Shipping from Houston
Houston, Texas freight rates Whether by sea, highway or rail, a major portion of the country’s freight passes in and out of the Houston region. The region is home to the ports of Houston, Galveston, Freeport and Texas City. The Port of Houston ranks first in the U.S. in foreign tonnage and is the largest container port in the Gulf Coast, handling 66 percent of Gulf Coast container traffic in 2013. A recent expansion of the Panama Canal to allow larger ocean freighters should increase port traffic. As one of the nation’s busiest rail centers, the Houston region has a rail network of more than 800 miles of rail line and 21 miles of railroad bridges. Additionally, 10 major rail companies serve the Houston region and 150 trucking lines connect the Port of Houston to the continental U.S., Canada and Mexico. Houston is the crossroads for Interstate Highways 10 and 45, as well as several state highways.
Shipping to Phoenix
Phoenix, AZ freight rates With its proximity to California, Texas and Mexico, Phoenix offers access to hundreds of major domestic and international markets. The region boasts 14 airports, including the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, which serves as a major hub for southwestern air traffic, making air freight shipping a viable option in and out of the region. Phoenix also offers rail terminals with trailer and container capabilities operated by Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad. The city and surrounding area also offers a sophisticated highway system with interstate routes stretching to Los Angeles, the Midwest and Mexico. Because Arizona exports more than it imports, LTL freight rates into Phoenix are fairly inexpensive. Intermodal freight rates are also reasonable due to the state’s copper industry. On the other hand, shipping out of Phoenix can get expensive due to the state’s agricultural exports. Because crops are grown all year, there isn’t much in the way of seasonal discount rates for outbound shipping.