Shipping from Tampa
Tampa, Florida freight rates The central Florida city of Tampa is home to the highly traveled Port Tampa Bay, the closest full service port to the Panama Canal. It handled more than 36 million tons of cargo in 2014 and is one of the world’s premier fertilizer ports. With major interstate systems I-4, I-75 and I-275 running through the region, Tampa is connected to major U.S. cities like Atlanta, Cincinnati, Orlando and Detroit, as well as to the Canadian border. The region offers 500 miles of active railroad and siding tracks, which maintains a major rail yard, an intermodal terminal, a TRANSFLO terminal and an automotive distribution center in Tampa. The region isn’t as affected by the tourism industry as other locations in Florida, but like other destinations in the Sunshine State, the summer citrus season can drive freight prices up. LTL shipping is usually affordable due to the volume of goods moving through the area via truck and rail.
Shipping to Miami
Miami, FL freight rates There are few more prominent hubs for international shipping than Miami, Florida. Miami International Airport is the leading U.S. airport for international freight and the 10th busiest facility in the world. It is also the world’s largest gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean. About 84 percent of all air imports and 81 percent of exports from Latin America and the Caribbean go through this southern Florida region. Miami is served by 84 scheduled and 17 charter air carriers, of which 40 are all-cargo carriers. Both the airport and the PortMiami facility make the region a hub for distribution of perishable products, hi-tech commodities, telecommunications equipment, textiles, pharmaceuticals and industrial machinery. The area includes nearly 1,400 licensed customs brokers and freight forwarders and numerous local and multinational companies specializing in international trade and logistics, trade law and advocacy, finance, importing and exporting. There are also more than 100 consulates, foreign trade offices and bi-national chambers of commerce. Domestic shipping and transport to international facilities is provided by a Class I railroad and a Class II railroad, and truck transport can take advantage of access to I-95 and I-75.