Most Americans have seen first-hand the empty store shelves that have resulted from COVID-19 as shoppers scramble for non-perishable goods and paper products. The shortages have caused the supply chain to become top of mind for many, when it’s typically not something people think about.
BNSF is doing our part to deliver necessary products. We’re working tirelessly with the nation’s largest consumer brands and store chains to transport essential goods where they are needed most. To bring those items to families across the country, partnerships between ocean carriers, trucking companies and railroads are required.
Once a shipping container arrives at a port of entry, a journey begins that crosses many state borders via rail and highway before arriving at your local store. Shipments typically travel inland by rail in the container they arrived in, or are taken to a transload facility by truck. If taken to a transload facility, the shipment is transferred to a larger container before beginning its journey by rail. Once the container is on our rail network, the goods will then travel to one of our 25 intermodal facilities and finally onto local store shelves.
Learn more about ways we are working with customers and service partners to keep the supply chain moving here.
