Dividing the load equally

On my return to India, after an extensive tour of America, I waited for the two crates I had sent by ship as unaccompanied baggage. When they finally arrived, I had them cleared through the Customs and engaged three laborers to carry them to my home three miles distant. I was going to pay them $8 each for this task. As I was going to pay each of them equal amounts, they decided to carry a crate each equal distance. How did they manage to do it ?