Bulk Foods
The best transportation value, BNSF links high volume production to almost every major market in the Western United States. BNSF provides efficient rail service for products to reach distant markets.
We can ship your food-grade bulk commodities in boxcars, private tank cars or private covered hoppers. Our flexibility and reliability means safe and economical shipping for you.
Browse the tabs below for more details on shipping bulk foods with BNSF.
Because of our public pricing our business provides a level of transparency not available with other modes of transportation. By creating a level playing field in the marketplace, we offer a price that is commensurate with the value we provide and is often a better value proposition than alternative modes and providers of transportation.
Use our Carload Shipping Advisor tool to obtain a price for shipping bulk foods.
Pricing Tools and Resources
- Bulk foods are moved under various price authorities:
- A Mileage-Based Fuel Surcharge is applicable on all BNSF bulk food shipments.
- Prices for bulk foods are renewed yearly in October.
- BNSF requires a completed and approved credit application prior to a shipment order.
Key STCCs (Standard Transportation Commodity Codes)
Key STCCs for bulk foods (but not limited to):
| STCC | Description |
|---|---|
| 01143 | Peanuts |
| 01915 | Seeds |
| 20343 | Potato flakes |
| 20359 | Pepper sauce |
| 20871 | Beverage flavoring |
BNSF provides superior customer service and support through our dedicated team of shipping experts and our well-maintained fleet that meets the weight and size needs of the industry. With access to most major Bulk Foods production and consumption areas in the Western United States and joint-line access to Eastern Markets, we have the flexibility to get your goods where they need to go.
- Review transit times for bulk foods shipped using our single car services.
- BNSF provides service for bulk foods only on designated routes. Find out where BNSF ships.
- Check to see if BNSF serves your destination using our switching guides.
- Special exceptions exist for freight moving interline. Use our routing guides for moving freight to the CSX, Canadian Pacific, and Canadian National railroads.
- Customers desiring to ship in unit train service must comply with the Unit Train Operating Guidelines. Please note, in order to take advantage of our Unit Train service, you must own or lease your equipment.
Not Rail Served?
- If you are not directly served by a railroad and need delivery by truck, consider using one of our premier transloaders or BNSF Logistics.
- You can also work with our Economic Development team to establish or expand your next site. Talk to us today!
Please select equipment from the drop down.
Covered Hoppers
| Specifications Table | Diagram (Jumbo) | Diagram (Large) | Diagram (Small) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cubic Capacity | 5161 to 5188 | 4427 to 4750 | 2700 to 3426 |
| GWR | 286,000 lbs | 263,000 lbs | 263,000 to 286,000 lbs |
| Hatch Type | Trough, Combination | Trough, Circular | Trough, Circular |
| Outlet Gates | Gravity, Pneumatic | Gravity, Pneumatic | Gravity |
| Commodities | Grain, Sugar, Malt | Grain, Sugar, Malt, Fertilizers, Potash, Sand, Clay, Alumina, Coke, Lime | Sand, Perlite, Roofing Granules |
| Fleet Size | 15,500 | 16,600 | 2,100 |
Boxcar
| Specifications Table | Diagram (50 ft) | Diagram (60 ft) |
|---|---|---|
| Inside Length | 50 ft | 60 ft |
| Inside Height | 13 ft | 13 ft |
| Inside Width | 9.6 ft | 9.6 ft |
| Door Type | Plug | Sliding and plug |
| Door Width | 10.6 ft to 16 ft | 10.6 ft to 16 ft |
| Lading Capacity | 185,000 to 215,000 lbs | 201,000 to 209,000 lbs |
| Cubic Foot Capacity | 6,100 to 6,250 | 7,500 |
| Plate | F | F, G |
| Fleet Size | 2,560 | 1,394 |
Private Equipment Policy
If you own your own equipment and plan to ship it on BNSF Railway, your equipment must be registered via the OT5 process that is administered by Railinc. To register, you will need your CIF number, proper UMLER information and the car numbers to be registered. For more information, please contact BNSF Private Equipment Management Team.
Helpful Links
Loading Origin Guarantees
Shippers have the ability to guarantee equipment supply through BNSF's Loading Origins Guarantee (LOGs) program. See more information on the LOGs program.
- Carload Reference Guide
- Carload At A Glance Guide
- Standard Carload Policies are under BNSF 6100-A
- Loading & Shipment Safety
- Extended Equipment Use and Services
- Weight Restriction Maps
- Oversized Shipments Reference Guide
- Oversized FAQs
- Approved Interchange Points for positive handoff of TIH/PIH commodities
- Hazardous Waste Manifest
Sign up for BNSF Customer Updates to receive information regarding:
- Service advisories: Temporary changes to service, including derailments, weather and holiday interruptions.
- Network overviews: Information on the overall BNSF network and regional maintenance of way projects.
- Facility updates: Information related to specific facilities.
- Marketing news: New service or product offerings or permanent changes to existing service.
- Web updates: Information about new or changes to existing Web-enabled tools at bnsf.com.
- Pricing updates: Changes to existing private or public price authorities for both intermodal and carload traffic.
- Customer letters: Customer letters are sent via U.S. Mail from various Marketing groups on a variety of marketing and service-related topics.
Become a New BNSF Customer
|
Begin shipping with BNSF quickly and easily. We will need the following information to get you started with BNSF:
|
817-867-6223 or customer.development@bnsf.com |
Pricing/Rates
| Get a rate quickly with our easy online price lookup tool | Price Lookup tool | |
| If no rate available via Price Lookup tool, contact a BNSF representative via phone or email | Dana Walker | Tel: 817-867-6162 |
| Aaron Matthews | Tel: 817-867-6524 | |
Shipping Questions
| Our Customer Support team will answer questions about your shipment, including billing, service, etc - specify what kind of questions go to Customer Support |
Customer Support 888-428-2673, option 4, 3 |
| Our Equipment team will help answer your questions regarding equipment-maybe also specify some of the commonly asked questions | 888-428-2673, option 4, 4 |
Helpful Links
| Quickly find out who is served by BNSF | Switching Information |
| Easily locate a transloader on BNSF network | Premier Transloader Directory |
| Locate your new site near BNSF or have your existing site served by BNSF | Economic Development |
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