Intermodal Frequently Asked Questions

BNSF Railway offers a range of intermodal service options designed to meet your specific shipping requirements. BNSF's two primary intermodal service options are Expedited and Standard. The Expedited service averages about 800 miles per day and the Standard service averages about 600 miles per day.

BNSF partners with the industry's top motor carriers to provide comprehensive door-to-door service nationwide. To find out which carrier(s) might be right for you, contact a BNSF sales representative or send an email to the Intermodal Team.

BNSF calculates carbon emissions with a carbon emission estimator that was developed in collaboration with ClearCarbon Consulting, Inc. The algorithms used within the tool were structured using the U.S. EPA's Climate Leaders program emission factors (Direct Emissions from Mobile Combustion Sources, May 2008).

BNSF offers a wide range of information on the Intermodal page, send an email to the Intermodal Team or call 800-326-5999.

Shipping via BNSF Intermodal is easy. To get started, visit BNSF's Intermodal page or contact BNSF.

You can use this handy search tool to look up your commodity. In addition, to see other hazardous intermodal shipment information, see the Prohibited Hazardous commodities.

BNSF partners with the industry's top motor carriers to provide comprehensive door-to-door service nationwide. To find a carrier that might be right for you, contact BNSF.

If you do not own assets, BNSF can help by partnering with industry-leading asset-owning transportation companies that provide the trailers, containers or other equipment in order to ship via intermodal. To learn more, contact BNSF.

BNSF's partnership with industry-leading transportation companies provides the assets you need to ship intermodal alongside all the benefits intermodal has to offer. This partnership ensures access to capacity even during peak periods.

Yes. BNSF partners with asset-owning carriers who supply equipment allowing each party to focus on their areas of expertise. This allows carriers to work on door-to-door solutions with their ultimate customers.

BNSF offers the industry's widest range of intermodal service schedules and market reach. Discover BNSF's intermodal transit schedule for your specific origins and destinations.

Intermodal goal hours refer to the scheduled elapsed time to move from rail origin (day/time specific cutoff) to rail destination (day/time specific availability). More information can be found here.

BNSF partners with carriers or other logistics partners to provide seamless door-to-door product. Getting set up as a customer is the first step in learning more about our service offerings and rates. To get started, please contact BNSF.

BNSF is always looking to expand into new markets. If you have opportunities in Canada or Mexico, please contact BNSF to see how intermodal might be able to help you with your transportation requirements.

BNSF can help you reach all eastern markets by partnering with major eastern rail carriers via interline relationships. Your freight can be moved across rail networks beyond the BNSF rail infrastructure - the shipment process is still simple and seamless for the shipper. To learn more, contact BNSF.

Contact a BNSF representative for next steps.

Intermodal service provides a more economical, environmentally-friendly transportation solution that reliably delivers your shipments at speeds that are competitive with over-the-road options.

BNSF Railway is the world's leading intermodal provider and intermodal is the largest segment at BNSF. BNSF consistently delivers intermodal solutions that meet shipper's needs worldwide. In fact, 98% of the top 100 importers use BNSF Railway.

BNSF's rail network consists of 32,500 route miles in 28 states and three Canadian provinces. Through our intermodal interline partnerships with other railroads, we have the ability to access all North American markets, including east coast markets. To find out how BNSF can help you reach existing and new markets, contact us here.

The nation's top LTL, refrigerated and parcel carriers rely on BNSF intermodal solutions to deliver the shipments their customers need. BNSF's intermodal service continues to grow in popularity in large part due to reliable on-time performance that rivals on-time performance for over-the-road shipments. Many shippers have the confidence in intermodal to ship from distribution centers directly to their stores, with even the most service-sensitive shippers relying on BNSF Intermodal. 

BNSF recognizes that different kinds of freight have different requirements. As a result, we offer a range of service options designed to meet your specific needs. For example, a container can move on BNSF's Expedited service from Los Angeles to Chicago (ramp-to-ramp) in just 78 hours. For complete service schedules, click here.

In conjunction with our carrier partners, we go to great lengths to ensure that your goods will arrive damage-free. Both intermodal carriers and beneficial cargo owners have access to BNSF's Load and Ride Solutions team, which provides methods to properly load and brace your freight in order to prevent damage. When adhering to industry best practices, you can be assured damage-free shipments are a norm and rival other modes of transportation.

Estimated cost savings is just one of the measured benefits that BNSF's Intermodal Advisor tool calculates. The Intermodal Advisor tool calculates estimated cost savings by comparing an average over-the-road truck rate against representative door-to-door intermodal rates for the specific lane(s) submitted.

Over the years, BNSF has analyzed millions of lanes submitted using the Intermodal Advisor tool, and most shippers said their actual savings exceeded BNSF's estimated savings. Interested in learning how much you can save on an intermodal shipment in your specific lanes? Try BNSF's Intermodal Advisor tool. It's free. Or, for a more thorough analysis of your transportation portfolio, contact BNSF.

You can use this handy search tool to look up your commodity. In addition, to see other hazardous intermodal shipment information, see the Prohibited Hazardous commodities.

With BNSF, you get access to the broadest selection of reliable intermodal service offerings. Whether you desire greater speed or maximum savings, we have a shipping solution to meet your needs.

BNSF partners with ocean carriers and international third parties that can provide rates for 20-foot or 40-foot containers. For more information, or to connect with a carrier that best suits your needs, contact BNSF.

BNSF offers a range of intermodal service offerings designed to fit your needs. Learn more here.

BNSF partners with ocean carriers, who can provide rates to the final destination in Asia.

You can work directly with ocean carriers to dray containers into and out of BNSF intermodal facilities. Likewise, while BNSF does not own containers, ocean carriers and international third parties can provide the equipment to use for international intermodal shipments.

For more information, or to connect with a carrier that best suits your needs, get started with us.