The program is specifically tailored for ocean carriers and intermodal logistics providers seeking to optimize equipment utilization, reduce dwell time, and improve asset turnover. Under RELOAD, ocean-imported 20-foot and 40-foot containers—after discharge at U.S. West Coast ports—can be reloaded with domestic cargo for inland movement prior to their return voyage overseas. This approach supports more balanced equipment distribution, increases container availability across BNSF’s network, and reduces reliance on costly, unladen repositioning moves.  

RELOAD provides participating customers with standardized access to verified empty container inventory across multiple BNSF-served terminals and rail ramps, thereby improving planning certainty and operational scalability. By facilitating higher-turnover use of existing import equipment, the program contributes to lower landed costs per shipment and enhanced end-to-end supply chain resilience.  

“RELOAD represents a collaborative, capacity-forward solution that enables ocean carriers to actively market and monetize their container assets within the domestic network,” said Jon Gabriel, Group Vice President, Consumer Products, BNSF Railway. “It delivers greater scheduling flexibility for shippers and producers while advancing more sustainable, asset-efficient logistics—particularly for commodities well-suited to standard dry van containers.”  

The program builds upon BNSF’s established Match Back initiative—which pairs discharged import containers with export-bound agricultural commodities such as grain—but extends its scope to include a broader range of domestic, westbound freight. IMC Logistics, an early adopter, reported measurable improvements in equipment visibility, billing accuracy, and container tracking granularity. “The RELOAD program has streamlined our box procurement process, unified our billing workflows, and significantly strengthened our ability to forecast and secure container supply,” noted Mason George, President of National Accounts, IMC Logistics. “It has become a cornerstone of our domestic repositioning strategy.”  

BNSF anticipates that RELOAD will drive measurable gains in network fluidity, equipment velocity, and cross-border container circulation efficiency throughout North America.

Resource.: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/hy0f7c2IEYkGJvbY1b-tMQ