BNSF Railway has launched BNSF RELOAD, a service product for westbound domestic shipments using imported containers before they return overseas. The Fort Worth-based railroad announced the program on 3 June 2026.
It allows 20 ft and 40 ft import containers to be reused for U.S. freight moving to the West Coast, rather than repositioned empty after inland import delivery.
RELOAD gives IMCs access to a network supply of empty containers and provides ocean carriers with another channel to market available box capacity. The railroad’s 2026 Intermodal Resource Guide presents the program as part of its westbound shipment offering for IMCs and ocean carriers.
The program also includes container tracking, billing management and box-supply functions through a BNSF dashboard. IMC Logistics is cited by BNSF as an early user of the system for securing container supply and managing domestic repositioning activity.
BNSF RELOAD follows the structure of BNSF’s Matchback program, which pairs empty import containers with export cargoes such as grain and other agricultural commodities. RELOAD applies the same equipment-use logic to westbound domestic freight.
BNSF’s intermodal network covers 32,500 route miles in 28 U.S. states and serves all major U.S. West Coast ports, according to the railroad’s 2026 intermodal guide. The same guide states that BNSF moved more than 5m intermodal shipments last year.
