handling fee.
Step 2 — Get your freight to our warehouse
Bring it yourself or ship it directly to us in Hilton Head. No truck or trailer of your own? Ours are available, including our flatbed trailers and box truck.
Step 3 — We receive and load it
Our crew and forklift receive and load your freight. Refrigerated and climate-controlled storage on site keeps sensitive freight right until the run.
Step 4 — The run
The Rum Runner departs the Cross Island Boat Landing on Hilton Head and lands at the county dock on Daufuskie, right at D'Fuskies. The crossing takes about 1 hour 15 minutes, landing to landing.
Step 5 — Pickup or delivery
Meet us at the dock on Daufuskie, or ask about delivery to your door on the island.
Where to find us
Warehouse — Our Hilton Head warehouse
360 Spanish Wells Rd Ste 2A, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926
Receiving: Monday–Friday, 8 AM–4 PM
Call before your load ships.
Departure — Cross Island Boat Landing
68 Helmsman Way, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
This is where the Rum Runner departs.
Landing — Daufuskie Island Boat Landing
13 Haig Point Rd, Daufuskie Island, SC 29915
This is where the Rum Runner lands, at the county dock right at D'Fuskies.
More than freight
Ways we can help
Vehicles — two ways to get yours over
Cars, trucks, and trailers ride the barge either way. Pick the one that fits your schedule.
Easiest & cheapest — Drive it on yourself
Meet us at the Cross Island Boat Landing, drive onto the barge, ride over, and drive off on Daufuskie. You handle your vehicle the whole way — no extra driving fee.
Drop-off option — Drop it at the warehouse
Leave your vehicle at our warehouse the day before and our crew will drive it over for you, for a fee. Good when you can't be at the landing for loading.
Low trailers — send a photo first
Check before you book.
Not every trailer clears the move from the boat landing, through the barge doors, and onto the deck. The tight spot is that transition — and dovetail trailers, campers with low-hanging plumbing, and box utility trailers that sit low are the ones that can catch.
The hardest to load are trailers with the wheels set far forward and a long, low back end behind them — that back end drags as the angle changes. We have tips and tricks to get most everything on, but if yours looks like that, take a photo and contact us before we arrange the load. Call (843) 417-9990 or email the photo to daufuskietransport@gmail.com and we'll tell you straight whether it will load — before you're standing at the landing with a trailer that won't fit.
Work crews — same-day round trips
Contractors, repairmen, and work crews: we can bring your crew over in the morning and take them back later the same day.
Call ahead and arrange it so we can plan our loads around you.
Cold food & groceries Tuesdays
Refrigerated freight runs on Tuesdays — for now. Cold storage at our warehouse and refrigerated transport keep groceries cold door to door.
Plan your order for a Tuesday run, and call ahead so we can plan your spot.
Heavy freight — call first
Everything rolls on and off the barge, so a run's weight limit is set by the equipment carrying it: our large flatbed trailer handles up to 9,000 lbs, our second trailer up to 6,000 lbs, and our box truck up to 6,000 lbs — and only two of the three fit on deck per run.
That means dense loads — pallets of concrete, fertilizer, supersacks of gravel or stone — often take multiple trips, depending on how much you have. Call us with your load and we'll tell you honestly how many runs it needs. Freight is priced by the space it takes up.
Island delivery
We deliver on Daufuskie — furniture, appliances, hay, feed, equipment, and more. Most deliveries are quoted per job.
It's a door drop: we set it at your door; we don't carry freight inside or up stairs. Return loads back to Hilton Head are by prior arrangement only.
Be on time — please
Our runs are scheduled back to back all day, with crew assigned to each load. Please be at the warehouse or the landing at your scheduled time, ready to load.
If we have to wait, a waiting fee may apply — our crew is on the clock while they sit idle. And it isn't just your run that slips: one delay pushes every load after it and can throw off the whole day's schedule for everyone else. Running late? Call us as early as you can at (843) 417-9990 and we'll do our best to work with you.
The questions we hear every day
Questions, answered
Do I need my own truck or trailer?
No — use ours. Freight riding on our trailers or box truck is priced by the space it uses, plus handling.
Is there a tide schedule?
No. Unlike the big barge, our landing craft isn't tide-dependent. We come and go as needed.
How much weight can you take?
It depends on the equipment your freight rides on: up to 9,000 lbs on our large flatbed trailer, 6,000 lbs on our second trailer, and 6,000 lbs in our box truck — and only two of the three fit on the barge per run. Really heavy loads like concrete or fertilizer may need multiple trips; call us and we'll plan it out.
How long is the crossing?
About 1 hour 15 minutes from the Cross Island Boat Landing on Hilton Head to the county dock on Daufuskie.
Can you take my car or work truck?
Yes — drive it on at the landing yourself, or drop it at the warehouse the day before and we'll drive it over for a fee.
Will my trailer fit on the barge?
Most do — but low trailers can hang up crossing from the landing onto the barge. Dovetail trailers, campers with low-hanging plumbing, and low box utility trailers are the usual trouble, especially when the wheels sit far forward and there's a long, low back end behind them. We have ways to get most trailers loaded, but if you're not sure, send us a photo before you book — call (843) 417-9990 or email daufuskietransport@gmail.com — and we'll check it before load day.
What happens if I'm late?
Please don't be. Our loads are scheduled back to back and our crew is paid while they wait, so if we have to wait for you, a waiting fee may apply — and one late load pushes every run after it. If you're running behind, call us as early as possible and we'll try to adjust.
When do cold groceries run?
Tuesdays, for now. Call ahead so we can plan your spot.
Something odd-sized or unusual?
Call us — custom loads are quoted by phone or email.
Not sure how your load fits?
Call us — we'll walk you through it.
Tell us what you're moving, where it is now, and where it needs to be on Daufuskie. We'll tell you the simplest way to get it there — drive-on, warehouse drop-off, or a custom quote.
Call (843) 417-9990 · Email daufuskietransport@gmail.com
Estimates are confirmed by our team before every run.