Rail Drayage in Houston, TX

Your container hit the ramp. Maybe it came off a BNSF stack train at Pearland or rolled into the UP facility on Settegast. The railroad moved it a thousand miles. Now it needs a truck for the last thirty.

Bravo Motor Carriers runs rail drayage at every major intermodal ramp in Houston. Our trucks, our drivers, our chassis. We pull containers off the rail, deliver them to your warehouse, and get the empties back before per diem eats your margin.

Shipper, 3PL, or freight forwarder — we’re the carrier that shows up when the notification hits.

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Our Rail Drayage Services

Here’s what we run at Houston’s intermodal ramps:

Intermodal Container Pickup

Your container gets notified, we pick it up. 20-foot, 40-foot, 45-foot, 53-foot domestic, high cubes. We match chassis to container type and pull it before storage charges start.

Intermodal Container Delivery

Outbound containers heading to the rail ramp for train loading. We handle the gate-in, chassis staging, and check-in so the box makes the train’s cut-off window.

Empty Container Return

Getting empties back to the correct ramp and the correct chassis pool before per diem charges start compounding. We run returns on the same dispatch cycle as pickups to keep equipment turning.

Transload Coordination

Need to move freight from an international marine box to a domestic 53-foot trailer? That’s a transload, and we run both the ramp leg and the dock work.

Cross-Town Shuttle

Containers moving between rail ramps, or from a rail ramp to a port terminal. Repositioning moves that keep your freight on schedule when routing changes mid-transit.

What Is Rail Drayage?

Rail drayage is the truck move between an intermodal rail ramp and the container’s final stop. The railroad handles the long haul. We handle the first and last mile.

Houston runs two major ramps — BNSF and Union Pacific — and they don’t work the same way. Different notification systems, different gates, different equipment pools. Every hour that box sits after notification is an hour closer to storage charges. The railroads don’t send reminders. They send invoices.

Rail Drayage Coverage and Ramps

We run daily operations at Houston’s major intermodal facilities. Not when a load comes in. Every day.

BNSF Intermodal Facility handles some of the heaviest volume on the Gulf Coast. Our drivers know the gate flow, the grounding areas, and the notification timing because they’re there every morning.

Union Pacific Intermodal Terminal runs its own gate system, equipment pool, and scheduling rhythm. Different ramp, different procedures. We maintain daily presence at UP too.

When the ramps back up — volume spikes, chassis shortages, equipment imbalances — experience is what gets your box out before storage charges stack up.

Why Shippers Choose Us

Bravo Motor Carriers is the container drayage company shippers turn to when freight has to move clean from port to border without handoffs.

We own the trucks

The chassis too. No broker layer, no load board, no subcontractor showing up with someone else’s equipment. The driver who picks up your container works for us. Period.

TWIC cards on every driver.

Not some of them. All of them. When a load needs to move, we don’t scramble for a credentialed guy who might be available.

Bonded carrier

Containers under CBP control move under our bond, on our authority. T&E, IT — we carry the credentials.

Connected network

Port terminals, rail ramps, and the border corridor through Laredo, McAllen, and Brownsville all run through one carrier. Your freight doesn’t get handed off between companies to get where it’s going.

Daily operations.

We don’t show up when a load pops up. Our trucks are running Houston’s terminals and ramps every day. The drivers know the gates, the appointment systems, and the timing because they live in it.

Why Shippers Choose Us

You don’t have to take our word for it. Here’s what people who actually use us say:

Frequently Asked Questions About Rail Drayage

Rail Drayage Basics

What is rail drayage?

The short-haul truck move that takes containers to and from an intermodal rail ramp. Pickups, deliveries, empty returns, and repositioning moves all fall under rail drayage.

How is rail drayage different from port drayage?

Port drayage moves containers at marine terminals. Rail drayage moves containers at intermodal rail ramps. Different facilities, different systems, different credentials. Same truck-and-chassis operation at the core.

What intermodal ramps operate in Houston?

Houston has major facilities run by BNSF and Union Pacific. Each ramp has its own gate procedures, notification systems, equipment pools, and cut-off schedules.

What does "last mile" mean in intermodal shipping?

The truck leg from the rail ramp to the container’s final destination. The railroad moves freight across the country. Drayage handles the local pickup and delivery on both ends.

Can any trucking company do rail drayage?

Not effectively. Rail drayage requires ramp registration, the right chassis inventory, notification system access, and experience with each facility’s procedures. General freight carriers don’t carry that infrastructure.

Working with Bravo

Does Bravo own its trucks?

Every truck and every driver is ours. No brokerage, no subcontracting.

Does Bravo serve both BNSF and Union Pacific ramps?

Daily. We’re registered, insured, and running loads at both intermodal facilities every day.

Can Bravo handle outbound containers going to the rail ramp?

Yes. We handle gate-in, chassis staging, and check-in for outbound loads making train cut-offs.

Can Bravo move overweight intermodal containers?

Tri-axle chassis, TxDOT permits, and scale-certified routing. We run the loads other carriers won’t touch.

How fast can I get a rate?

Give us the container details, ramp, and destination. Same business day turnaround on quotes.

Operations and Timing

How do rail container notifications work?

The railroad notifies the consignee or their agent when a container is available for pickup. That notification starts the free time clock, and every day past it adds storage charges.

What happens if the pickup gets delayed?

Storage charges from the railroad start accumulating. Equipment per diem from the chassis provider stacks on top. We dispatch on notification day to keep both clocks from running.

What are rail storage charges?

Fees from the railroad when a container sits at the ramp past the allowed free time after notification. Same concept as demurrage at the port, different facility.

What's the difference between per diem and storage?

Storage is the railroad’s charge for the container sitting at the ramp. Per diem is the chassis provider’s charge for holding their equipment past the allowed time. Both add up fast.

What if the train is late or the ramp is congested?

We monitor train schedules and ramp conditions daily. When congestion hits or trains run late, we adjust pickup timing and coordinate with your receiving facility to keep freight moving.

Coverage and Pricing

Where does Bravo deliver from Houston rail ramps?

Across the Houston metro area and connecting to our port drayage terminals and our border corridor through Laredo, McAllen, and Brownsville.

How does rail drayage pricing work?

Based on ramp, container size, delivery distance, and special requirements like overweight or transload coordination. We quote per-move or on contract for regular volume.

Does Bravo handle transload moves?

Yes. International containers moving to domestic 53-foot equipment at a transload facility. We handle both the rail ramp leg and the warehouse leg.

Can Bravo connect rail drayage to port or border moves?

Containers from the rail connect to our port operations at Bayport and Barbours Cut and to our Laredo, McAllen, and Brownsville corridor. One carrier for the full chain.

Does Bravo offer contract rates for regular rail volume?

Yes. Dedicated scheduling, priority dispatch, and consistent pricing for shippers and 3PLs with recurring intermodal volume through Houston.

Contact Bravo Motor Carriers

Ready to contact drayage carrier Bravo? Here’s what we need from you: container size, pickup terminal or ramp, delivery address, and any special handling. That’s it. We’ll come back with a rate.

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(281) 768-8843

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rates@bravomotors.com

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9009 North Loop East, Suite #200 Houston, TX 77029

Request a Rate

Got a transload move or overweight box? Call operations directly so we can sort out equipment and routing before booking.